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Can the Adeptus Arbites arrest Space Marines? Do they have the power to arrest Inquisitors? How much power do they have.

Or do they just have powers over ordinary citizens.

no they can't arrest space marines, and they wouldn't even TRY. likewise an Inqusitor they'd not even try to arrest if they knew whom he was (Inqusitors being a bit more cloak and dagger though might have reasons not to reveal themselves. and may be willing to "discuss the situation" with an arbites officer) meanwhile with space marines, if an arbites even suggested taking them in chances are even the reasonable chapters would say "Herll no" and some chapters might just kill the arbites for having the terminity to ask.

that said the Arbites are NOT a Military police, they function more like the FBI or RCMP as I understand it. the Imperial military maintains it's own MPs (likely overseen by the Commissarite)

Exactly so.

Nominally, the arbites are responsible for "crimes against the imperium" - they sit over the top of local magistratum and are essentially a civilian parallel to the commissariat.

theoretically, an serving guardsman arrested for Crimes Against could be tried and sentanced by either (read - whoever gets to him first).

Theoretically the arbites could judge an astartes in violation of lex imperialis, but it'd be relatively wierd circumstances - the arbites rarely has an astartes operating within a high precinct, and it's unlikely theyd try to sanction an entire chapter, so itd be an astartes operating alone.

the thing is, most times an astartes operates alone or in a small group in "civilian" areas is when operating under deathwatch or other inquisitorial purview, and the inquisition definitely has the "imperial law is what I say it is" badge. Theyre the one external organisation the arbites rarely even tries a turf war with, despite the clear overlaps of responsibility.

arresting a marine isnt impossible given the right circumstances. If you've read the space wolf novel wolfblade, orfist of demetrius, the navigator house belisarius has a cadre of space wolf bodyguards. I can see one of them being hauled in by a (sizeable) arbites patrol after a drunken affray (when your on terra near the palace, even 'breach of the peace' behaviour qualifies as crimes against, as 99% of the people in any given area are members - however junior - of the adeptus terra administratum)

Space Marines also have/had their own police to deal with misbehaving Marines

(can't believe i'm linking a BoLS article but it actually has info in it)

http://www.belloflostsouls.net/2017/02/30k-legions-had-cops.html

Rogue Trader had various marine colour schemes with a specific helmet marker for field police.

 OrlandotheTechnicoloured wrote:
Space Marines also have/had their own police to deal with misbehaving Marines

(can't believe i'm linking a BoLS article but it actually has info in it)

http://www.belloflostsouls.net/2017/02/30k-legions-had-cops.html

Of note is that these seem to be exclusive to the early days of the Legions, and are only really noted to be in the Space Wolves and World Eaters Legions (who were the most crazed and savage of the Legions).

Not sure about current Chapters - I assumed that Chaplains filled that duty.

The Eisenhorn series shows what it's like when an inquisitorial and judge become friends

Marines. No. 99.99% of the time there linked to deathwtach, inquisition, or powerful chapters.

You better be damn sure acusing a space marine of a crime.
Even they they may just say, did my duty/following x law etc and ignore em.

Inquisition. Hell no. Not unless another inquisitor is giving orders to bring in a rogue or radical.

locarno24 wrote:
Exactly so.

Nominally, the arbites are responsible for "crimes against the imperium" - they sit over the top of local magistratum and are essentially a civilian parallel to the commissariat.

theoretically, an serving guardsman arrested for Crimes Against could be tried and sentanced by either (read - whoever gets to him first).

Theoretically the arbites could judge an astartes in violation of lex imperialis, but it'd be relatively wierd circumstances - the arbites rarely has an astartes operating within a high precinct, and it's unlikely theyd try to sanction an entire chapter, so itd be an astartes operating alone.

the thing is, most times an astartes operates alone or in a small group in "civilian" areas is when operating under deathwatch or other inquisitorial purview, and the inquisition definitely has the "imperial law is what I say it is" badge. Theyre the one external organisation the arbites rarely even tries a turf war with, despite the clear overlaps of responsibility.

arresting a marine isnt impossible given the right circumstances. If you've read the space wolf novel wolfblade, orfist of demetrius, the navigator house belisarius has a cadre of space wolf bodyguards. I can see one of them being hauled in by a (sizeable) arbites patrol after a drunken affray (when your on terra near the palace, even 'breach of the peace' behaviour qualifies as crimes against, as 99% of the people in any given area are members - however junior - of the adeptus terra administratum)

Arresting a space marine ?

Sir A space wolf drunk out of his ass is destroying the southern quarter of the city !!!.

Ok, We will be patrolling the NORTHEN quarter of the city and ignoring reports coming from the southern quarter of the city.

I just read a chapter in The Beast Arises, Echoes of the Long War- book 6...

Basically a Imperial Fist walks him and several other Space Marines into a high lord meeting. One of the higher ranking lords orders the high lord in charge of the Adeptus Arbites to arrest said Marine. Arbites tells high lord to pound sand and then arrests him instead.

The Arbites goes for serious acts of disobedience against central Imperial authority

I doubt the Astartes would have a chance of doing such things in a civilian environment

As for local police forces, they could probably arrest an Astartes on the streets for grabbing a woman's butt or something, if an Astartes actually did something like that

Arbitrators investigating and confronting (radical) Inquisitors can happen, if rarely, I think. They probably won't go out of their way to investigate on their own, but if they happen to work with/under an Inquisitor and witness the Inquisitor to act against the interests of the Imperium (or at least interpret his actions that way) ...

From the Dark Heresy RPG:

It is hardly surprising then, if their enquiries bring them to the notice of an Inquisitor, who may request their ongoing services as an Acolyte. This is usually a harmonious relationship, as both are implacable servants of the Imperium and are dedicated to rooting out those that would see it fall, and many Inquisitors count Arbitrators among their most trusted servants. Of course Inquisitors are invested with completely discretionary powers to determine a course of action and punishment, in stark contrast to the iron dictates of the law that the Arbitrators follow. Any bending of the rules or leniency granted to wrongdoers by the Inquisition in return for information and favours may well cause friction. As such, members of the Adeptus Arbites are better suited as the Acolytes of Puritan Inquisitors. It is not unheard of for Arbitrator Acolytes to turn upon Radical Inquisitors if they perceive an unforgivable law has been broken.

The Arbitrator Fischig from the above-mentioned Eisenhorn novels is an actual example of this. He was a close associate and friend of Inquisitor Eisenhorn, but turned against him when Eisenhorn became radicalized. Don''t remember if he tried to arrest him himself or if he denounced him to the Arbites or another Inquisitor though.

JaqTaar wrote:
Arbitrators investigating and confronting (radical) Inquisitors can happen, if rarely, I think. They probably won't go out of their way to investigate on their own, but if they happen to work with/under an Inquisitor and witness the Inquisitor to act against the interests of the Imperium (or at least interpret his actions that way) ...

From the Dark Heresy RPG:

It is hardly surprising then, if their enquiries bring them to the notice of an Inquisitor, who may request their ongoing services as an Acolyte. This is usually a harmonious relationship, as both are implacable servants of the Imperium and are dedicated to rooting out those that would see it fall, and many Inquisitors count Arbitrators among their most trusted servants. Of course Inquisitors are invested with completely discretionary powers to determine a course of action and punishment, in stark contrast to the iron dictates of the law that the Arbitrators follow. Any bending of the rules or leniency granted to wrongdoers by the Inquisition in return for information and favours may well cause friction. As such, members of the Adeptus Arbites are better suited as the Acolytes of Puritan Inquisitors. It is not unheard of for Arbitrator Acolytes to turn upon Radical Inquisitors if they perceive an unforgivable law has been broken.

The Arbitrator Fischig from the above-mentioned Eisenhorn novels is an actual example of this. He was a close associate and friend of Inquisitor Eisenhorn, but turned against him when Eisenhorn became radicalized. Don''t remember if he tried to arrest him himself or if he denounced him to the Arbites or another Inquisitor though.

He reported him to his inquisitor lord who came to have him arrested.
Elisihorn escaped but lost 2-3 old friends due to it.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

Maximus Bitch wrote:
The Arbites goes for serious acts of disobedience against central Imperial authority

I doubt the Astartes would have a chance of doing such things in a civilian environment

As for local police forces, they could probably arrest an Astartes on the streets for grabbing a woman's butt or something, if an Astartes actually did something like that

Even then marines are very internalized. Id imagine a chaplain or captain etc being one to actively displine other marines. Plus they can fight them to.

If a space marine is suspected of heresy enough, they will probably just let the chapter deal with it, though if it is a group of marines, you'd best believe the inquisition won't be too far away.

It would be downright suicidal in every meaning if the word to try and arrest an inquisitor.

Things have been rather muddled by various authors over the years, but the Adeptus Arbites aren't "cops". They're not there do deal with robberies, murders, bar brawls or speeding (although the Rogue Trader rulebook did list accidental non-return of a library book as being grounds for sentencing to a penal legion ). All of that sort of thing is the purview of local governments. Quite often (as in the Palatine Hive on Necromunda), the local "Enforcers" imitate the Arbites' equipment and tactics.

The Arbites are there to make sure the government of a planet upholds its feudal responsibilities to the greater Imperium - to raise troops and tithes, to control psykers and to deal appropriately with Xenos and heretics.

Things like huge popular uprisings (as may be instigated by Chaos or genestealer cults, or simply because the government are totalitarian thugs) bridge the gap. The Arbites may well suppress large-scale riots, then apprehend the Governor for allowing them to break out in the first place.

Space Marines and the Inquisition almost certainly don't come under the jurisdiction of the sections of the Lex Imperialis that the Arbites enforce. An undercover Inquisitor may find themselves on the wrong side of the law, but will use their influence overtly or covertly to be released. Space Marines keep themselves to themselves. If it's their Chapter world, then the Arbites have no jurisdiction and won't even be on the world anyway. If they're there "on business" then it's a war zone.

The 'Pax Imperialis' strip (from Warhammer Monthly) has Arbites going after an AdMech Explorator team that is working on a site "forbidden by Imperial Edict".