First of all, I arrive a bit late to here, but, anyway, I must confess that the topic holds some wordings that make me loose track sometimes of what is being said, so perhaps the fact that I weren't able to post at the right time isn't very relevant. Still, I'll try to put here some thoughts that might come to mind.
In the first place, remark one thing. Even the fact that when you log in the game you see things incomplete (cities and terrains included) from a RP perspective, Yliakum society is complete. As we've Jefreca as one of the "leaders" (lack of correct word there) of the Hydlaa guards (I think he was the one, right?) and even if there isn't a mass of NPC acting as guards (completely unnecessary, under my point of view) it has to be assumed that this guard does indeed exist, and that is fairly large (as it is the city they're trying to keep safe) the same applies, I'd think to this case. Yliakum society is complex, even looking at the high ranks (were in medieval times this could simplify being the king the only one present there) here we've one octarch for each levels, plus the vigesimi, the creation of the inner and outern circle I think they were called... that is, even if the setting background is labeled as medieval, that doesn't mean that it has to copy our real history regarding medieval times. This is to apply for instance to the defender figure. This might sound a bit modern, but, if it's accepted I've no real problems with it, and obviously, there's always the chance of defending oneself, as Unar pointed.
One of the things that I saw perhaps more flawy was the suggestion of using some known character as a judge. Why I say this is simple. If Yliakum society is complete (that it is from RP POV) and complex (as proven by the structures of octarch+vigesimi) a city of the importance of Hydlaa cannot lack a judge. Therefore, there's no need for an "outern" character to take the role of a judge, since the judge already is there. Trully, perhaps there's no player playing a judge nowadays (at least, I'm not aware of any) and if there were, probably they'd have to be guarded by the Hydlaa guards to protect them from either assaults or money payments that would incline the balance (this might open some RP chances) with this, I am not saying that the judgement has to be assumed as done by a "fictional" judge that has to exist inside our minds, what I rather say is that, if the player isn't found, someone should create an alt (even if temporary) and roleplay the judge. Doing it putting a renowned char as a judge, would not be very good for roleplay ambience, under my point of view, since if that char is known, probably means that already is defined, and not as a judge. It could be shocking to see a hunter playing as a judge (despite how good hunter he/she can be) if we indeed assume that Yliakean society (and Hydlaa city in particular) has judgements to enforce the law, and thus, has devoted judges for that task.
Unfortunately now the shelf that held the book that talked about government in Yliakum is bugged, and doesn't hold the book anymore. Still, I do recall about one thing that may solve some doubts that have arosen in this thread. It's regarding death penalty. At first, it seemed as if there were doubts about if in Yliakum that penalty existed. It does. In that book (unfortunately uncheackable now) there was the reference of a chapter where an Octarch was sent, mounted on a Megara, towards the Azure sun, where it would burn to ashes (such is the believing that nothing can be near the azure sun, due to its high temperatures) the way of executing that octarch sounds a bit too melodramatic, I admit, and probably was to illustrate more the fact about the azure sun believing than anything else. Loosing a Megara in the process and being a way of killing that leaves no witnessess didn't seem to care much
But anyway, the important fact is that death penalty indeed exists. Even more, without need of looking into that book, I recall the book that talks about the wells used to throw the corpses, in it there's a mentioning about throwing corpses on the central big hole, and that may end contaminating the lake (formed by the two bottom levels of the stalagmite) and that action's prosecuted and has death penalty. So yes, death penalty does exist. The way of executing that sentence, though, seems more logical the way you all mentioned than using the Megara, the use of arrows, or offensive spells, or hanging... probably the only required thing is that there are witnesses that the sentence is fullfilled.
About what things should be put on judgement. Well, if I might be a bit evil here, all of them that the "law defenders" are able to catch, before Ms. Revenge does. While the structure of Yliakian society isn't an absolute monarchy, it isn't a democracy neither (and even if it were) there are lots of chances that people decides to take justice on their own hands. Not only with robbery or rapes, but also with guild traitioning. This I just say to prevent any confusion on the players regarding that any non legal action, has to be judged in order to be solved. There will always be movements from under the law, but then again, this doesn't imply that no guard exists (although we all can roleplay that you succeeded in doing that "evil" action because of the tendancy of the Hydlaa guards to keep under high control the counter of the taverns)
The problem of any of this kind of roleplay scenarios is massification of people. There's always the risk of having too much chat going on, that might make things hard to follow, or, if able to follow, hard to interact, due to lack of space in the chat window, so to say. While surely some medieval judgements were chaotic, in all the senses of the word; seems that for a better experience of the players, this should be kept more ordered, with this I don't mean the characters talking one by one, and everyone acting as in presence of a deity. But limiting the numbers of the ones playing the trial. I wasn't there and then I cannot say if it went or not smoothly, but too many players can be hard to deal with, and probably the "town" should await outside the building to the final decision.
Building. To hold an event like this, there's indeed the need of having a building. Making it on the open camp and telling people to assume that aint open, but a building where the trial is going on might be tricky. Still, I do not see fit the chosing of Laanx temple, if that was indeed roleplayed as the place, and not selected as a normally empty building that fitted more or less the action (has chairs, almost always empty...) but then again, if the temple of Laanx really was meant to be the real location (and not only a skeleton for all to imagine the real building the action was taking place in) then I've to say that the choosing doesn't seem very nice. Specially since it has nothing to do with religion issues (perhaps if that was the case...) but would the priests allow to hold a trial between the very walls of the sacred temple? I doubt it.
wow... ok... I'll go ending
In general good initiative to bring this to be roleplayed, and also good posting this here, not only to be known, but also to let players that were going to take place in the roleplay know about the settlements of the action. I do hope you all had fun during that event!
