Procedures

General Communication Rules

1. No one who is not a party or witness to this case shall post here. 2. The parties and witnesses shall remain civil and shall not post anything illegal. 3. The parties and witnesses shall not commit Perjury or Contempt. 4. The parties and witnesses shall not post out of turn (other than for motions). 5. All potentially offensive content must be "spoilered" (i.e. censored).

Criminal Court Procedures

1. Commencement by the Court: The presiding justice (normally the Chief Justice) will begin the trial by stating the charges levied against the Accused. The Court will remind the parties of these procedures, communication rules, and any relevant case documents. Amici are allowed to file Amicus Curiae Briefs following this phase. 2. Opening Statements: Each party will provide a brief summary of the case and the evidence they will present. This is not the place to formally present/analyze your evidence or call witnesses, or to significantly argue your case. Please just provide a concise statement of your argument and then a short overview of how you will argue it. 3. Arguments: Each party will present their evidence, call and question their witnesses, and present their case. Neither party should respond to the other side's arguments yet. 4. Responses: The parties shall respond to the other side's arguments (Up to 5 responses each). Parties may additionally cross-examine any witnesses. 5. Closing Arguments: Each party will provide one final statement of their argument. 6. Sentencing Order: Following trial, the Court shall issue a finding determining whether the accused is guilty or not guilty for every charge. 7. Sentencing: If the Accused is found guilty on one or more counts, then the case shall proceed to a sentencing hearing, wherein the Court will notify the parties of potential punishments. Any victims may post their statement first. Both parties will then be allotted one post each for arguing a recommended sentence. 8. Sentencing Order: Following the hearing, the Court shall determine the appropriate sentence for the accused.

Civil and State Court Procedures

1. Commencement by the Court: The presiding justice (normally the Chief Justice) will begin the trial by stating the charges levied against the Accused. The Court will remind the parties of these procedures, communication rules, and any relevant case documents. Amici are allowed to file [Amicus Curiae Briefs] following this phase. 2. Opening Statements: Each party will provide a brief summary of the case and the evidence they will present. This is not the place to formally present/analyze your evidence or call witnesses, or to significantly argue your case. Please just provide a concise statement of your argument and then a short overview of how you will argue it. 3. Arguments: Each party will present their evidence, call and question their witnesses, and present their case. Neither party should respond to the other side's arguments yet. 4. Responses: The parties shall respond to the other side's arguments (Up to 5 responses each). Parties may additionally cross-examine any witnesses. 5. Closing Arguments: Each party will provide one final statement of their argument. 6. Ruling: Following trial, the Court shall determine whether the accused is culpable and the appropriate remedies. Notes for each platform: Discord: Any argument or response you make will only be counted once you have rested (it can be as many messages in succession as you want to include). Ping the presiding justice and the opposing party once you are done. Witnesses may submit their statements via another platform if they are not on Discord. RMB: Each post will be counted as one response/argument. Tag the Chief Justice account and the opposing party's nation once you are done.

How to Submit Filings and Motions

1. Go to Forms, Filings, and Motions (in the HELP tab). You are also able to submit any form/filing/motion in any courtroom assigned to a case, especially if you require assistance. The Court will ask for further clarification, if necessary, and craft a filing based on the information provided. 2. Select the relevant form depending on your circumstances. 3. Check "who can file" and "function" to see whether you are able to file and if the form will accomplished your desired goal. 4. Check "explanation" and "example" for what the contents of the form should look like. 5. Send the form either via telegram to NWI Chief Justice or via Discord on the High Court server. The Court will notify you whether this form has been accepted (and to what extent, if applicable) and any further instructions.

Discovery Procedures

1. All evidence and witnesses must be relevant to this case. No prejudicial evidence or witnesses will be allowed. 2. Evidence may not be tampered with or deleted. Doing so may result in severe criminal and/or procedural penalties. 3. Hearsay will not be accepted. This rule is pretty hard to define without extensive procedures, but essentially this means that if your piece of evidence is a testimony-like statement by another party, that person must be called as a Witness to testify, so they can be cross-examined. 4. All witnesses will be ordered to attend the Trial. By submitting witnesses on the Discovery Form, you grant the Court permission to issue a subpoena to the witnesses. This is a binding Court Order compelling the witness to attend. 5. Witnesses cannot be required to provide self-incriminating testimony. Other exclusions may be considered on a case-by-case basis. If, after Discovery Filings are submitted, you dispute the admissibility of a piece of evidence, please file a Form 201: Motion to Strike Evidence as soon as possible.