Arbiter of Succession

The Arbiter of Succession is an individual selected by the leader of the Klingon Empire to oversee the Rite of Succession after his or her death.
The Arbiter is to make sure that all of the procedures are followed as a new chancellor of the High Council is chosen. The Arbiter is also the person who officially confirms the next leader after they are selected by the Council.

Before this Rite can begin, another elaborate ceremony is needed to confirm the death of the previous leader. This is known as the Sonchi ceremony.

In a rare occurrence in 2367, Captain Jean-Luc Picard was chosen to oversee the Rite of Succession, since, according to K'mpec, no Klingon could be trusted to perform this role unbiased.

Traditionally, the main role of the Arbiter is to designate the two strongest challengers, which then fight to win the right to become the new Chancellor. The rules of the fight are set by the Arbiter, as long as they stay within Klingon law.

The final action of the Arbiter is to announce the result of the fight, and declare a victor.