NationStates

Since the Restoration and the downfall of socialism, the government of the United Kingdom has become, much to the distaste of the professional executioner, far less paranoid. This is, party due to the fact that it's no longer considered high treason to mock the government, criticise policy or found your own political party. With this relaxing of the laws around politics came the discussion in 2004 on the matter of treason via Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (2004) and the National Security Act (2004) which came to the forefront of political discussion shortly after the Restoration of 2003.

Previously, under laws of the former United Strathan Socialist States, treason had carried a very broad and varied definition; essentially allowing the courts to rule at will whether something could be constituted as treason. The definitions were vague at best, but effectively boiled down to anything that could be seen to destabilise the government or threaten national security carried out by a Strathan citizen. For most cases, the punishment was death; by hanging for civilians and by firing squad for members of the military. The vague rulings had meant many judges were able to simply have people hanged for crimes such as protesting, where as the attempted assassination of Socialist Party Secretary Harry Gow in 1997 was punished simply by twenty five years behind bars.

By the time the new government was installed in 2003, there were still over four hundred people waiting to be hanged for "treason". As such, the new Labour government opened the debate on what would constitute treason. Within the National Security Act (2004), referencing the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (2004), a set of criteria for treason were laid down. Key among these were that, to constitute treason, an offence must include; an attempt on the life of the reigning monarch or their heirs, an attempt to subvert the parliamentary democracy of the United Kingdom, aiding a foreign power in breaching national security, aiding a foreign power in committing an act of war against the United Kingdom, or instigating or helping to instigate armed rebellion against the lawful government of the United Kingdom (Strathan Government, 2004).

As far as punishment for treason goes now, the sentences are generally less severe and more standardised. Acts such as a successful attempt on the life of the reigning monarch or leading armed rebellion still carry the sentence of "being hanged by the neck until dead" (Strathan Government, 2004). However, other sentences may simply go as far as life imprisonment. Penalties for serving members of the armed forces tend to be more severe, with shooting still being a viable option for most of the above listed treasonous offences.

It should be stated, that since 2005, nobody has actually been charged with treason.

• Coordinating or collaborating with a foreign state or syndicate in war or occupation against the Republic
• Persuading a foreign state or syndicate to engage in war or occupation against the Republic