Passed Motion to Amend the Constitution
- Thread starter Asdersland
- Start date
The Speaker or Chairperson may assign this to a thread that has passed their respective house's legislative process.
- Status
I'm in favor of rewriting the preamble in some regard. As far as the grammatical things, I think that is pretty obviously a good idea.
For WTP's amendments, my thoughts align with Asders' in that most mean well but aren't needed. I do believe that the third amendment you make however should be made into legislation.
I would also like to state my opposition to changing the name of the legislature or the members of it. That said, much like Glac stated, Asders has the suggestion which I would oppose the least.
I additionally would like to poll my fellow Senators on a potential change to the recalling methods. 8 feels like an extremely arbitrary number to me, and should the Union fall into a true lull in our activity, a number which may be very difficult to achieve. This being said, I feel as though lowering the number from 8 to 6 might work. However, I have no real objections to it remaining at 8 if the rest of you deem that a reasonable figure. Additionally, I still don't particularly like an elected official serving on the Electoral Commision. Not enough to propose an amendment, nor enough to rally against it. I will not lie and say that it feels particularly soothing to me however, we've had this situation before where someone running an election was also involved in it and people did not approve of it. I feel as though it is not particularly good looking optics.
I'm also against an elected official serving on the EC, if only out of principle since I would be the one to gain from this (though I'm willing to step down from the Speakership to carry out elections.)
As for the recall--Kron originally put in 4 just like for referendum challenges, which I thought was too low, but which I'm now inclined to agree is probably a better figure. 4 is fine, so is 6, but I do like the potential consistency between the referendum and the recall.
I would like to propose the following amendments:
That a new clause be created after the current 13th clause of Article II to read as follows: "The Senate shall be the sole successor to the previous legislative entities of the Union of Democratic States." and a subclause also be added to the new clause to read as follows:
a) "All references to legislative entities in prior legislation shall be considered to reference the Senate."
This should clear up any confusion on the renaming, since a renaming would sweep up this clause, and also clarify this important fact.
That clause 4 of article 2 be amended to read as follows: "During a term citizens may petition to recall serving Senators. In order to do so, six signatures of citizens must be collected and presented to the Electoral Commission. Following this, a by-election shall be held, in which the serving Senator shall automatically be on the ballot."
Furthermore I would like to propose the emendation of the preamble to the following:
"The people of the Union of Democratic States, in order to protect our inalienable rights, promote good governance, progress towards a just society, and to withstand all challenges that may face us, do hereby promulgate and establish this Constitution for the Union of Democratic States."
(If anyone has better ideas for the preamble I'm all ears.)
Following this message will be a separate one with all the grammatical changes I propose.
That a new clause be created after the current 13th clause of Article II to read as follows: "The Senate shall be the sole successor to the previous legislative entities of the Union of Democratic States." and a subclause also be added to the new clause to read as follows:
a) "All references to legislative entities in prior legislation shall be considered to reference the Senate."
This should clear up any confusion on the renaming, since a renaming would sweep up this clause, and also clarify this important fact.
That clause 4 of article 2 be amended to read as follows: "During a term citizens may petition to recall serving Senators. In order to do so, six signatures of citizens must be collected and presented to the Electoral Commission. Following this, a by-election shall be held, in which the serving Senator shall automatically be on the ballot."
Furthermore I would like to propose the emendation of the preamble to the following:
"The people of the Union of Democratic States, in order to protect our inalienable rights, promote good governance, progress towards a just society, and to withstand all challenges that may face us, do hereby promulgate and establish this Constitution for the Union of Democratic States."
(If anyone has better ideas for the preamble I'm all ears.)
Following this message will be a separate one with all the grammatical changes I propose.
I would like to propose the following grammatical amendments:
1. In clause 1 of article 1, replace the colon with a period.
2. In subclause a of clause 5 of article 2, change the semicolons to commas, and fix the word "aid" to read "aide".
3. In clause 6 of article 2, change the text to read as follows: "During the passage of all items, and in a manner pursuant to the Senate’s internal regulations and relevant law, debate shall occur; during debate, unless otherwise specified, amendments may be proposed to legislation, motions, and resolutions. Following the conclusion of debate Senators shall vote, and if a tie occurs, the vote shall have failed."
4. In clause 8 of article 2, change the text to read as follows: "Within fourteen days of a law’s introduction to the Senate, it may be challenged via a Writ of Challenge signed by four citizens. Following passage in the Senate, a referendum shall be held if four signatures are collected. A successful referendum will repeal the law."
5. In clause 9 of article 2, change the text to read as follows: "The Senate may pass motions. These do not require Presidential promulgation, and may not be vetoed. These do not hold the same legal power as laws, but may be deemed as legally enforceable. Examples of motions the Senate may pass include:"
6. In all the subclauses of clause 9 of article 2, replace all semicolons and colons with commas.
7. In subclause c of clause 9 of article 2, change the text to read as follows: "Summons, in which a summoned individual shall answer questions before the Senate."
8. In clause 10 of article 2, change the text to read as follows: "The Senate may hold votes of no confidence against the Vice President, Cabinet Ministers, Justices, the World Assembly Delegate, and Senators. Successful votes of no confidence result in removal from office. Votes of no confidence may be held for the following reasons:"
9. In clause 12 of article 2, insert the word "shall" after "similar powers".
10. In clause 3 of article 3, change the word "their" preceding the first mention of the Vice President to "a", and fix the word "aid" to read "aide".
11. In clause 4 of article 3, change the text to read as follows: "The President shall appoint a Cabinet of Ministers which shall carry out the day-to-day executive governance of the region, including the regulation of foreign, domestic, and cultural affairs, as well as certain legal matters. The President or Vice President may be a Minister."
12. In all subclauses of clause 5 of article 3, replace the semicolons with commas.
13. In clause 6 of article 3, replace the semicolons with commas.
14. In clause 8 of article 3, replace the words "count as" with "be considered".
15. In clause 3 of article 4, replace the space between "Chief Justice" and "elect" with a dash, and insert the word "a" between "undergo" and "confirmation".
16. In clause 11 of article 4, decapitalize the word "Warrants".
17. In clause 1 of article 5, fix "referendums" to "referenda".
18. In clause 2 of article 5, replace the semicolon with a colon and end the clause with a period.
19. In clause 2 of article 6, replace the comma with a semicolon.
20. In clause 3 of article 6, replace the word "prior" with "previous".
21. In clause 8 of article 6, fix the subject-verb agreement of "simple majority" and "these are" by conjugating the former to "this is".
22. In clause 9 of article 6, fix the subject-verb agreement of "supermajority" and "these are" by conjugating the former to "this is".
The effects of these can be easily seen with this tool: https://www.diffchecker.com/r9aGWprJ I believe I changed one of the ones on the tool as it was already being amended by another proposal.
1. In clause 1 of article 1, replace the colon with a period.
2. In subclause a of clause 5 of article 2, change the semicolons to commas, and fix the word "aid" to read "aide".
3. In clause 6 of article 2, change the text to read as follows: "During the passage of all items, and in a manner pursuant to the Senate’s internal regulations and relevant law, debate shall occur; during debate, unless otherwise specified, amendments may be proposed to legislation, motions, and resolutions. Following the conclusion of debate Senators shall vote, and if a tie occurs, the vote shall have failed."
4. In clause 8 of article 2, change the text to read as follows: "Within fourteen days of a law’s introduction to the Senate, it may be challenged via a Writ of Challenge signed by four citizens. Following passage in the Senate, a referendum shall be held if four signatures are collected. A successful referendum will repeal the law."
5. In clause 9 of article 2, change the text to read as follows: "The Senate may pass motions. These do not require Presidential promulgation, and may not be vetoed. These do not hold the same legal power as laws, but may be deemed as legally enforceable. Examples of motions the Senate may pass include:"
6. In all the subclauses of clause 9 of article 2, replace all semicolons and colons with commas.
7. In subclause c of clause 9 of article 2, change the text to read as follows: "Summons, in which a summoned individual shall answer questions before the Senate."
8. In clause 10 of article 2, change the text to read as follows: "The Senate may hold votes of no confidence against the Vice President, Cabinet Ministers, Justices, the World Assembly Delegate, and Senators. Successful votes of no confidence result in removal from office. Votes of no confidence may be held for the following reasons:"
9. In clause 12 of article 2, insert the word "shall" after "similar powers".
10. In clause 3 of article 3, change the word "their" preceding the first mention of the Vice President to "a", and fix the word "aid" to read "aide".
11. In clause 4 of article 3, change the text to read as follows: "The President shall appoint a Cabinet of Ministers which shall carry out the day-to-day executive governance of the region, including the regulation of foreign, domestic, and cultural affairs, as well as certain legal matters. The President or Vice President may be a Minister."
12. In all subclauses of clause 5 of article 3, replace the semicolons with commas.
13. In clause 6 of article 3, replace the semicolons with commas.
14. In clause 8 of article 3, replace the words "count as" with "be considered".
15. In clause 3 of article 4, replace the space between "Chief Justice" and "elect" with a dash, and insert the word "a" between "undergo" and "confirmation".
16. In clause 11 of article 4, decapitalize the word "Warrants".
17. In clause 1 of article 5, fix "referendums" to "referenda".
18. In clause 2 of article 5, replace the semicolon with a colon and end the clause with a period.
19. In clause 2 of article 6, replace the comma with a semicolon.
20. In clause 3 of article 6, replace the word "prior" with "previous".
21. In clause 8 of article 6, fix the subject-verb agreement of "simple majority" and "these are" by conjugating the former to "this is".
22. In clause 9 of article 6, fix the subject-verb agreement of "supermajority" and "these are" by conjugating the former to "this is".
The effects of these can be easily seen with this tool: https://www.diffchecker.com/r9aGWprJ I believe I changed one of the ones on the tool as it was already being amended by another proposal.
I think 'The President shall help draft interregional agreements.' should be 'The President may help draft interregional agreements.' This allows them the flexibility to fully delegate such a task to the Minister of Foreign Affairs if needed. I won't propose it as an amendment because I recognise that under this wording, the President could legally simply not bother with treaty negotiation at all - To cover such a circumstance, it may be prudent to consider a method that mandates either the President to either have to participate in negotation with partial or full delegation to an appropriate official.
I propose that Article 2, clause 4 be amended to read "six" instead of "eight" votes.
I further propose that we amend Article 3, clause 8 to read "may" instead of "shall" as Druing mentioned.
I propose we replace clause 2 of Article 5 with the following: "The Commission shall be composed of three Commissioners: the Chief Commissioner, the Chief Justice, and the Deputy Commissioner."
Additionally, that subclause a of said clause be modified to read that the Chief Commissioner "shall be confirmed by the Senate; and they, in agreement with the Chief Justice, shall appoint a Deputy Commissioner." and that subclause b be replaced with the following: "In extraordinary circumstances, any other justice may serve on the Commission."
I furthermore withdraw all of the "grammatical amendments" I previously proposed. Please fix them some other way, though, as I cannot stand such errors.
With all that, we will move to the amendment voting stage.
I further propose that we amend Article 3, clause 8 to read "may" instead of "shall" as Druing mentioned.
I propose we replace clause 2 of Article 5 with the following: "The Commission shall be composed of three Commissioners: the Chief Commissioner, the Chief Justice, and the Deputy Commissioner."
Additionally, that subclause a of said clause be modified to read that the Chief Commissioner "shall be confirmed by the Senate; and they, in agreement with the Chief Justice, shall appoint a Deputy Commissioner." and that subclause b be replaced with the following: "In extraordinary circumstances, any other justice may serve on the Commission."
I furthermore withdraw all of the "grammatical amendments" I previously proposed. Please fix them some other way, though, as I cannot stand such errors.
With all that, we will move to the amendment voting stage.
The following amendments have been proposed:
(By WTP)
1. That Article II clause 3 shall be amended to read ” The number of Senate seats at every election shall be calculated via the mean number of voters in the last three Senate Elections divided by four and rounded up to an odd number.
2. That Article IV clause one shall be amended to read ”The judicial power of the government shall be vested in the Supreme Court, which shall be composed of a Chief Justice, who leads the Supreme Court, as well as four Associate Justices. Together, they form the Judicial Branch.”
3. That Article IV clause 2 shall be amended to read ”If the office of the Chief Justice is vacant, a Judicial Election shall be held, according to an electoral system established by law. The prior Chief Justice may not run in a Judicial Election. During a judicial election Chief Justice candidates may not speak about specific upcoming cases.”
4. That Article IV clause 5 shall be amended to read ”Whenever a vacancy occurs for Associate Justices, the Chief Justice shall appoint an Associate Justice. Said Justice must pass a confirmation vote in the Senate before assuming office. ”
(By myself)
5. Strike Article II, 3.a (This results in one Senate seat for every four voters.)
6. Strike "prior to Presidential promulgation." from 6.1.
7. Edit clause 12 of Article II to read "by a majority " instead of "by a three-quarters majority".
8. Emend Article III, 7 to read as follows: Following the passage of a law in the Senate, the President has five days to either promulgate the law and make it legally binding or veto it. Before promulgation or a veto, the President may consult the Attorney General for legal advice regarding the law and its impacts.
9. That II.1 be emended to read as follows and withdraw my previous motion to amend that clause accordingly: "The legislative branch and power of the government shall be vested in the Senate, which shall be composed of Senators elected by citizens every two months."
10. That a new clause be created after the current 13th clause of Article II to read as follows: "The Senate shall be the sole successor to the previous legislative entities of the Union of Democratic States." and a subclause also be added to the new clause to read as follows: "All references to legislative entities in prior legislation shall be considered to reference the Senate."
11. That clause 4 of article 2 be amended to read as follows: "During a term citizens may petition to recall serving Senators. In order to do so, six signatures of citizens must be collected and presented to the Electoral Commission. Following this, a by-election shall be held, in which the serving Senator shall automatically be on the ballot."
12. That the preamble be changed to the following: "The people of the Union of Democratic States, in order to protect our inalienable rights, promote good governance, progress towards a just society, and to withstand all challenges that may face us, do hereby promulgate and establish this Constitution for the Union of Democratic States."
13. That Article 3, clause 8 be amended to read "may" instead of "shall".
14. Replace clause 2 of Article 5 with the following: "The Commission shall be composed of three Commissioners: the Chief Commissioner, the Chief Justice, and the Deputy Commissioner." Furthermore, that subclause a of said clause shall be modified to read that the Chief Commissioner "shall be confirmed by the Senate; and they, in agreement with the Chief Justice, shall appoint a Deputy Commissioner." and that subclause b be replaced with the following: "In extraordinary circumstances, any other justice may serve on the Commission."
15. That all references to Senate in the bill and other amendments be changed to Regional Assembly, and that Senator be changed to Deputy.
Voting is now open.
(By WTP)
1. That Article II clause 3 shall be amended to read ” The number of Senate seats at every election shall be calculated via the mean number of voters in the last three Senate Elections divided by four and rounded up to an odd number.
2. That Article IV clause one shall be amended to read ”The judicial power of the government shall be vested in the Supreme Court, which shall be composed of a Chief Justice, who leads the Supreme Court, as well as four Associate Justices. Together, they form the Judicial Branch.”
3. That Article IV clause 2 shall be amended to read ”If the office of the Chief Justice is vacant, a Judicial Election shall be held, according to an electoral system established by law. The prior Chief Justice may not run in a Judicial Election. During a judicial election Chief Justice candidates may not speak about specific upcoming cases.”
4. That Article IV clause 5 shall be amended to read ”Whenever a vacancy occurs for Associate Justices, the Chief Justice shall appoint an Associate Justice. Said Justice must pass a confirmation vote in the Senate before assuming office. ”
(By myself)
5. Strike Article II, 3.a (This results in one Senate seat for every four voters.)
6. Strike "prior to Presidential promulgation." from 6.1.
7. Edit clause 12 of Article II to read "by a majority " instead of "by a three-quarters majority".
8. Emend Article III, 7 to read as follows: Following the passage of a law in the Senate, the President has five days to either promulgate the law and make it legally binding or veto it. Before promulgation or a veto, the President may consult the Attorney General for legal advice regarding the law and its impacts.
9. That II.1 be emended to read as follows and withdraw my previous motion to amend that clause accordingly: "The legislative branch and power of the government shall be vested in the Senate, which shall be composed of Senators elected by citizens every two months."
10. That a new clause be created after the current 13th clause of Article II to read as follows: "The Senate shall be the sole successor to the previous legislative entities of the Union of Democratic States." and a subclause also be added to the new clause to read as follows: "All references to legislative entities in prior legislation shall be considered to reference the Senate."
11. That clause 4 of article 2 be amended to read as follows: "During a term citizens may petition to recall serving Senators. In order to do so, six signatures of citizens must be collected and presented to the Electoral Commission. Following this, a by-election shall be held, in which the serving Senator shall automatically be on the ballot."
12. That the preamble be changed to the following: "The people of the Union of Democratic States, in order to protect our inalienable rights, promote good governance, progress towards a just society, and to withstand all challenges that may face us, do hereby promulgate and establish this Constitution for the Union of Democratic States."
13. That Article 3, clause 8 be amended to read "may" instead of "shall".
14. Replace clause 2 of Article 5 with the following: "The Commission shall be composed of three Commissioners: the Chief Commissioner, the Chief Justice, and the Deputy Commissioner." Furthermore, that subclause a of said clause shall be modified to read that the Chief Commissioner "shall be confirmed by the Senate; and they, in agreement with the Chief Justice, shall appoint a Deputy Commissioner." and that subclause b be replaced with the following: "In extraordinary circumstances, any other justice may serve on the Commission."
15. That all references to Senate in the bill and other amendments be changed to Regional Assembly, and that Senator be changed to Deputy.
Voting is now open.
1: Aye
2: Aye
3:Aye
4:Aye
5: Aye
6: Aye
7: Aye
8: Aye
9: Aye
10:Nay
11: Nay
12: Nay
13: Nay
14: Nay
15: Nay
2: Aye
3:Aye
4:Aye
5: Aye
6: Aye
7: Aye
8: Aye
9: Aye
10:Nay
11: Nay
12: Nay
13: Nay
14: Nay
15: Nay
1. Nay
2. Nay
3. Nay
4. Nay
5. Aye
6. Aye
7. Aye
8. Aye
9. Aye
10. Aye
11. Aye
12. Aye
13. Aye
14. Aye
15. Aye
2. Nay
3. Nay
4. Nay
5. Aye
6. Aye
7. Aye
8. Aye
9. Aye
10. Aye
11. Aye
12. Aye
13. Aye
14. Aye
15. Aye
Alright then. That concludes the vote, with the following results:
| Amendment | Result | Aye | Nay | Abstain |
| 1 | ✗ | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 2 | ✗ | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 3 | ✗ | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 4 | ✗ | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 5 | ✗ | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| 6 | ✓ | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| 7 | ✓ | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| 8 | ✓ | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| 9 | ✗ | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| 10 | ✓ | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| 11 | ✗ | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 12 | ✗ | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| 13 | ✗ | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| 14 | ✓ | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| 15 | ✗ | 2 | 3 | 0 |
The text of the constitutional proposal now reads as follows:
Article I: The Bill of Rights
1. All citizens shall enjoy the right to freedom of speech, press, assembly, and petition:
2. No resident shall be blocked from the process of applying for citizenship unless they have been declared Persona Non Grata, banned via a court case, or applied during election season.
3. All citizens shall enjoy the right to a fair and speedy trial for crimes alleged against them. No citizen shall be subject to trial more than once for the same crime except when new and compelling evidence is discovered. No citizen may be withheld evidence in favor of their case. No citizen shall be held guilty for an act which did not constitute a criminal offense at the time it was committed.
4. No citizen shall be denied the right to a secret and confidential vote.
5. No resident shall face discrimination nor special treatment from the government.
6. Citizens have additional rights not specifically enumerated in the constitution, which may not be denied, withheld, nor violated by the government. These may be established through judicial procedures or in law.
Article II: The Senate
1. The legislative power of the government shall be vested in the Senate, the Legislative Branch, which shall be composed of Senators elected by citizens every two months.
2. Senators shall be elected via a proportional system as detailed by law; Senate Elections shall occur on the first day of every February, April, June, August, October, and December.
3. The number of Senate seats at every election shall be calculated via the mean number of voters in the last three Senate Elections divided by four and rounded up.
4. During a term citizens may petition to recall serving Senators, in order to do so eight signatures of citizens must be collected and presented to the Electoral Commission. Following this, a by-election shall be held in which the serving Senator shall be automatically on the ballot.
5. Following a Senate Election, the Senate shall select from their ranks a Speaker of the Senate who shall guide debate, administer the Senate’s internal workings, and oversee Senate votes. If the office of the Speaker becomes vacant during a term, a new Speaker shall be selected for the term.
6. During the passage of all items, and in a manner pursuant to the Senate’s internal regulations and relevant law, debate shall occur; during debate, and unless otherwise specified, amendments may be proposed to legislation, motions and resolutions. Following the conclusion of debate Senators shall vote and if a tie occurs, the vote on item will have failed.
7. As the legislative branch of government, all laws and legislation must originate from the Senate and be duly passed by them before Presidential promulgation or veto. Laws may be drafted and proposed by any citizen.
8. Within fourteen days of a law’s introduction to the Senate, it may be challenged via a Writ of Challenge signed by four citizens. Following passage in the Senate, a referendum shall be held if four signatures are collected - a successful referendum will repeal the law.
9. The Senate may pass motions. These do not require Presidential promulgation, and may not be vetoed; these do not hold the same legal power as laws, but some may be deemed as legally enforceable. Examples of motions the Senate may pass include:
10. The Senate may hold votes of no confidence against the Vice President, Cabinet Ministers, Justices, the World Assembly Delegate and Senators; successful votes of no confidence result in removal from office and votes of no confidence may be held for:
11. The Senate shall hold confirmation votes on the World Assembly Delegate, Justices, Cabinet Ministers, and unelected Vice Presidents. Confirmation votes shall fail if they do not reach the required amount of votes. Failed confirmation votes result in the relevant official being removed or not appointed to office.
12. The Senate holds the power to veto Executive Orders via a majority; similar powers exist in regards to any form of delegated or secondary legislation.
13. The Senate may overturn vetoes from the President with a three-quarters supermajority.
14. The Senate shall be the sole successor to the previous legislative entities of the Union of Democratic States.
Article III: The President
1. As Head of State, Head of Government, and as leader of the Executive Branch, the President executes the law on behalf of the people. In this, the President acts as Chief Diplomat, Chief Law Enforcer and Prosecutor, Chief Immigration Officer, Commander in Chief, and Chair of the Cabinet.
2. The President shall be elected every three months. Presidential Elections shall occur on the first day of January, April, July, and October. Elections shall be carried out in accordance with regional law.
3. The President shall be elected alongside their Vice President, who shall act as a deputy and aid to the President. The Vice President shall act in their place when the President is unable to act, and as acting President in the event that the office of President becomes vacant.
4. The President shall appoint a Cabinet of Ministers which shall carry out the day-to-day Executive governance of the region including the regulation of foreign affairs, domestic affairs, cultural affairs, and some legal matters. The President or Vice President may be a Minister.
5. The President shall hold a variety of powers which may be delegated to their Cabinet Ministers or the Vice President. These powers include:
6. The office of the Attorney General shall exist as a Minister within the Cabinet, conforming to the same rules. The Attorney General shall advise the Cabinet and President on legal matters; represent the Executive government in legal proceedings; prosecute those who have broken the law; guide registered lawyers in the region; and register lawyers.
7. Following the passage of a law in the Senate, the President has five days to either promulgate the law and make it legally binding or veto it. Before promulgation or a veto, the President may consult the Attorney General for legal advice regarding the law and its impacts.
8. The President shall help draft interregional agreements. Only the President may propose interregional agreements to the Senate. Interregional agreements shall count as legislation, but may not be substantively amended once introduced to the Senate.
9. If the World Assembly Delegacy is vacant, the President shall appoint a replacement Delegate. An appointee must pass a confirmation vote by the Senate to assume office.
Article IV: The Supreme Court
1. The judicial power of the government shall be vested in the Supreme Court, which shall be composed of a Chief Justice, who leads the Supreme Court, and up to four Associate Justices. Together, they form the Judicial Branch.
2. If the office of the Chief Justice is vacant, a Judicial Election shall be held, according to an electoral system established by law. The prior Chief Justice may not run in a Judicial Election.
3. Following a Judicial Election, the Chief Justice Elect shall undergo confirmation vote in the Senate. If the vote fails, a new Judicial Election shall be held.
4. Following their confirmation vote, the Chief Justice shall appoint an Associate Justice as Deputy Chief Justice, who shall act as Chief Justice when the Chief Justice is unable to and as interim Chief Justice during a Judicial Election.
5. Whenever a vacancy occurs for Associate Justices, the Chief Justice may appoint an Associate Justice. Said Justice must pass a confirmation vote in the Senate before assuming office.
6. The Senate shall hold confirmation votes on all serving Justices, including the Chief Justice, on the first day of March and September. This results in continuous six month terms until removal from office or resignation.
7. Whenever a justice has a personal or political conflict of interest with a particular court case they shall be required to recuse themselves. The Chief Justice may force an Associate Justice to recuse themselves, and the Deputy Chief Justice may force the Chief Justice to do the same.
8. The Supreme Court holds legal jurisdiction on all matters, including criminal and civil law, as well as the interpretation of all legally enforceable documents.
9. The Supreme Court shall, following a court case, have the power to rule a prior action of government, executive order, or law as unconstitutional and annul it.
10. If asked by citizens, the Supreme Court may clarify provisions in a law or in the constitution. These clarifications shall have no legal effect in themselves but may be used as justification in legal arguments and in legal decisions.
11. During a court case, Presiding Justices may issue Warrants which shall allow for the collection of private information.
Article V: The Electoral Commission
1. The Electoral Commission, composed of Electoral Commissioners, shall monitor and administer all elections and referendums in the region.
2. The Commission shall be composed of three Commissioners: the Chief Commissioner, the Chief Justice, and the Deputy Commissioner.
4. During a Judicial Election, the prior Chief Justice shall continue to serve on the Commission.
5. If no election or referendum regulations have been established in law, the Electoral Commission shall create election or referendum regulations. All election and referendum regulations, established in law or by the Commission, shall be publicly available and have the force of law.
6. The Electoral Commission shall be responsible for all aspects of setting up and running elections and referendums, including:
7. Following the conclusion of an election or referendum, the Electoral Commission shall release a detailed report on the results of the election or referendum. This report shall, among other things, include:
Article VI: Amendments and Provisions
1. Amendments to this constitution must be passed by a three-quarters supermajority in the Senate as well as a referendum.
2. This constitution is the supreme legal entity, no action or document may contravene it.
3. This constitution shall come into effect when it has been approved by the emendation procedure of the prior constitution.
4. With the permission of the Chief Justice and during the maintenance of archives, archivists may make minor grammatical, spelling, or format changes to a law or similar if said edits do not impact legal meaning.
5. No one citizen may simultaneously occupy a position in all three branches of government.
6. The President, Chief Justice, and Speaker of the Senate may only serve in their respective branches, as ambassadors to other regions, or as staff within Ministries.
7. All institutions established within this constitution shall be self-regulating; but laws may expand upon their powers or place reasonable limits on their actions.
8. Unless otherwise specified in law or in a motion, all votes and referendums require a simple majority to pass; these are defined as more than half of the total votes or ballots cast.
9. Apart from simple majorities, some votes or referendums shall require a supermajority to pass; these are defined as a majority of votes equal to or exceeding a specified fraction greater than one-half.
With this, I now open the final vote on this amendment. You may now vote, Senators.
Constitution of the Union of Democratic States
The Citizens of Our Union, through our unequivocal Rights, responsibilities and duties
hereby proclaim, and promulgate this Constitution, for the upholdment of our Liberty
and the progression towards a society duly ordained as Just and Progressive.
The Citizens of Our Union, through our unequivocal Rights, responsibilities and duties
hereby proclaim, and promulgate this Constitution, for the upholdment of our Liberty
and the progression towards a society duly ordained as Just and Progressive.
Article I: The Bill of Rights
1. All citizens shall enjoy the right to freedom of speech, press, assembly, and petition:
a). Freedom of speech is defined as the right to articulate one’s opinions and ideas without fear of reprisal, infliction, censorship, or sanction from the government.
b). Freedom of the press is defined as the right to use media to print, or otherwise disseminate, speech, ideas and opinions without fear of persecution from the government.
c). Freedom to petition is defined as the right to make a complaint to, or seek the assistance of, one's government, without fear of punishment or reprisals.
d). Freedom of assembly is defined as the right or ability of the people to come together and collectively express, promote, pursue, and defend their ideas without fear of persecution from the government.
2. No resident shall be blocked from the process of applying for citizenship unless they have been declared Persona Non Grata, banned via a court case, or applied during election season.
3. All citizens shall enjoy the right to a fair and speedy trial for crimes alleged against them. No citizen shall be subject to trial more than once for the same crime except when new and compelling evidence is discovered. No citizen may be withheld evidence in favor of their case. No citizen shall be held guilty for an act which did not constitute a criminal offense at the time it was committed.
4. No citizen shall be denied the right to a secret and confidential vote.
5. No resident shall face discrimination nor special treatment from the government.
6. Citizens have additional rights not specifically enumerated in the constitution, which may not be denied, withheld, nor violated by the government. These may be established through judicial procedures or in law.
Article II: The Senate
1. The legislative power of the government shall be vested in the Senate, the Legislative Branch, which shall be composed of Senators elected by citizens every two months.
2. Senators shall be elected via a proportional system as detailed by law; Senate Elections shall occur on the first day of every February, April, June, August, October, and December.
a). A by-election shall be held if a Senate seat becomes vacant during a term, unless a Senate Election occurs within ten days. The replacement Senator shall serve until the next Senate Election.
b). Five days before a Senate Election and during said election, the Senate shall be unable to pass laws.
3. The number of Senate seats at every election shall be calculated via the mean number of voters in the last three Senate Elections divided by four and rounded up.
a). This results in one Senate seat for every four voters.
4. During a term citizens may petition to recall serving Senators, in order to do so eight signatures of citizens must be collected and presented to the Electoral Commission. Following this, a by-election shall be held in which the serving Senator shall be automatically on the ballot.
5. Following a Senate Election, the Senate shall select from their ranks a Speaker of the Senate who shall guide debate, administer the Senate’s internal workings, and oversee Senate votes. If the office of the Speaker becomes vacant during a term, a new Speaker shall be selected for the term.
a). The Speaker shall appoint a Deputy to act in their place when the Speaker is unable to act; as interim Speaker in the event that the office of Speaker becomes vacant; and as an aid to the Speaker in the general proceedings of the Senate.
6. During the passage of all items, and in a manner pursuant to the Senate’s internal regulations and relevant law, debate shall occur; during debate, and unless otherwise specified, amendments may be proposed to legislation, motions and resolutions. Following the conclusion of debate Senators shall vote and if a tie occurs, the vote on item will have failed.
a). Interregional agreements may not be substantively amended in the Senate; laws may specify whether other items may be amended in the senate.
7. As the legislative branch of government, all laws and legislation must originate from the Senate and be duly passed by them before Presidential promulgation or veto. Laws may be drafted and proposed by any citizen.
8. Within fourteen days of a law’s introduction to the Senate, it may be challenged via a Writ of Challenge signed by four citizens. Following passage in the Senate, a referendum shall be held if four signatures are collected - a successful referendum will repeal the law.
9. The Senate may pass motions. These do not require Presidential promulgation, and may not be vetoed; these do not hold the same legal power as laws, but some may be deemed as legally enforceable. Examples of motions the Senate may pass include:
a). Standing Orders; in which internal rules and procedures are established.
b). Committee Establishments and Dissolutions: in which a formal body consisting of Senators and appointed citizens is created or dissolved.
c). A Summon; in which the summoned individual shall answer questions before the Senate.
d). This list is non-exhaustive and may be expanded upon via law or motions.
10. The Senate may hold votes of no confidence against the Vice President, Cabinet Ministers, Justices, the World Assembly Delegate and Senators; successful votes of no confidence result in removal from office and votes of no confidence may be held for:
a). Over 10 days of inactivity.
b). Criminal conviction.
c). Other reasons established by law.
11. The Senate shall hold confirmation votes on the World Assembly Delegate, Justices, Cabinet Ministers, and unelected Vice Presidents. Confirmation votes shall fail if they do not reach the required amount of votes. Failed confirmation votes result in the relevant official being removed or not appointed to office.
a). World Assembly Delegate confirmation votes shall occur on the first day of every March and September.
12. The Senate holds the power to veto Executive Orders via a majority; similar powers exist in regards to any form of delegated or secondary legislation.
13. The Senate may overturn vetoes from the President with a three-quarters supermajority.
14. The Senate shall be the sole successor to the previous legislative entities of the Union of Democratic States.
a). All references to legislative entities in prior legislation shall be considered to reference the Senate.
Article III: The President
1. As Head of State, Head of Government, and as leader of the Executive Branch, the President executes the law on behalf of the people. In this, the President acts as Chief Diplomat, Chief Law Enforcer and Prosecutor, Chief Immigration Officer, Commander in Chief, and Chair of the Cabinet.
2. The President shall be elected every three months. Presidential Elections shall occur on the first day of January, April, July, and October. Elections shall be carried out in accordance with regional law.
3. The President shall be elected alongside their Vice President, who shall act as a deputy and aid to the President. The Vice President shall act in their place when the President is unable to act, and as acting President in the event that the office of President becomes vacant.
a). Should the office of the Vice President become vacant, the President shall nominate a replacement to the Senate for a confirmation vote.
b). Laws may be passed that create a line of succession past the Vice President.
4. The President shall appoint a Cabinet of Ministers which shall carry out the day-to-day Executive governance of the region including the regulation of foreign affairs, domestic affairs, cultural affairs, and some legal matters. The President or Vice President may be a Minister.
a). The President shall hold the right to regulate the Cabinet as they see fit.
b). Ministries may be established by law or by the President. Ministries will not automatically cease to exist following vacancy in the office of the President.
c). An appointed Minister must pass a confirmation vote by the Senate to assume office.
5. The President shall hold a variety of powers which may be delegated to their Cabinet Ministers or the Vice President. These powers include:
a). Executive Orders; directions for the implementation of laws and regulations for the business of executive governance.
b). Persona Non Grata Declarations; which shall censure non-citizens and prohibit their entry into the region..
c). Accepting, denying and processing citizenship applications.
d). These powers may be expanded upon via law.
e). These powers may be further delegated by Cabinet Ministers to their subordinates; delegated powers are inferior to their source.
6. The office of the Attorney General shall exist as a Minister within the Cabinet, conforming to the same rules. The Attorney General shall advise the Cabinet and President on legal matters; represent the Executive government in legal proceedings; prosecute those who have broken the law; guide registered lawyers in the region; and register lawyers.
7. Following the passage of a law in the Senate, the President has five days to either promulgate the law and make it legally binding or veto it. Before promulgation or a veto, the President may consult the Attorney General for legal advice regarding the law and its impacts.
a). Unless it is vetoed, a law automatically becomes promulgated after five days.
b). The Senate may overturn a veto with a three-quarters supermajority.
8. The President shall help draft interregional agreements. Only the President may propose interregional agreements to the Senate. Interregional agreements shall count as legislation, but may not be substantively amended once introduced to the Senate.
9. If the World Assembly Delegacy is vacant, the President shall appoint a replacement Delegate. An appointee must pass a confirmation vote by the Senate to assume office.
a). The World Assembly Delegate shall represent the region in the World Assembly and shall not be considered a part of the Executive Branch.
b). Following appointment and confirmation vote, World Assembly Delegate confirmation votes shall occur on the first day of every March and September.
Article IV: The Supreme Court
1. The judicial power of the government shall be vested in the Supreme Court, which shall be composed of a Chief Justice, who leads the Supreme Court, and up to four Associate Justices. Together, they form the Judicial Branch.
2. If the office of the Chief Justice is vacant, a Judicial Election shall be held, according to an electoral system established by law. The prior Chief Justice may not run in a Judicial Election.
3. Following a Judicial Election, the Chief Justice Elect shall undergo confirmation vote in the Senate. If the vote fails, a new Judicial Election shall be held.
a). The Chief Justice Elect may not run for reelection in this new Election if they lose the confirmation vote.
4. Following their confirmation vote, the Chief Justice shall appoint an Associate Justice as Deputy Chief Justice, who shall act as Chief Justice when the Chief Justice is unable to and as interim Chief Justice during a Judicial Election.
5. Whenever a vacancy occurs for Associate Justices, the Chief Justice may appoint an Associate Justice. Said Justice must pass a confirmation vote in the Senate before assuming office.
a). The Chief Justice shall be required to appoint a new Associate Justice if there is only one or no Associate Justices serving.
6. The Senate shall hold confirmation votes on all serving Justices, including the Chief Justice, on the first day of March and September. This results in continuous six month terms until removal from office or resignation.
7. Whenever a justice has a personal or political conflict of interest with a particular court case they shall be required to recuse themselves. The Chief Justice may force an Associate Justice to recuse themselves, and the Deputy Chief Justice may force the Chief Justice to do the same.
8. The Supreme Court holds legal jurisdiction on all matters, including criminal and civil law, as well as the interpretation of all legally enforceable documents.
9. The Supreme Court shall, following a court case, have the power to rule a prior action of government, executive order, or law as unconstitutional and annul it.
10. If asked by citizens, the Supreme Court may clarify provisions in a law or in the constitution. These clarifications shall have no legal effect in themselves but may be used as justification in legal arguments and in legal decisions.
11. During a court case, Presiding Justices may issue Warrants which shall allow for the collection of private information.
Article V: The Electoral Commission
1. The Electoral Commission, composed of Electoral Commissioners, shall monitor and administer all elections and referendums in the region.
2. The Commission shall be composed of three Commissioners: the Chief Commissioner, the Chief Justice, and the Deputy Commissioner.
a). The Chief Commissioner is appointed by the President and shall be confirmed by the Senate; and they, in agreement with the Chief Justice, shall appoint a Deputy Commissioner.
b). In extraordinary circumstances, any other justice may serve on the Commission.
3. The Chief Commissioner may not run for an election unless they recuse themselves from the Election Commission and delegate their authority to their Deputy during that election. In such cases the Deputy Commissioner may not run in that election.4. During a Judicial Election, the prior Chief Justice shall continue to serve on the Commission.
5. If no election or referendum regulations have been established in law, the Electoral Commission shall create election or referendum regulations. All election and referendum regulations, established in law or by the Commission, shall be publicly available and have the force of law.
a). The Electoral Commission’s rule and regulations are subordinate to any passed law.
6. The Electoral Commission shall be responsible for all aspects of setting up and running elections and referendums, including:
a). The counting of votes.
b). The distribution of candidacy and voting forms.
c). The investigation of electoral fraud.
d). The maintenance of an election calendar open for viewing.
7. Following the conclusion of an election or referendum, the Electoral Commission shall release a detailed report on the results of the election or referendum. This report shall, among other things, include:
a). The total number of voters, as long as this respects each voter’s privacy.
b). The percentages and votes won by each candidate.
c). The placements of each candidate.
d). The results of any runoffs that occurred.
e). The results of any ties that occurred.
Article VI: Amendments and Provisions
1. Amendments to this constitution must be passed by a three-quarters supermajority in the Senate as well as a referendum.
a). In order to repeal this constitution these requirements must also be met.
2. This constitution is the supreme legal entity, no action or document may contravene it.
3. This constitution shall come into effect when it has been approved by the emendation procedure of the prior constitution.
4. With the permission of the Chief Justice and during the maintenance of archives, archivists may make minor grammatical, spelling, or format changes to a law or similar if said edits do not impact legal meaning.
5. No one citizen may simultaneously occupy a position in all three branches of government.
6. The President, Chief Justice, and Speaker of the Senate may only serve in their respective branches, as ambassadors to other regions, or as staff within Ministries.
a). Justices may not serve in the Senate.
b). Justices may not serve as the Attorney General.
7. All institutions established within this constitution shall be self-regulating; but laws may expand upon their powers or place reasonable limits on their actions.
8. Unless otherwise specified in law or in a motion, all votes and referendums require a simple majority to pass; these are defined as more than half of the total votes or ballots cast.
9. Apart from simple majorities, some votes or referendums shall require a supermajority to pass; these are defined as a majority of votes equal to or exceeding a specified fraction greater than one-half.
With this, I now open the final vote on this amendment. You may now vote, Senators.
Although I think it would be preferable if a few more amendments were passed, it is only sensible for me to give the General Assembly opportunity to propose changes(of course the document in its current form is good as well) so in summary I vote aye
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