The Empire in Warhammer 40,000 has absurdly large dimensions. Of course, it requires a lot of bureaucracy to manage, but also a police force that enforces laws. These are the Adeptus Arbites, who surely do not act as friends and helpers.
A large part of the galaxy belongs to the Imperium of Man, which spans many sectors. Although there are different customs in various corners of the Imperium, one thing is the same everywhere: imperial law.
Every loyal servant of the Imperium must pay a tithe, contact with Xenos is strictly forbidden, and the authorities must be obeyed. The fact that heresy is punishable by death is to be expected.
In order to enforce laws and administer justice in such a vast empire, a genuine force of police officers and judges is needed. The Adeptus Arbites are that force: legal experts familiar with 10,000 years of imperial jurisprudence and enforcers of that jurisprudence in the Imperium.
In two games set in Warhammer 40,000, you can play as Arbites: The co-op shooter Darktide gets Arbitrators as a class and in the role-playing game Rogue Trader, the new companion in the DLC “Lex Imperialis” will be a member of the Adeptus Arbites. And even though this may sound like law and order are coming to the forefront, that is certainly not the case for citizens.
The police for whom murder is beneath their dignity
The task of the Arbites is to enforce imperial law. This means they do not deal with local problems at all. If trouble arises on a planet, it is primarily the governor and his task force’s problem.
“Normal” crimes like murder, slavery, theft, etc., are only relevant to the Arbites when the production quotas of the world are threatened. Not even during a coup do the Arbites intervene as long as the usurper is loyal to the Imperium, for a weak leader is ultimately removed. The Arbites become active when:
- the planet fails to fulfill its obligations to the Imperium
- imperial law is broken, for example by negotiating with Xenos without sanction
- drugs become rampant – and thus reduce the tributes
When the Arbites intervene, they do so with violence, and most often death is the only punishment imposed. Imperial law is enforced with all might, and the Adeptus Arbites do not even hesitate before the powerful.
Arbitrators and judges have the right to hold even free traders accountable, who otherwise have free rein. Judges can even execute planetary governors or members of the Adeptus Terra, the imperial administration to which they are supposed to adhere.
Only the strong and class thugs become Arbites
Members of the Adeptus Arbites can be roughly divided into two areas: judges, who have expertise in jurisprudence and law, and Arbitrators, the military arm of the organization. Especially experienced members will eventually embody both.
Willingness to use violence is a requisite trait for most Arbites. Many of them are recruited in the Schola Progenum, the institutions for war orphans, where imperial doctrine is instilled in the children from an early age, and where they are physically and mentally hardened daily – often violently.
The Schola Progenum is also the place where the powerful female order of the Adepta Sororitas recruits its members. Those in the Scholae who prove to be particularly violent and strong-willed – such as thugs and punks – are preferred by the Adeptus Arbites.
Accordingly, the equipment of the Adeptus Arbites consists not only of non-lethal protection weapons such as shock batons and storm shields but also of military hardware such as:
- bolters, grenade launchers, and powerful shotguns
- cybernetically enhanced cyber-hounds
- battle tanks, automatic turrets, and war aircraft
By the way: The Arbites are heavily inspired by the British comic hero Judge Dredd – just in the grimy Warhammer version.
People who enforce the word of the Emperor personally
The foundation on which the Arbites make their decisions is the Lex Imperialis, imperial law. Allegedly, it is the word of the Emperor himself, which is supposed to be enforced during his “imprisonment” on the Golden Throne.
The Lex Imperialis comprises so many laws that it is nearly impossible to know all the laws at any given time – especially since many jurisdictions contradict each other. Until a judge reaches a judgment in a complex case, it can sometimes take decades or longer. In extreme cases, a court case is the lifetime work of a single judge, which he then passes on to a successor before his death to find a resolution.
In most cases, the Lex Imperialis shows no mercy, and many offenses are punishable by death. And even though this may sound terrible: Arbites are bound by this law and are correspondingly “fairer” than the Inquisition may be in many cases.
If you want to experience what it is like to be an Arbites or work with them, you should check out Darktide or Rogue Trader. In both games, Arbitrators are available and they are among the best games to get into the world of Warhammer 40,000.
