[ ... just what kind of survivalist life has this person been leading? Van Zieks is happy to move on from that awkward subject, but he's certainly storing it in his mind to question later. ]

The judiciary is part of the administrative body that enforces the laws. Are you familiar with the concept of a court? After a wrong-doer is arrested, there is a formal procedure that determines the severity of the punishment.

[ Normally he'd be way more judgy about someone having no idea what he's talking about, but the existence of parallel worlds is humbling in regards to the concept of common knowledge. ]