Law
Law was a system of rules to regulate behaviour. (AUDIO: The Trial of a Time Machine [+]Loading...["The Trial of a Time Machine (audio story)"], Barrister to the Stars [+]Loading...["Barrister to the Stars (audio story)"])
The Fugitive Doctor noted that no-one had jurisdiction in interstellar space, thus there were laws and so no defined crime. (TV: Fugitive of the Judoon)
Laws could be used to control the behaviours of people in a society. They changed throughout history, when viewed by time travellers or historians these laws, such as those governing sexuality seemed strange, or inconsequential. (AUDIO: The Perpetual Bond [+]Loading...["The Perpetual Bond (audio story)"])
For other time travellers, the experience of a law like racial segregation was a very visceral anachronistic feeling. It was a law enforced in certain US states in the 1950s. (TV: Rosa [+]Loading...["Rosa (TV story)"])
Many species had their own specific laws, which could apply to others depending on the circumstances, or the military or tactical force at play. In the case of the Daleks this use of force would result in death of the opposing force. (TV: Death to the Daleks [+]Loading...["Death to the Daleks (TV story)"]) For Sontarans battle was defined by laws, the first law of which was a law of the battlefield which was to think like the enemy. (TV: The Last Sontaran [+]Loading...["The Last Sontaran (TV story)"]) Whilst the Judoon both followed their own laws, and if undercover the laws of the location they were within. (TV: Prisoner of the Judoon [+]Loading...["Prisoner of the Judoon (TV story)"])
When River Song was charged in the 31st century with murder of the Duke of Ferrox on the Institution of Reconciliation and Restitution she chose to be tried under British law, as it was the slowest. (AUDIO: Barrister to the Stars [+]Loading...["Barrister to the Stars (audio story)"])
Some individuals with experience of a law, or regime of laws decided or proclaimed that they did not agree or hold it in high regard. The Sixth Doctor was one such individual who considered this in relation to Gallifreyan law (TV: The Mysterious Planet [+]Loading...["The Mysterious Planet (TV story)"], Mindwarp [+]Loading...["Mindwarp (TV story)"], Terror of the Vervoids [+]Loading...["Terror of the Vervoids (TV story)"], The Ultimate Foe [+]Loading...["The Ultimate Foe (TV story)"])
Beliefs regarding laws[[edit] | [edit source]]
The Master believed that law and order could only exist in times of peace. (TV: Frontier in Space)
The Seventh Doctor believed that one should follow native laws as what was right and wrong varied depending on the local norms. He, Roz Forrester and Chris Cwej criticised black letter law for not taking into account different circumstances or the severity of the impact on the public. (AUDIO: The Trial of a Time Machine)
