Object
Acts of Gould
A codified body of Starfleet legal provisions invoked as an authoritative statute rather than shown as a physical artifact. Typically stored in JAG archives as binding code sections (printed volumes or secure digital files), the Acts here operate primarily as a spoken instrument: PHILLIPA cites them aloud, wielding their language to declare Data Starfleet property and to compel immediate administrative action. Officers react with visible constraint—Picard challenges the citation, Riker recoils at its consequences, and the law’s invocation converts private loyalty into enforceable command procedures.
2 appearances
Purpose
To provide legal authority within Starfleet for adjudicating personnel status, property claims, and administrative control—specifically to justify declaring an entity (Data) as Starfleet property and to trigger disciplinary or transfer actions.
Significance
The Acts function as the narrative fulcrum that transforms an interpersonal dispute into a formal legal trial. Their invocation forces a hearing, coerces Riker into prosecutorial duty, fractures command cohesion, and frames the play’s central ethical conflict over personhood, obedience, and institutional power.
Appearances in the Narrative
When this object appears and how it's used