Cardassian Supreme Tribunal

Cardassian courtroom — The Nestor, the spouse of the convict, and the Conservator

The Cardassian Supreme Tribunal was the highest court of justice in the Cardassian Union. It was presided over by the Chief Archon. Proceedings of the tribunal were broadcast live across all Cardassia.

Makbar was the Chief Archon on Cardassia Prime in 2370. She presided over the trial of Miles O'Brien, who was charged with smuggling weapons for the Maquis, and acts of sedition, and was sentenced to death even before he was arrested.

Somewhat deviating from standard practice, Miles O'Brien in 2370 was the first convict in five hundred years of Cardassian jurisprudence to have been spared death and even set free — despite the very serious charges and the summary conviction – on the basis of a Cardassian ruse that was discovered and then presented to the tribunal by Captain Sisko and Nestor Odo. (DS9: "Tribunal")

In 2371, Thomas Riker was sentenced to serve time in the Lazon II labor camp, with his life spared after the intervention of the Cardassian Ministry of Justice on account of Gul Dukat, who received valuable intelligence on the Orias system from USS Defiant, which the William T. Riker double had commandeered with the Maquis. While it is not known, if Thomas Riker was sentenced at the supreme or regular tribunal, or a court, the high profile of the events would have very likely committed the case to the Supreme Tribunal, after its very nearly avoiding embarrassment over the real causes of Miles O'Brien's rehabilitation the year before. (DS9: "Defiant")

Tekeny Ghemor gave Kira Nerys information about the Supreme Tribunal during his shri-tal in 2373. (DS9: "Ties of Blood and Water")

In a cut line, Ghemor revealed the Chief Archon had tried to resist the Dominion takeover of Cardassia.

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