Judicial Department/Legends

The Judicial Department was a branch of the Office of the Supreme Chancellor. It was possibly created as a part of the Ruusan Reformation, to replace the earlier military and intelligence organizations of the Old Republic. Following the Ruusan Reformation, the Jedi Order was, at least technically, a subdivision of the Department. Non-Jedi members of the Judicial Department were referred to as Judicials.

The duties of the Judicial Department were:


 * Providing legal advice to the Supreme Chancellor, Galactic Senate, or individual senators or government beings who needed such help.
 * Providing government defenders or prosecutors in court cases involving the Republic or a Republic official.
 * Investigating criminal activities, suspect beings or organizations, and other illegal behavior occuring within Republic space or involving a Republic citizen.
 * Patrolling the Republic's borders, policing the Republic's space, apprehending wanted beings, and providing other law-enforcement services within Republic space.
 * Coordinating activities with the Jedi Council.

In addition, the Judicial Department maintained a limited starfleet containing, among other ships, Aethersprite fighters, CR90s, Lancets, and Dreadnaught cruisers (probably including the Katana fleet). Despite its limitations, the Senate occasionally deployed the Judicial fleet against pirate bands and other threats to the Republic; as such, along with its police and intelligence capacities, the Judicial Department was the closest thing to a standing military the Republic had in the era between the Ruusan Reformation and the Clone Wars.