How criminal and civil charges are dealt with in the WoP

If a civilian has a complaint (and doesn't live in DownTown) they go to the relevant Department and complain. Their complaint consists of a 20 page document which is then input into the computer system of the Department. An evaluator for the department looks through it and determines a priority for it. It then ends up on someone's desk who either deals with it or passes it on to the necessary department. Each department has a list of complaints and whether they pay compensation for it or not. If yes, payment is given, if no payment isn't. IA scan for certain words and types of complaint and may lock out the case and deal with it themselves (or through Cloak).

An example, Operative Squad Trigger Happy, working for the Department of Investigation, shoot down some DarkNight converts in a Suburban apartment block, causing minor structural damage (bullet holes in a wall), an injured employee (shoot in the arm through the wall) and leaving the convert's family upset without a clue as to what has gone on.

The building owner on receipt of the Shivers forensic report complains to the Department of Architecture, who estimate the damage caused via the Shiver forensic photos and re-compensate him. They then claim the money and time spent from the Department of Investigation, who pay up the minor cost and note the additional expense against the cost of the BPN issued to Trigger Happy.

The family of the injured employee complain to the Dept of Shivers on receipt of the Shiver's KickStart bill. They are told to contact the Department of Health and Safety. The Dept of H&S evaluate the injury, determine the long term effects of the wound and decide on a compensation amount. They then pass the complaint to the Department of Investigation. The Department of Investigation pays the compensation to the injured civilian and sends a bill for the injury and the minor structural damage above to the Operative Squad. Alternatively they may hire the squad for an additional BPN and tell them they that they are deducting part of the money for previous expenses that the squad caused.

The distraught family of the killed civilian converts complain to the Shivers who suggest contacting the Department of Investigation. The DoI then send a complaint form which the family fills out and after its return the DoI release the unclassified info on the Converts and a copy of the XT warrant that they issued the squad. The still upset family ask for the squads contact info so they can try getting compensation money from them, but the DoI politely informs them that as the squad were undertaking a BPN specifically for them, they were at the time considered to be working purely for the Department, who are not obliged to pay any form of compensation as the deceased were traitors.

The distraught family then go to the Department of Press and Publicity and state the reasons why they think their loved ones were innocent. A reporter picks up the story, investigates further and may try getting compensation from the DoI or may just knock on Trigger Happy's door with a camera and ask them why they are so incompetent in their actions.

Bear in mind that SLA is a company that has been around for 900 years. The flow of complaints and queries are the bulk of the work that the departments handle and are a lot more convenient to the Departments then criminal trials which are ineffective, harmful to their rep and also time consuming for people who can benefit the company more by their continued work. All complaints about how companies give out compensation are normally high-lighted by the media, and dealt with by the Department of Investigation. If the actual complaint is against the DoI, then IA steps in. And yes, there is plenty of opportunity for paperwork to go 'missing' between departments.

So to summarise JNFWoP: Legal departments inside of main departments, yes. Separate lawyers of judiciary department, no. Established compensation per action per department, yes. Individual compensation on a case by case basis, no, unless you can convince the media to highlight a departments short-comings.