Restrictions that are aggravating to players and serve no game-play purpose nor hold any RP logic all while being inconsistent with other game features.
Ah, OK, I see what you mean.
For fines: Not being able to lift fines is intentional, as far as I am aware. It has been discussed in the past. IIRC Tom stated that fines are a minor penalty that don't really have any lasting effect on a character. They pay the fine, it goes away, and that's the end of it. There's no permanent record, and no permanent effect. Personally, I don't have any strong feelings on it either way.
As far as the lordships thing goes, I agree with you. Stepping down from a region to accept a different one shouldn't necessarily require a loss of honor. (And if you've been lord long enough, then all you will lose is one point of honor.) Anaris has a planned change to lordships (as discussed in another thread) that should take care of that. As far as the oath thing goes, that could vary. Yes, you took an oath, but whoever you gave that oath to you should be able to release you from that oath. If you're staying in the same duchy, and you're being appointed to a new lordship, then it would stand to reason that the person who holds that oath is releasing you from it, so you shouldn't incur an honor penalty.
The two different kinds of bans was implemented before I started playing, so I can only relate what I have heard. The idea is that if you "ask to leave", you are giving them a chance to leave without getting a ban in their permanent record if they leave quick enough. I think it's three days, roughly twice that of a regular ban. But at the same time, it cannot be rescinded. Once it has been pronounced, that person will be banned when the time runs out, if they have not already left. It is rarely used, as most people want to banned person gone *right now*. (And the last time I saw it used my character was pissed, because she wanted the guy banned so he could be executed later. Grrr!
) I believe the intention was to have two different methods available to the judge, each with it's own mechanic. You can choose the one that you like, based on your situation. Don't like the "as to leave" option? Then don't use it.