Laws of Free Women

[Guest]

Within the books, there are basically two types of laws that deal with free women. There are laws that protect free women and there are laws that state when a free woman may be legally enslaved. In addition, there are certain universal conventions that exist dealing with the enslavement of free women. Though these do not have the power of law, honor often dictates that the conventions will be followed if appropriate. An important point to consider is that it is generally illegal to collar a free woman, within the city of her Home Stone, on your own. Even if a free woman violates one of the city laws where the punishment is slavery, the legal process must still be followed. Either magistrates or a court will decide if the woman's actions warrant her judicial enslavement. Men will act to protect women of their Home Stone from being illegally enslaved.
Please also remember that the following list of laws may not apply in all Gorean cities. This is simply a list derived from the books. Each city will have their own laws and may or may not follow one of the laws listed here. Other laws, that are not listed here, will also exist.
It is illegal to touch pleasure silk to the skin of a free woman. It is considered too sensuous a material for them.
Face stripping, removing the veils of a free woman against her will, is considered a serious crime.
A free woman may engage in a form of limited self-contracting where she legally becomes a slave for a specific time period, commonly ranging from one night to one year. She cannot end this contract earlier than the specified time period. Once the contract takes effect, she becomes a slave with no legal powers at all. This curious contractual arrangement is not described in great detail. It raises numerous legal dilemmas that can only be speculated about. The books do not state that the contract does or does not cover any contingencies or limits the slavery in any way. The woman does becomes an actual slave. That would seem to mean she could be freely killed. What would happen if she was sold? Does the contract prevent that? Would the time period still apply if she was sold? What would happen if she was stolen? This passage seems to raise far more questions than it answers.
The Couching Law states: "Any free woman who couches with another's slave, or readies herself to couch with another's slave, becomes herself a slave, and the slave of the slave's master." (Magicians of Gor, p.7) This basically means that a free woman cannot have sex with a male slave she does not own. It does not prevent her from having sex with a slave she does own. It also means that she only has to prepare to have sex with someone else's slave to be in violation. Actual sex is not a requirement. Special seduction slaves are used by some owners to trap free women. Milo, from Magicians of Gor, is a prime example of a seduction slave. Tarl Cabot uses him to entrap Talena and enslave her by this law. The Couching Law exists in Ar and may have been adopted by other cities. There are other cities though like Vonda that clearly do not have such a law because free women there may freely give their male slaves to a female guest.
Debt can lead to a free woman's enslavement in either of two ways. First, if a father cannot pay his own debts, then his daughter may become the property of the state. She would then be publicly auctioned and her sale price would be used equitably to pay off her father's debts. The books do not state that sons are also susceptible to this law though it would seem unlikely that would be the case. Second, a free woman who cannot pay her own debts may be enslaved. There are redemption laws whereby another person can pay off the woman's debt and thus gain ownership of that woman. If no one chooses to pay off her debts within a specified time period then she will be sold to a Slaver, the proceeds used to pay off her debt. The books do not specify the exact length of time before she would be sold to a Slaver. This law is sometimes used by unscrupulous people to entrap free women. They may purchase a woman's debt from another and then request that the woman make good on the debt immediately. If the woman cannot do so, she will be enslaved.
A free woman can sell herself into slavery but once the transaction is completed, it is too late for her to revoke it.
If a free woman willingly submits to be a slave to a specific man, the city laws vary on what can happen. Some cities state that the woman becomes a slave automatically even if that particular man does not accept her submission. It seems probable she would thus become a state slave at that point. Other cities state that the woman remains free if that particular man does not accept her submission.
If a free woman kneels before a man or addresses him as Master, this is sufficient to make her a slave. Her actions are interpreted as a gesture of submission.
There is no law in the books that states a free woman may be legally enslaved for being insolent, insulting, ridiculing or demeaning a man.
Some city laws require women to wear Robes of Concealment and veils. Repeated offenses of failure to wear them can lead to enslavement. Even in cities where the Robes and veils are not mandatory, a free woman can still be enslaved for baring too much skin, especially her legs.
There is an important legal principle concerning free women and "conduct indicating suitability for the collar." It deals with overt conduct that shows a predisposition to slavery, behavior that is considered sufficient grounds to legally enslave a woman. It will be judges or magistrates who make the decision on whether a particular woman's behavior warrants such a penalty. There would sometimes be a hearing with a presentation of evidence. Some of the behaviors known to warrant such a sanction include fraud, theft, indigency, vagrancy, prostitution, and performing sensuous dance. In addition, free woman who show an inordinate amount of interest in slavery may also be found to suitable for this sanction. If a woman tries to spy on men and their slaves, if they disguise themselves as a slave, or linger around slave markets, then they might find themselves being judicially enslaved. These cases will not always be clear cut and could entail a lengthy hearing.