Dear Sirs or Madams
I have collated the legislation under which the Deralian Government has broken the law of the Galactic Empire.
It should be stated from the outset that the attack of another world is not illegal under Imperial Law so long as it is not opposed by the Ruling Council, nor is even the invasion or conquest of another world.
Points on which Deralia is within the law.
That their planned conventional attack on Dantooine was fundamentally legal. Although it's Special Forces raid was not.
Points on which Deralia is outside the law.
Indiscriminate murder of Civilians. - Illegal under "The Protection of Civilians in Conflicts (Inter-Planetary) Act"
Specific provision relevant:
Quote (Bernard_Oriel)
The civilian population as such, as well as individual civilians, shall not be the object of attack.
Firing indiscriminately at Civilian vehicles. - Illegal under "The Protection of Civilians in Conflicts (Inter-Planetary) Act"
Specific provision relevant:
Quote (Bernard_Oriel)
Indiscriminate attacks are prohibited.
The Kidnap of a Civilian by Special Forces
Specific provision relevant:
Quote (Bernard_Oriel)
The civilian population as such, as well as individual civilians, shall not be the object of attack.
Points on which Deralia is in a legal grey area.
The general underhanded and immoral nature of this undeclared campaign which essentially consisted of espionage and violence against civilians.
It could be easily argued that these actions are illegal under the Intra-Imperial Relations Act.
Quote (Senator_Cambrist)
Article III. Imperial worlds, when using force against other Imperial worlds, or "unaligned" worlds, are expected to observe all contemporary legal and moral standards for the use of force. In particular, they shall not impede interstellar commerce to and from the world in question in an unreasonable or indiscriminate fashion, insofar as it is possible to prevent this (i.e. no placing of space mines in an indiscriminate fashion, no deliberate destruction of spaceports, etc., if possible).
Conclusion
The only possible conclusion one can draw from analysis of the actual body of statute law is that the actions of Deralia in launching a special forces raid in this manner were undoubtedly illegal under present Imperial law governing inter-planetary conflicts. Thus the claims of Deralia and it's allies that it was "breaking no laws" are seen in the clear light of legal scrutiny to be simple untruths.
Thus the conduct Deralia's Special Forces raid of Dantooine was demonstrably illegal under Imperial Law, meaning that the Deralian Chastisement Act represents the logical punishment for such a breach of law.