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Stephenson:Neal:The Diamond Age:40:Protocol Enforcement...(Mike Lorrey)

From the Quicksilver Metaweb.

Stephensonia

*"I'm Judge Fang," the Judge continued, looking straight at Bud. "You can address me as Your Honor. Now, Bud, Mr. Kwamina here has accused you of certain activities that are illegal in the Coastal Republic. You are also accused of actionable offenses under the Common Economic Protocol, to which we are a subscriber. These offenses are closely related to the crimes I already mentioned, but slightly different. Are you getting all this?"

"Not exactly, Your Honor," Bud said.

"We think you mugged this guy and blew a hole in his arm," Judge Fang said, "which is frowned upon. Capiche?"

"Yes, sir."

Judge Fang nodded to the Sikh, who took the cue.

"The CEP code," said the Sikh, "governs all kinds of economic interactions between people and organizations. Theft is one such interaction. Maiming is another, insofar as it affects the victim's ability to fend for himself economically. As Protocol [Enforcement] does not aspire to sovereign status, we work in cooperation with the indigenous justice system of CEP signatories in order to pursue such cases."

... details of Confucian justice system and the prosecution presents it case...

"Okay," Judge Fang said, and reached upwith one hand to rub the temples for just a moment. Then he turned to Bud. "You're guilty."

"Hey! don't I get to put up a defense?" Bud said. "I object!"

"Don't be an asshole," Judge Fang said.

The Sikh said, "As the offender has no significant assets, and as the value of his labor would not be sufficient to compensate the victim for his injury, Protocol terminates its interest in this case."

...Bud is given a terminal case of a long walk off a short pier...*

Protocol Enforcement

Protocol Enforcement is a specialized Franchise Organized Quasi-National Entity which operates as a high level non-sovereign agency (like a present day NGO (Non-Governmental Organization)) which provides other sovereign entities both a form of re-insurance AND self-enforcement of contracts under the Common Economic Protocol. Enforcement actions can vary from intelligence gathering and other espionage/covert activities, to community policing, appearing as co-prosecution, up to full fledged combat of various degrees.

Protocol Enforcement is not ostensibly a final arbiter, but enforces the judgements of said final arbiters when parties to a dispute refuse to accede to arbitration rulings. As the CEP is primarily focused on economic rights and wrongs (of both persons and things) it's purview toward offenses is similar to the civil court systems of the US.