Imperial Officer Indemnity?

[McC]

In the modern armed forces, you can say "no" to an order you feel to be immoral and such. At worst, you get thrown in the brig. As such, refusing an immoral order is a no-brainer -- if it doesn't jive, you refuse it.

But in the Empire, things are a lot more severe. You get an order you feel to be immoral, and you're executed. As such, given that most of the Imperials we see in the OT are around Vader, a known executioner for disobedience and failure, does this somewhat indemnify them when they use the "I was following orders!" excuse, seeing as how their own lives are often on the line when doing so?

EDIT: I'm looking at this from a sort of Nuremburg, post-war Imperial Officers on trial perspective.

[CDiehl]

I don't think the Empire has a concept of an "immoral order." If the Emperor or any of your superiors tell you to do something, you do it without questions or arguments. None of them are considered to have to justify their orders to their subordinates. I don't think the Emperor minds or cares that this system can lead to massive corruption at lower levels, as long as what he wants done gets done.

[McC]

I don't think the Empire has a concept of an "immoral order." If the Emperor or any of your superiors tell you to do something, you do it without questions or arguments. None of them are considered to have to justify their orders to their subordinates. I don't think the Emperor minds or cares that this system can lead to massive corruption at lower levels, as long as what he wants done gets done.

Sorry, I wasn't specific earlier. Check the OP's edit for a clarification.

[CDiehl]

I doubt whoever would be trying them, such as the New Republic, is going to accept that excuse. For one thing, they could have joined the rebellion, or at least resigned their commissions and offices, if they found themselves having to obey orders they did not support. For another, I think it's quite likely that Imperial military and civilian representatives have used orders from their superiors as opportunities to enrich or otherwise indulge themselves above and beyond those orders. While the Emperor surely doesn't care if, for example, some governor overtaxes his worlds and pockets the difference, it doesn't demonstrate a strict dedication to duty that a claim of following orders would suggest. Finally, the Empire doesn't seem to have a policy of punishing personnel who abuse their positions for their own ends, as long as that abuse doesn't interfere with the Emperor's plans. So, the entire Empire is a corrupt organization, in which these people willingly participated and from which they benefitted personally.

[Cykeisme]

For one thing, they could have joined the rebellion, or at least resigned their commissions and offices, if they found themselves having to obey orders they did not support.

Right, Imperial Officers do have a way out. Unless Darth Vader was looking over their shoulder at that particular moment, they have a choice... desertion. It's definitely a valid option because there are numerous officers that did do it.
Therefore they can be held just as accountable as officers in real-life armies.

[Kazuaki Shimazaki]

Right, Imperial Officers do have a way out. Unless Darth Vader was looking over their shoulder at that particular moment, they have a choice... desertion. It's definitely a valid option because there are numerous officers that did do it.
Therefore they can be held just as accountable as officers in real-life armies.

Desertion holds major risks for the person involved, as well as being more personally traumatic than refusing an order. It is like if the only option out for those Americans at Abu-Gharib was to desert to the Iraqis.

At the very least, they are already on the bridge and the commander is ordering them to fire. They would have to at least obey that order if they ever want to desert.

While in the NR's naive POV, any person who doesn't like any Imperial policy can run to them, the real situation is far too complex. A person might not like the Empire's policies, but think the NR (should it be allowed to rise) is even worse. In such a situation, what can he do?

[Kazuaki Shimazaki]

In the modern armed forces, you can say "no" to an order you feel to be immoral and such. At worst, you get thrown in the brig. As such, refusing an immoral order is a no-brainer -- if it doesn't jive, you refuse it.

It actually isn't that simple. For one thing, there's the effect a Professor Milgram had once demonstrated about human conformity. For another thing, there is no guarantee the court-martial would side with you, especially if an order is "borderline". For a third thing, sometimes you aren't absolutely sure of the immorality at the time, and that makes it even tougher to fight conformity.

EDIT: I'm looking at this from a sort of Nuremburg, post-war Imperial Officers on trial perspective.

Actually, this dilemma was briefly discussed (in a fairly one-sided manner of course) in Shield of Lies.

"I've also reviewed your trial record, Davith Sconn," Leia said evenly, "You were the executive officer of the Star Destroyer Forger when it suppressed a rebellion on Gra Ploven by creating steam clouds which boiled alive two hundred thousand Ploven in three coastal cities."

"On the orders of Grand Moff Dureya," Sconn said, "For some reason, people are always leaving that part out. Don't you Rebels believe in discipline? I still can't figure out how you managed to defeat us."

"Despite herself, she let him goad her into a reply. "Perhaps it has something to do with having the freedom to refuse immoral orders."

"Immoral? The little finbacks had refused to pay their defense assessments, making the Grand Moff rather cranky." Sconn drew hard on his hoat-stick and held the smoke for long seconds. "But, then, that was late in the day for the Empire, and Grand Moff Dureya was cranky rather a lot of the time."

Rather cutely, this was right after we saw how the New Republic trains its troops in the Blockade of Doornik-319. The attack apparently failed because self-righteous members of the New Republic Fleet thought fit to disregard the attack orders after they heard transmissions (which for all they know are fakes) purporting to be from Yevethan hostages. The failed attack cost the Republic a thousand lives - a totally unnecessary loss.

Personally, I have great sympathy for any officer who did an immoral act under a direct order from a superior because of the Conformity effect - which is reinforced in soldiers by discipline and the fact that war itself is about murder.

The NR, however, clearly does not even take the fact it was under orders into account. They think that every officer can freely refuse an order they feel is immoral, almost as if the order was a request of some kind! Or that the officer won't be shot and replaced, and the Star Destroyer itself replaced if necessary.

I almost cheered when this kind of thinking bit them in the ass so painfully in the Battle of Coruscant years later, when it was proven the NR officers can't even do math.