CHAPTER 3. - The Sovereign’s Palace Court. [A Law to Ensure] That There Will Be No Misconduct or Fighting by Anyone at the Sovereign's Palace Court. In It Are 9 Articles.

1. If someone in the presence of [his] tsarist majesty, at his royal palace court and in his royal chambers, not respecting the honor of his tsarist majesty, dishonors someone verbally; and that person whom he dishonored proceeds to petition the sovereign against him for justice, and it is established about that conclusively that the person against whom he petitioned did injure his honor: after investigation, for the honor of the sovereign's palace court, imprison that person who dishonored someone at the sovereign's palace court for two weeks so that others looking on will learn henceforth not to do that. Order the person whom he dishonors [to collect] his dishonor compensation from him.

2. If someone at the sovereign's palace court initiates a fight with someone else, and with impudence strikes him with his hand: arrest such a person on the spot, and, without letting him go, investigate that fight of his; having established it conclusively, imprison him for a month for the honor of the sovereign's palace court. That person whom he struck shall collect his dishonor compensation from him. If he struck someone to the point of drawing blood, that person whom he bloodied shall collect his dishonor compensation from him two-fold. For the honor of the sovereign's palace court, imprison him [the offender] for six weeks.

3. If someone in the presence of [his] tsarist majesty draws his saber, or any other weapon, against someone, and with that weapon wounds someone; and as a result of that wound, that person whom he wounded dies, or kills him at that time: punish that killer himself with death as well for that homicide.

Even if the person whom that assailant wounded does not die: punish that assailant with death.

Collect the registered debts of the murdered person from his [the killer's] movable property.

4. If someone in the presence of the sovereign draws any weapon against someone, but does not wound or kill [him]: punish that one, cut off his hand.

5. If someone at the sovereign's palace court, but not in the presence of the sovereign, draws a weapon against someone, but does not wound [him]: imprison that person for three months. But if he wounds [someone]: the wounded person shall exact from him a dishonor compensation and maiming fee equal to double his compensation entitlement. Put him [the culprit] on bond so that, without a decree, he will not ride out of the town where he wounded someone until that time when the wounded person either heals or dies. If the wounded person heals: cut off the hand of the person who wounded him. If the wounded person dies from his wounds: punish with death that person who wounded him.

6. Similarly at the palace court of [his] tsarist majesty in Moscow, or wherever his tsarist majesty happens to be on [his] travels: no one shall shoot from handguns, and from bows, and from any other weapon without the sovereign's order. No one shall walk about with such weapons at the sovereign's palace court. If someone at the sovereign's palace court in Moscow or on the [sovereign's] travels wounds someone, or kills someone: punish that person with death also.

7. If someone at the sovereign's palace court in Moscow or on the [sovereign's] travels proceeds to walk around with handguns and bows, although not to shoot them; and he neither wounds nor kills anyone with that weapon: punish those people for that offense, beat them with bastinadoes and cast them in prison for a week.

8. If someone happens to be billeted in the sovereign's court villages: those people shall not catch fish for themselves in the sovereign's ponds and lakes. If someone without the sovereign's command proceeds to catch fish in the sovereign's ponds and lakes in the court villages: collect a fine from that person for the sovereign, or inflict on him a punishment that the sovereign decrees.

9. If someone steals anything at the palace court of [his] tsarist majesty for the first time, and that is established conclusively: beat that person with the knout. If that [same] thief is apprehended with stolen property at the sovereign's palace court a second time: beat that one with a knout again, and cast him in prison for half a year. It that same thief is apprehended with stolen property at the sovereign's palace court a third time: cut off his hand for that so that others looking on will learn not to commit such a felony, not to steal at the sovereign's palace court.