Post by Prometheus on May 4, 2020 21:52:20 GMT
Preamble
We the residents of Lasagna, to keep order and peace in this longstanding community, hereby establish this legislation as the supreme law of the region. It shall outlive the reign of all Delegates to come; let the Constitution of Lasagna be a permanent guide to all present and future residents. We the people of Lasagna, agree to the constitution and pledge to protect and follow it. We hereby adopt this constitution on the 13th of November 2019.
Constitution Revamped Amendment passed on: 27th of March 2020
Article One: Citizenship & Nation Rights
Section 1. Citizenship
I. Citizenship within Lasagna shall consist of all nations that reside within the region of Lasagna and have joined the official forum, or are a member of the World Assembly.
II. Only Citizens who join the official forum will be considered voting citizens, as most official votes shall take place on the forum.
Section 2. Rights of Lasagna's Citizens and Residents
I. Everyone is equal before the law. Discrimination on grounds of nationality, ethnic or social origin, religion, race, sexual orientation, political or personal beliefs shall be prohibited.
II. Every citizen and resident has the right to free speech and peaceful assembly.
III. Every citizen shall have the right to vote and participate in the democratic life of the Region.
IV. Every citizen has the right to join or establish a political party within Lasagna.
V. Every citizen in a political party has the right to stand as a candidate at elections to the regional government and parliament
VI. Every citizen and resident has the right to the protection of personal data concerning them.
VII. Every citizen and resident has the right to have his or her affairs handled impartially, fairly and within a reasonable time by the institutions, bodies, offices and agencies of the Region.
VIII. Any citizen or resident accused of a crime has the right to a fair trial in a timely manner and may choose a lawyer to represent them or may represent themselves.
IX. Any Citizen not deemed a security threat has the right to participate in military or intelligence organizations within the region regardless of which political party they might be apart of.
X. World Assembly citizens are not required to endorse anyone.
Article Two: The President & their Cabinet
Section 1. President’s Role & Election
I. The President will serve as World Assembly Delegate of Lasagna.
II. The President shall act as executive office and sovereign overseer of the region.
III. The President may not serve as a member of Parliament.
IV. President elections will occur once a year or as needed and be overseen by the election commissioner.
V. President elections will contain one week of nominations, one week of campaigning, and one week of voting. All citizens have the right to vote to determine the next President.
Section 2. President Powers
I. The President shall have access to all regional powers.
II. The President may veto a law, policy, or Parliament action passed by Parliament if it was passed with less than 75% approval.
III. The President may put up a regional password in the event the Founder ceases to exist.
IV. The President may open new embassies as they see fit.
V. The President may suppress spam posts, recruitment posts, and obscene/offensive posts.
VI. The President has the right to eject non-citizen nations for spam posts, recruitment posts, obscene/offensive posts, or those found guilty of a crime.
VII. The President has the right to appoint a Secretary of Foreign Affairs.
VIII. The President has the right to appoint a Secretary of Home Affairs.
IX. The President has the right to appoint additional Secretary positions to fill any additional roles as needed, to serve as his cabinet.
X. The President has the right to approve and vote on World Assembly resolutions as they see fit.
Section 3. Secretary of Foreign Affairs
I. Secretary of Foreign Affairs shall negotiate treaties and alliances.
II. Secretary of Foreign Affairs will serve as a regional officer of Lasagna with access to embassies and poll powers.
III. Secretary of Foreign Affairs may open embassies with other regions as appropriate.
IV. Secretary of Foreign Affairs may appoint ambassadors to other regions Lasagna has relationships with.
Section 4. Secretary of Home Affairs
I. Secretary of Home Affairs shall oversee verifying residents wishing to become citizens.
II. Secretary of Home Affairs will serve as a regional officer with access to communication and poll powers.
III. Secretary of Home Affairs may suppress spam posts, recruitment posts, and obscene/offensive posts.
Article Three: Parliament
Section 1. The legislative body of Lasagna shall be the Parliament
I. Parliament shall be made up of members from the various political parties of Lasagna.
II. Every four months Parliament will have a census where citizens of Lasagna will choose which party they belong to, which will determine Parliament seats count for the next four months even if people change parties after the census.
III. Each party will get one seat for every 10% the party holds out of the total number of citizens registered in a party. The party president will determine who in their party gets those seats. 3.5% and higher will round up to the nearest whole seat (3.5%=10%, 13.5%=20%, etc).
IV. Each active party will get at least one seat in Parliament.
V. The largest party will get to assign a Speaker to represent them, Speaker will serve as a regional officer of Lasagna with poll powers.
VI. The second largest party will get to assign a Leader of Opposition to represent them, Leader of Opposition will serve as a regional officer of Lasagna with poll powers.
VII. All parliament members will vote on a Prime Minister to oversee parliament after every Parliament census, Prime Minister will serve as a regional officer of Lasagna with communication and poll powers.
Section 2. Prime Minister
I. Prime Minister will be the figurehead of Parliament.
II. Prime Minister will ensure parliament votes are held in a timely manner.
III. Prime Minister will determine the manner in which parliament votes are held, be it regional poll, forum poll, or written agreement.
IV. Prime Minister may assign the Speaker or Leader of Opposition to host particular parliament votes via regional poll, forum poll, or written agreement.
V. Prime Minister has the right to appoint a Minister of Justice.
VI. Prime Minister has the right to appoint a Minister of Labor.
Section 3. Minister of Justice
I. Minister of Justice shall oversee the Judiciary branch and help interpret the Constitution.
II. Minister of Justice will serve as a regional officer of Lasagna with access to border control and poll powers.
III. Minister of Justice shall act as Judge in any criminal trials or may appoint a Judge.
Section 4. Minister of Labor
I. Minister of Labor shall work towards increasing employment among active citizens.
II. Minister of Labor will serve as a regional officer of Lasagna with access to appearance and poll powers.
III. Minister of Labor shall work with other departments to help meet their recruitment needs and raise awareness of open positions.
Section 5. Parliament shall have the power to by a majority vote;
I. Enact laws and policies for the Region, which shall retain the highest authority next to the Constitution covering any subject matter not outlined in the constitution. Any law or policy with support of at least two members of parliament shall be put to vote in a timely manner.
II. Prior to any election the existing Parliament will choose an election commissioner to oversee the election, the election commissioner may not run or vote in the election.
III. Decide the guilt or innocence of any nation accused of behavior harmful to the region of Lasagna by acting as the jury during the trial.
IV. Eject and/or Ban Nations from the Region.
V. Create and dissolve alliances and/or associations with other regions.
VI. Create and dissolve additional government related organizations or agencies.
VII. Approve the construction and/or revocation of embassies.
VIII. Add or remove a regional tag.
IX. Declare a political party inactive and/or formally dissolve an inactive party, unless a member of the party declares it to still be active.
X. Appoint members of Parliament to ministry positions to fill any additional roles as needed.
XI. May declare a mistrial by 75% or greater majority vote of any trial in the event parliament believes the Judge was biased, the punishment was too harsh, new evidence has come to light, or other extenuating circumstances.
Section 6. Vote of no confidence procedures
I. Any member of Parliament, the Head of Defense, any appointed Ministers, or other government positions can be removed from office by a 65% majority vote by Parliament.
II. To remove the President from office it requires a 65% majority vote by Parliament, followed by a majority regional vote of Lasagna's citizens.
Article Four: Additional Agencies
Section 1. Founder of Lasagna
I. The Founder shall have access to all regional powers.
II. The Founder shall always act in the best interest of Lasagna and may create a regional platform to influence the region’s direction.
III. The Founder can hold votes to enact laws or policies, open to Parliament or all citizens of Lasagna.
IV. The Founder may veto a law or policy passed by Parliament if it was passed with less than 75% approval.
V. The Founder may open new embassies as they see fit.
VI. The Founder may suppress spam posts, recruitment posts, and obscene/offensive posts.
VII. The Founder has the right to eject non-citizen nations.
VIII. The Founder has the right to override the Minister of Justice and declare themselves the Judge of any trial.
Section 2. Head of Defense
I. Head of Defense shall oversee regional security.
II. Head of Defense shall serve as a regional officer of Lasagna with border controls, communication, and poll powers.
III. Head of Defense may put up a regional password in the event the Founder ceases to exist.
IV. Head of Defense will be elected every 6 months by a Parliament vote and approval from the President or Founder.
V. Head of Defense may appoint a Head of Intelligence, and other related positions.
VI. Head of Defense may create documents to outline how the military, intel department, or related departments will operate. Unless already outline in a regional law or Parliament passed organization outline.
Section 3. Election Commissioner
I. The Election Commissioner will be a short term office held by an individual to help oversee elections within Lasagna.
II. The Election Commissioner will ensure elections are on schedule and held in a timely manner.
III. The Election Commissioner will determine the voting system used in the election, unless otherwise outline via regional law.
IV. In accordance with Article Three; Section 3. Prior to any election the existing Parliament will choose an Election Commissioner via majority vote to oversee the election, the election commissioner may not run or vote in the election.
Article Five: Judiciary
Section 1. Criminal acts in Lasagna shall include;
I. Making use of multiple nations to gain a political advantage.
II. Voting multiple times in any election or legislation vote.
III. Conspiring to or committing treason against Lasagna.
IV. Abuse of power, using one's position to manipulate, bribe, or force others to bend to your will.
V. Over throwing the legally elected government.
VI. Anything that is considered against the rules of NationStates itself.
VII. Any act that violates the Constitution, regional law, or regional policy.
Section 2. Judicial System Overview
I. As per Article I. Section 2. VIII.; Any citizen or resident accused of a crime has the right to a fair trial in a timely manner and may choose a lawyer to represent them or may represent themselves.
II. As per Article III. Section 3. III.; Minister of Justice shall act as Judge in any criminal trials or may appoint a Judge.
III. As per Article IV. Section 1. VIII.; The Founder has the right to override the Minister of Justice and declare themselves the Judge of any trial.
IV. As per Article III. Section 5. III.; By majority vote parliament shall decide the guilt or innocence of any nation accused of behavior harmful to the region of Lasagna by acting as the jury during the trial.
V. Any member of Parliament involved in the case as a Judge, witness, accuser, or accused shall not serve on the jury.
VI. As per Article III. Section 5. XI.; Parliament may declare a mistrial by 75% or greater majority vote of any trial in the event parliament believes the Judge was biased, the punishment was too harsh, new evidence has come to light, or other extenuating circumstances.
Section 3. Trials
I. Once an individual is a accused of committing a crime, it must be supported by one of the following to be brought to trial; the Founder, the President, the Prime Minister, or 3 members of Parliament.
II. Once accused and the accusation is supported, said individual will decide who shall represent them.
III. Minister of Justice shall decide who will serve as Judge during the trail, whether themselves or another. Unless otherwise overridden by the Founder.
IV. Trials shall take place in a timely manner in the location of the Judge's choosing, be it on the regional message board, forum, or elsewhere as long as it's accessible to all involved.
Section 4. Trial Format
I. Trials shall begin with opening statements by the prosecution, followed by opening statements by the defense.
II. After opening statements, evidence will be presented by both sides, each side will then be given a chance to dispute said evidence.
III. Each side will be given the chance to call witnesses, and each side will be given the chance to cross examine each witness.
IV. After the evidence is discussed and witnesses are heard, closing statements will be given by the prosecution, followed by the defense.
V. Once the trial procedures are completed the jury will have a private discussion to talk over the case and review evidence and testimonials. The jury must vote with a 75% majority the guilt or innocent of the accused individual.
VI. In the event the jury determines the accused is guilty, the Judge shall determine the punishment of the guilty.
Article Six: Ratification & Amendments
Section 1. The Revamped Amendment Proposal shall be proposed to the region on the Regional Message Board and forum, upon regional consensus the amendment is ready, it will be put to vote before the Parliament per existing government standards. The new Constitution shall take effect once passed by Parliament.
Section 2. Amendments to this Constitution may be proposed by a two-thirds vote of the Parliament or by a petition of at least six resident nations. Proposed amendments shall be posted on the Regional Message Board so all citizens in the region shall have 5 days to register their approval or disapproval of the Amendment. The Amendment shall take effect at the end of that 5 day period provided that it is approved by at least two-thirds of all citizens choosing to vote.
We the residents of Lasagna, to keep order and peace in this longstanding community, hereby establish this legislation as the supreme law of the region. It shall outlive the reign of all Delegates to come; let the Constitution of Lasagna be a permanent guide to all present and future residents. We the people of Lasagna, agree to the constitution and pledge to protect and follow it. We hereby adopt this constitution on the 13th of November 2019.
Constitution Revamped Amendment passed on: 27th of March 2020
Article One: Citizenship & Nation Rights
Section 1. Citizenship
I. Citizenship within Lasagna shall consist of all nations that reside within the region of Lasagna and have joined the official forum, or are a member of the World Assembly.
II. Only Citizens who join the official forum will be considered voting citizens, as most official votes shall take place on the forum.
Section 2. Rights of Lasagna's Citizens and Residents
I. Everyone is equal before the law. Discrimination on grounds of nationality, ethnic or social origin, religion, race, sexual orientation, political or personal beliefs shall be prohibited.
II. Every citizen and resident has the right to free speech and peaceful assembly.
III. Every citizen shall have the right to vote and participate in the democratic life of the Region.
IV. Every citizen has the right to join or establish a political party within Lasagna.
V. Every citizen in a political party has the right to stand as a candidate at elections to the regional government and parliament
VI. Every citizen and resident has the right to the protection of personal data concerning them.
VII. Every citizen and resident has the right to have his or her affairs handled impartially, fairly and within a reasonable time by the institutions, bodies, offices and agencies of the Region.
VIII. Any citizen or resident accused of a crime has the right to a fair trial in a timely manner and may choose a lawyer to represent them or may represent themselves.
IX. Any Citizen not deemed a security threat has the right to participate in military or intelligence organizations within the region regardless of which political party they might be apart of.
X. World Assembly citizens are not required to endorse anyone.
Article Two: The President & their Cabinet
Section 1. President’s Role & Election
I. The President will serve as World Assembly Delegate of Lasagna.
II. The President shall act as executive office and sovereign overseer of the region.
III. The President may not serve as a member of Parliament.
IV. President elections will occur once a year or as needed and be overseen by the election commissioner.
V. President elections will contain one week of nominations, one week of campaigning, and one week of voting. All citizens have the right to vote to determine the next President.
Section 2. President Powers
I. The President shall have access to all regional powers.
II. The President may veto a law, policy, or Parliament action passed by Parliament if it was passed with less than 75% approval.
III. The President may put up a regional password in the event the Founder ceases to exist.
IV. The President may open new embassies as they see fit.
V. The President may suppress spam posts, recruitment posts, and obscene/offensive posts.
VI. The President has the right to eject non-citizen nations for spam posts, recruitment posts, obscene/offensive posts, or those found guilty of a crime.
VII. The President has the right to appoint a Secretary of Foreign Affairs.
VIII. The President has the right to appoint a Secretary of Home Affairs.
IX. The President has the right to appoint additional Secretary positions to fill any additional roles as needed, to serve as his cabinet.
X. The President has the right to approve and vote on World Assembly resolutions as they see fit.
Section 3. Secretary of Foreign Affairs
I. Secretary of Foreign Affairs shall negotiate treaties and alliances.
II. Secretary of Foreign Affairs will serve as a regional officer of Lasagna with access to embassies and poll powers.
III. Secretary of Foreign Affairs may open embassies with other regions as appropriate.
IV. Secretary of Foreign Affairs may appoint ambassadors to other regions Lasagna has relationships with.
Section 4. Secretary of Home Affairs
I. Secretary of Home Affairs shall oversee verifying residents wishing to become citizens.
II. Secretary of Home Affairs will serve as a regional officer with access to communication and poll powers.
III. Secretary of Home Affairs may suppress spam posts, recruitment posts, and obscene/offensive posts.
Article Three: Parliament
Section 1. The legislative body of Lasagna shall be the Parliament
I. Parliament shall be made up of members from the various political parties of Lasagna.
II. Every four months Parliament will have a census where citizens of Lasagna will choose which party they belong to, which will determine Parliament seats count for the next four months even if people change parties after the census.
III. Each party will get one seat for every 10% the party holds out of the total number of citizens registered in a party. The party president will determine who in their party gets those seats. 3.5% and higher will round up to the nearest whole seat (3.5%=10%, 13.5%=20%, etc).
IV. Each active party will get at least one seat in Parliament.
V. The largest party will get to assign a Speaker to represent them, Speaker will serve as a regional officer of Lasagna with poll powers.
VI. The second largest party will get to assign a Leader of Opposition to represent them, Leader of Opposition will serve as a regional officer of Lasagna with poll powers.
VII. All parliament members will vote on a Prime Minister to oversee parliament after every Parliament census, Prime Minister will serve as a regional officer of Lasagna with communication and poll powers.
Section 2. Prime Minister
I. Prime Minister will be the figurehead of Parliament.
II. Prime Minister will ensure parliament votes are held in a timely manner.
III. Prime Minister will determine the manner in which parliament votes are held, be it regional poll, forum poll, or written agreement.
IV. Prime Minister may assign the Speaker or Leader of Opposition to host particular parliament votes via regional poll, forum poll, or written agreement.
V. Prime Minister has the right to appoint a Minister of Justice.
VI. Prime Minister has the right to appoint a Minister of Labor.
Section 3. Minister of Justice
I. Minister of Justice shall oversee the Judiciary branch and help interpret the Constitution.
II. Minister of Justice will serve as a regional officer of Lasagna with access to border control and poll powers.
III. Minister of Justice shall act as Judge in any criminal trials or may appoint a Judge.
Section 4. Minister of Labor
I. Minister of Labor shall work towards increasing employment among active citizens.
II. Minister of Labor will serve as a regional officer of Lasagna with access to appearance and poll powers.
III. Minister of Labor shall work with other departments to help meet their recruitment needs and raise awareness of open positions.
Section 5. Parliament shall have the power to by a majority vote;
I. Enact laws and policies for the Region, which shall retain the highest authority next to the Constitution covering any subject matter not outlined in the constitution. Any law or policy with support of at least two members of parliament shall be put to vote in a timely manner.
II. Prior to any election the existing Parliament will choose an election commissioner to oversee the election, the election commissioner may not run or vote in the election.
III. Decide the guilt or innocence of any nation accused of behavior harmful to the region of Lasagna by acting as the jury during the trial.
IV. Eject and/or Ban Nations from the Region.
V. Create and dissolve alliances and/or associations with other regions.
VI. Create and dissolve additional government related organizations or agencies.
VII. Approve the construction and/or revocation of embassies.
VIII. Add or remove a regional tag.
IX. Declare a political party inactive and/or formally dissolve an inactive party, unless a member of the party declares it to still be active.
X. Appoint members of Parliament to ministry positions to fill any additional roles as needed.
XI. May declare a mistrial by 75% or greater majority vote of any trial in the event parliament believes the Judge was biased, the punishment was too harsh, new evidence has come to light, or other extenuating circumstances.
Section 6. Vote of no confidence procedures
I. Any member of Parliament, the Head of Defense, any appointed Ministers, or other government positions can be removed from office by a 65% majority vote by Parliament.
II. To remove the President from office it requires a 65% majority vote by Parliament, followed by a majority regional vote of Lasagna's citizens.
Article Four: Additional Agencies
Section 1. Founder of Lasagna
I. The Founder shall have access to all regional powers.
II. The Founder shall always act in the best interest of Lasagna and may create a regional platform to influence the region’s direction.
III. The Founder can hold votes to enact laws or policies, open to Parliament or all citizens of Lasagna.
IV. The Founder may veto a law or policy passed by Parliament if it was passed with less than 75% approval.
V. The Founder may open new embassies as they see fit.
VI. The Founder may suppress spam posts, recruitment posts, and obscene/offensive posts.
VII. The Founder has the right to eject non-citizen nations.
VIII. The Founder has the right to override the Minister of Justice and declare themselves the Judge of any trial.
Section 2. Head of Defense
I. Head of Defense shall oversee regional security.
II. Head of Defense shall serve as a regional officer of Lasagna with border controls, communication, and poll powers.
III. Head of Defense may put up a regional password in the event the Founder ceases to exist.
IV. Head of Defense will be elected every 6 months by a Parliament vote and approval from the President or Founder.
V. Head of Defense may appoint a Head of Intelligence, and other related positions.
VI. Head of Defense may create documents to outline how the military, intel department, or related departments will operate. Unless already outline in a regional law or Parliament passed organization outline.
Section 3. Election Commissioner
I. The Election Commissioner will be a short term office held by an individual to help oversee elections within Lasagna.
II. The Election Commissioner will ensure elections are on schedule and held in a timely manner.
III. The Election Commissioner will determine the voting system used in the election, unless otherwise outline via regional law.
IV. In accordance with Article Three; Section 3. Prior to any election the existing Parliament will choose an Election Commissioner via majority vote to oversee the election, the election commissioner may not run or vote in the election.
Article Five: Judiciary
Section 1. Criminal acts in Lasagna shall include;
I. Making use of multiple nations to gain a political advantage.
II. Voting multiple times in any election or legislation vote.
III. Conspiring to or committing treason against Lasagna.
IV. Abuse of power, using one's position to manipulate, bribe, or force others to bend to your will.
V. Over throwing the legally elected government.
VI. Anything that is considered against the rules of NationStates itself.
VII. Any act that violates the Constitution, regional law, or regional policy.
Section 2. Judicial System Overview
I. As per Article I. Section 2. VIII.; Any citizen or resident accused of a crime has the right to a fair trial in a timely manner and may choose a lawyer to represent them or may represent themselves.
II. As per Article III. Section 3. III.; Minister of Justice shall act as Judge in any criminal trials or may appoint a Judge.
III. As per Article IV. Section 1. VIII.; The Founder has the right to override the Minister of Justice and declare themselves the Judge of any trial.
IV. As per Article III. Section 5. III.; By majority vote parliament shall decide the guilt or innocence of any nation accused of behavior harmful to the region of Lasagna by acting as the jury during the trial.
V. Any member of Parliament involved in the case as a Judge, witness, accuser, or accused shall not serve on the jury.
VI. As per Article III. Section 5. XI.; Parliament may declare a mistrial by 75% or greater majority vote of any trial in the event parliament believes the Judge was biased, the punishment was too harsh, new evidence has come to light, or other extenuating circumstances.
Section 3. Trials
I. Once an individual is a accused of committing a crime, it must be supported by one of the following to be brought to trial; the Founder, the President, the Prime Minister, or 3 members of Parliament.
II. Once accused and the accusation is supported, said individual will decide who shall represent them.
III. Minister of Justice shall decide who will serve as Judge during the trail, whether themselves or another. Unless otherwise overridden by the Founder.
IV. Trials shall take place in a timely manner in the location of the Judge's choosing, be it on the regional message board, forum, or elsewhere as long as it's accessible to all involved.
Section 4. Trial Format
I. Trials shall begin with opening statements by the prosecution, followed by opening statements by the defense.
II. After opening statements, evidence will be presented by both sides, each side will then be given a chance to dispute said evidence.
III. Each side will be given the chance to call witnesses, and each side will be given the chance to cross examine each witness.
IV. After the evidence is discussed and witnesses are heard, closing statements will be given by the prosecution, followed by the defense.
V. Once the trial procedures are completed the jury will have a private discussion to talk over the case and review evidence and testimonials. The jury must vote with a 75% majority the guilt or innocent of the accused individual.
VI. In the event the jury determines the accused is guilty, the Judge shall determine the punishment of the guilty.
Article Six: Ratification & Amendments
Section 1. The Revamped Amendment Proposal shall be proposed to the region on the Regional Message Board and forum, upon regional consensus the amendment is ready, it will be put to vote before the Parliament per existing government standards. The new Constitution shall take effect once passed by Parliament.
Section 2. Amendments to this Constitution may be proposed by a two-thirds vote of the Parliament or by a petition of at least six resident nations. Proposed amendments shall be posted on the Regional Message Board so all citizens in the region shall have 5 days to register their approval or disapproval of the Amendment. The Amendment shall take effect at the end of that 5 day period provided that it is approved by at least two-thirds of all citizens choosing to vote.