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The Adeptus Arbites enforce the ''[[Lex Imperialis]]'', embodied within the great [[Book of Judgement]]. Their organisation represents the soldiers and police of the Adeptus Terra.{{Fn|2}} Each of the Imperium's worlds has its own government, laws, and its own [[Enforcer (Security Force)|local police forces]] to enforce those laws. The Arbites concern themselves only with the enforcement of the broader laws to which the entire Imperium is subject; the common duty of the Arbites is overseeing that the [[Governor]] of each world is regularly paying his planet's [[Tithe]]. In the event of a rogue Governor or a major revolt which threatens Imperial rule, the Arbites will brutally intervene to restore order,{{Fn|14}} though a planetary coup headed up by someone who will fulfil their duties to the Imperium will merely be observed, as a successful revolt by such a one just means that a weak ruler has been replaced.{{Fn|25}}
[[Image:ArbitesBattle.jpg|thumb|right|200px|An Arbites battles a [[Defiler]]]]
As a result of their constant oversight, the presence of Arbites are often a source of discontent for Governors, but something they must nonetheless tolerate.{{Fn|14}} The Arbites do not trouble themselves with murder, theft, abuse, or [[slavery ]] unless those things are majorly affecting production quotas, system or subsector economies, or involve non-violent interactions with [[xenos]]. Instead they monitor the number of people being sent to serve in the [[Astra Militarum]]; how efficiently unsanctioned [[psyker]]s and [[mutant]]s are being rounded up; whether those who foment rebellion are being shut down before they can spread their message; and if dangerous [[narcotics]] are taking hold of the population of a world. Void ships belonging to merchants, and even [[Rogue trader]]s can be boarded by Arbites with no notice - sometimes, just to instil fear into their hearts, but most times to genuinely search for forbidden cargo.{{Fn|25}}
===Organisation===
