Shawn's Public Trial Assembly was ostensibly a warning to others, but its true purpose was to seize and redistribute power.
The jury system had existed since ancient times, and the system itself was fairly just. Ultimately, however, its suitability depended on the community it served.
Moreover, every system needed an overseer, or some form of mutual oversight.
Put plainly, the Wizengamot was much like a jury in the Muggle world.
Its members, however, wielded greater power and influence, with fewer restraints.
Wizards lived far too long. Most Wizengamot members were pure-bloods, and their appointments were effectively for life. They could hold their seats for decades or even a century, accumulating ever more influence.
Meanwhile, the Wizengamot's rulings on cases could differ wildly depending on who stood accused.
For example, if a murderer was a pure-blood, they would generally receive less than ten years in Azkaban.
If the criminal was a Muggle or a half-blood, the sentence would be at least ten years in Azkaban, or even life imprisonment.
To take complete control of England, Shawn naturally had to tear down and rebuild the judiciary, alongside the military and administration.
Since joining the Magic Throne, the core organization, his subordinate Penelope Clearwater had completed a few tasks related to Ravenclaw.
Most of her energy, however, had gone into studying a new magical legal code.
Both her parents were lawyers, and she had grown up immersed in their work. After more than a year of research, she had made some headway. At the very least, Shawn was reasonably satisfied with the trial system she had drafted.
In short, it was a double jury system.
The Wizengamot members who remained after being "purged" and "restricted" would retain only the right to challenge proceedings, not the right to vote.
Voting power would pass directly