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"Those in our service pride ourselves on loyalty and discipline."
―Republic Judicial Terrinald Screed[6]

The Judicial Department (sometimes called the Judiciary or the Judiciary Department) was the primary law enforcement agency for the Galactic Republic. Under the command of the Galactic Senate, it became a department of the Office of the Supreme Chancellor during the last decades of the Republic. Though the Judicials of the department, in general, served as law enforcement and later also as military forces, the department had specific agencies to provide police services. This included the Republic Office of Criminal Investigations (ROCI), the Sector Rangers (officially under the ROCI), the Republic Security Force, and the Senate Guard. The ROCI was in charge of coordinating Republic criminal investigations and managed the Sector Rangers, one of the earliest law enforcement agencies in Republic service. The Republic Security Force was composed of uniformed police officers called Republic Peace Officers. It provided basic law enforcement services to Republic worlds including emergency response, traffic control, apprehending criminals and conducting raids. Though officially a part of the Judicial Department, the Senate Guard mostly acted independently.

After the Ruusan Reformation the department was drastically reorganized, and its responsibilities were expanded. Notably, the Judicial Department was placed in charge of supervising the Jedi Order. Also, the remaining forces of the Army of Light were reorganized as the Judicial Forces, the only form of a standing military the Republic would have for the next thousand years. With the coming of the Clone Wars between the Republic and Confederacy of Independent Systems, the Judicial Forces' navy and ground units were merged into the re-established Republic Navy and Grand Army of the Republic, respectively. The Jedi Order similarly became a part of the military command structure. With these changes, the Judicial Department focused solely on law enforcement duties until it was dissolved with the formation of the Galactic Empire.

Description[]

Duties and departments[]

Lieutenant Williams

Judicial Forces Lieutenant Antidar Williams

The Judicial Department was the primary law enforcement agency for the Galactic Republic.[1] Headquartered in the Judicial Arcology on the planet Coruscant,[3] the Judicial Department was responsible for policing the Republic's space and investigating criminal activities. To accomplish this, the department managed several agencies with specific law enforcement duties.[1] This included the Republic Office of Criminal Investigations (ROCI),[7] the Sector Rangers (officially under the ROCI),[7] the Republic Security Force,[8] and the Senate Guard.[9] The ROCI was charged with coordinating investigations by law enforcement agencies of criminal activities.[10] They also supervised the Sector Rangers.[7] The Rangers were one of the earliest law enforcement agencies in Republic service and though officers were assigned on a sector level, the Rangers had Republic wide jurisdiction and were usually sent to investigate organized crime.[11] The Republic Security Force, also called the Republic Guard, was composed of uniformed police officers called Republic Peace Officers. Republic Security provided basic law enforcement services to Republic worlds that requested them including responding to emergency calls, controlling traffic, apprehending criminals and, when needed, conducting raids.[8] The Senate Guard, though an official branch of the Judicial Department, mostly worked independently and ultimately answered to the Senate Guard committee.[9]

Organizational structure[]

The Judicial Department was a part of the Office of the Supreme Chancellor and led by the Supreme Chancellor. Members of the department including police officers and other officials were referred to as Judicials. The Director of Investigation was in overall command of investigations conducted by the Judicial Department.[1] The Director of Personnel was in charge of recruiting new Judicial members.[12] In regards to press relations, the Information Director was responsible for notifying the public of Judicial activities and giving statements.[13] For the prosecution of cases, the department had several General Attorneys and their assistants.[14] Sector Coordinators were in charge of Judicial operations within their assigned sector.

For those that sought service within the Judicial Department, most graduated from the Judicial Academy though others also entered the Raithal Academy and the Academy of Carida.[15]

History[]

It existed as far back as the Indecta Era, when it developed assassin droid technology.

After the Ruusan Reformation, the Republic Military was reorganized as the Judicial Forces and placed under the command of the Judicial Department. Along with the Republic Outland Regions Security Force[1] and the Republic Special Task Force[16] they patrolled Republic space and assisted the Jedi when extra military force was required. The Ruusan Reformation also placed the Jedi Order under the supervision of the Judicial department.[1]

Following the disastrous Eriadu Trade Summit, the Senate passed restrictions on the Judicial Department, limiting the cases in which the Chancellor could use it without first gaining explicit approval from the Senate. These restrictions were presumably lifted sometime during the administration/reign of Palpatine.

Judicials-raid

Judicials raid an illegal pit race.

During the Dorvalla incident in 33 BBY, the Judicial Department requested a meeting with Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum and later informed him of the hostilities that emerged between the Trade Federation and the Nebula Front. They were later deployed to deal with the crisis before it escalated. In 21.5 BBY, the Judicial Department was involved in an ongoing investigation of the Haruun Kal government in order to determine their treatment of the native Korun. However, the planet instead decided to escape any persecution by joining hands with the Confederacy of Independent Systems during the Clone Wars.[17]

The Judiciary was later involved in questioning rogue Givin saboteur Gavrilonnis Tejere before he could complete his work on Coruscant. After being processed, Grand Master Yoda revealed to the HoloNet that Tejere had no connection to the Separatists. Judicial Forces did not reveal their questioning of the suspect after he was brought into custody by Jedi Master Yoda and Mace Windu. The investigation of the Givin saboteur was later a joint venture between the Judiciary and Senate Bureau of Intelligence agents as well as overseen by Jedi Knight Qu Rahn.[18] At another point, the Department was involved in a joint investigation with the Jedi Order over the possibility of Stone mites being a genetically engineered weapon deployed on worlds after the planet Ord Tiddell suffered from a devastation infestation of the insects.[12]

They along with the Jedi Order also worked in concert to battle the threat of the Pirates of Iridium in the Atrivis sector. In the resultant skirmish, four Republic Judiciaries along with two Jedi Knights were killed over the gas giant Vuchelle. This was later revealed to the news network by the Judicial Department, which highlighted the victory over the pirate forces of Iridium.[19] The department also denied the attempts by the People's Inquest to reveal the budget of the Jedi Order.[13] With the formation of the Galactic Empire, the Judicial Department was dissolved, and its responsibilities were given to other agencies.[5]

Appearances[]

Non-canon appearances[]

Sources[]

Notes and references[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, Vol. II, p. 177 ("Judicial Department")
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 The Essential Guide to Warfare
  3. 3.0 3.1 HoloNet News
  4. The New Essential Guide to Droids
  5. 5.0 5.1 This article assumes that the Judicial Department was dissolved with the formation of the Galactic Empire based on the following: All source materials (notably The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia (CSWE) and The Essential Guide to Warfare (EGtW) list the Judicial Department as a Republic organization, only, not Imperial. The EGtW further confirms that all Judicial Forces were merged with the Republic Military. This leaves the Judicial Department only with the Republic Guard (which is also only listed as a Republic agency, not Imperial, in the CSWE) and the Republic Office of Criminal Investigations. The ROCI is listed in the CSWE as becoming the Imperial Office of Criminal Investigations and is placed under COMPNOR along with the Sector Rangers.
  6. HNNsmall Vigilante Taskforce Departs to Engage SeparatistsHoloNet News Vol. 531 #54 (content now obsolete; backup link)
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 SWInsider "Republic HoloNet News Core Edition 14:4:14" — Star Wars Insider 67
  8. 8.0 8.1 The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, Vol. III, p. 95 ("Republic Guard")
  9. 9.0 9.1 Galaxy at War
  10. The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, Vol. III, p. 95 ("Republic Office of Criminal Investigations")
  11. The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, Vol. III, p. 133 ("Sector Rangers")
  12. 12.0 12.1 HoloNet News Vol. 531 55
  13. 13.0 13.1 HoloNet News Vol. 531 48
  14. HoloNet News Vol. 531 56
  15. HNNsmall Carida Backs Military Creation ActHoloNet News Vol. 531 #52 (content now obsolete; backup link)
  16. Databank title Panaka, Captain in the Databank (content now obsolete; backup link)
  17. Cloak of Deception
  18. HoloNet News Vol. 531 53
  19. HoloNet News Vol. 531 49
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