033-1119

Capital / Core / Core

Chirpers Ruled Sophonts

Emperor Strephon in a landmark decision today ruled that Chirpers are to be accorded all the rights of sophonts.  The Emperor cited a principle of equal treatment of both natural and artificial sophonts.

This arises from an appeal by the Imperial Interstellar Scout Service in a case against the Imperial Navy.  The IISS base at Umaraag (2631 Corridor) initiated legal procedings against the Naval base at Sumeszu (2632 Corridor), over the taking of 120 chirpers from a reservation on Umaraag.  Initial rulings in 1114 favored the Navy, but the Scouts pursued their rights of appeal all the way up to the Emperor himself.

This ruling is a major milestone in the rights of other chirper populations, and indeed for semi-intelligent races throughout the Imperium.  It has shifted the lower bound of intelligence for a race to be considered sophonts, and thus many semi-intelligent races will now be protected under the full force of Imperial Law.

The Office of Sentiency has issued a directive to suspend all exams of "potential sentients," according temporary sophont status to all semi-intelligent races.  New exams are being prepared, and will be distributed as soon as they are complete.  Once local offices receive the new tests, they are to resume normal procedures, starting with those races whose sentiency was provisional as a result of the Emperor's ruling.