These world building prompts come from 3000 World Building Prompts, which you can get at Amazon. This section is focused on creating legal systems.
- What is the name of this legal system?
- Is this a civil, common, or religious system?
- If the latter, what god(s) inform it?
- In what kind of sovereign power does this system exist?
- In what kind of sovereign power does this system seldom exist?
- Who presides over the court?
- Who can be a judge?
- Are judges respected?
- Who decides innocence or guilt?
- Are there lawyers?
- Are people expected to speak on their own behalf?
- Are witnesses allowed?
- Is any sort of video testimony or evidence allowed?
- Is there any supernatural evidence or witness allowed?
- Are duels allowed to determine the innocent?
- What rules govern a duel?
- Must duels be sanctioned by an official body or person to be lawful?
- Is trial by combat allowed?
- Are people allowed to choose a champion to fight on their behalf?
- What are the rules governing trial by combat?
- Where and when do duels and trials by combat take place?
- Is trial by ordeal an option?
- If so, what is the ordeal and how is innocent or guilt determined?
- Are there any weird ways in which innocence or guilt is established?
- Is evidence gathered and used? What helps determine the veracity of that evidence?
- Can magic or technology be used to determine guilt or veracity of evidence?
- Are people allowed to observe any of this as if it’s entertainment?
- Is justice carried out immediately?
- Are appeals allowed?
- How long do appeals take?
- Is the legal process considered cumbersome?
- Are lawyers or other professionals cheap or expensive?
- Do “public defenders” exist and what is their reputation?
- Are the identities of jurors protected?
- Is the legal system corrupt? How much so?
- Do judges honor or violate precedence?
- Are judges required to have an ability like magic, or is that forbidden?
- Are there separate legal systems for different species?
- Or different jurisdictions like magic?
- If so, how are these courts different?
- Who catches criminals?
- Who investigates crimes? Do they need any special training in magic or technology?
- Who pays those who investigate?
- Are there multiple jurisdictions and what are they? How are conflicts handled?
- Are people considered innocent until proven guilty?
- How are apprehended people treated throughout their incarceration?
Laws
These prompts can help us invent specific laws.
- What is a common nickname for this law?
- What is the law?
- Does the law apply equally or discriminate?
- Whom does it discriminate against?
- What is the source of this law?
- Are you creating a law based on a moral or incident?
- What incident led to the law? Why was it bad?
- What moral has led to the law?
- In what jurisdiction does this law exist (local, state, federal)?
- Is this law enforced?
- Is the law draconian?
- How likely are lawbreakers to be let off with a warning?
- Are perpetrators considered dangerous?
- Is the law unjust?
- Is it considered harsh, lenient, or about right?
- Does it come from a different time in society?
- How old is the law?
- Is the law outdated? Why and what should change?
- What justifications, excuses, or arguments can allow one to escape or lesson conviction or punishments?
- Is paying a fine or doing a quest an option to escape punishment?
- If so, does the court appointment someone to join the quest as a witness?
- Is the law the subject of protests?
Punishments
- If inventing a punishment, does it have a name?
- What is done to the guilty? For how long?
- Where is it done?
- Are people jailed?
- What are the conditions of jails and prisons?
- How hard are they to escape?
- Where are they usually located?
- Have there been famous escapes? By whom and from where?
- Are people executed?
- If so, what forms of execution exist?
- Are executions private or public events?
- Are any forms of punishment considered barbaric?
- Is that okay to the society?
- Is death peaceful or violent?
- Is exile an option?
- What unique punishments exist using animals of the setting?
- What punishments exist using magic or technology?
- Are some criminals physically marked upon conviction and in what way?
- Can the mark be removed? Fully?
- Can marks be placed on people who are not criminals?
- Are criminals allowed to reenter society upon serving of a sentence? Or they allowed to be but considered second class now?
- Is being forced to work a menial job a punishment?
- Is restitution to victims expected?
- Can people be banished?
- Can people bribe their way out of punishment?
- Are there societal classes that have traditionally evaded punishment or been given light sentences?