Nellisland
20-06-2004, 03:48
Preamble: We the people of the United States of Nellisland, in order to protect the rights, freedoms, and liberties we hold dear, hereby ordain and establish this The Sacred Articles of the United States of Nellisland.
Article I:
Section 1: Executive power shall be vested in a Prime Minister, who shall, upon the death, resignation or removal from office of the founder of Nellisland, be elected every four years and shall serve no more than two terms of office, consecutively or otherwise.
Section 2: One Grand Minister shall assist the Prime Minister in the governing of the country. The Grand Minister shall serve as acting Prime Minister in the event of the death, removal from office, resignation, or temporary inability of the Prime Minister to perform his or her duties.
Section 3: The daily functions of the country shall be supervised by a Grand Cabinet, which reports directly to the President. Each position on the Cabinet shall be led by the Grand Minister.
Section 4: The President shall be commander-in-chief of all Nellislandian armed forces.
Article II:
Section 1: Legislative power shall be vested in a Parliament, which shall be comprised of two chambers and one leader.
Section 2: The leader of both houses is appointed by the Prime Minister. He or she will be known as Prime Delegate. The Prime Delegate has the power to veto any resolution that is passed. The Prime Delegate can only use the veto power ten times a year.
Section 3: Each chamber has twenty-five delegates which are elected every four years along with the President. Each state elects one delegate to each the chamber. The chambers work on ways to improve Nellisland separately, but join together once a month to bring resolutions to vote. The Prime Minister or the Prime Delegate can call an emergency meeting at any time.
Section 4: The delegates can serve as many terms as they are elected, but the Prime Delegate can only serve under two different Prime Ministers.
Section 5: For any declarations of war, the Prime Minister must officially ask Parliament for a declaration of war and Parliament must approve by simple majority. War can be declared on a nation, a region, or a specific group. i.e. terrorism, communism, etc.
Article III:
Section 1: Judicial power shall be vested in a Supreme Judicial Court, with six Associate Justices and one Chief Justice, all appointed for life by the Prime Minister and confirmed by the Prime Delegate. The Chief Justice may not vote in any decision unless the Associate Justices have reached a tie vote.
Section 2: Up to four Alternate Justices shall be appointed via the same process used to appoint Associate Justices and the Chief Justice to serve in the event that up to two Justices must recuse themselves from a case.
Article IV:
Section 1: In the event of the death, removal from office, resignation, or temporary inability of the Prime Minister to perform the duties incumbent upon him, the Grand Minister shall assume the title of Acting Prime Minister for the length of the temporary inability or for the remainder of the term. In the event of the inability of the Grand Minister to assume the title of Prime Minister, the Grand Delegate shall assume the title of Acting Prime Minister.
Section 2: The remaining line of succession for the title of Prime Minister is decided by the Prime Minister as soon he or she is elected. The people who can secede the Prime Minister are members of his cabinet or of the Parliament.
Article V:
Section 1: Nellisland shall be divided into 24 States, with a National Capital that is a separate jurisdiction from any State.
Section 2: The Capital shall receive representation in Parliament as if it were a State.
Article VI:
Section 1: Parliament shall make no law respecting an establishment of or furthering of any particular national religion nor prohibiting the free exercise thereof. Parliament also is expressly prohibited from denying or abridging the freedoms of speech and of the press or the ability of the people to assemble peacefully for a redress of grievances against the government.
Article VII:
Section 1: The right of the people to be secure in their persons, their papers, and their effects from unreasonable searches and seizures shall not be infringed.
Section 2: This article grants the people a right to privacy that may not be infringed without a properly-served warrant for arrest or without a preponderance of evidence to suggest that the person has committed a capital or otherwise infamous crime.
Article VIII:
Section 1: No person shall be held to answer for a capital or otherwise infamous crime unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury unless in cases arising in the military forces when in service during a time of war. No person shall be subject for the same offense to be put in jeopardy of life or limb nor be compelled in a criminal case to be a witness against himself. No person shall be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law. No private land shall be taken for public use without due compensation.
Article IX:
Section 1: All persons born or naturalized in Nellisland and subject to the jurisdiction thereof are citizens of the Nellisland and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law to abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of Nellisland. In addition, no State shall deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
Article X:
Section 1: Full faith and credit shall be given in each State to the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of every other State. And the Parliament may by general laws prescribe the manner in which such acts, records and proceedings shall be proven, and the effect thereof.
Section 2: A person charged in any state with treason, felony, or other crime, which shall flee from justice, and be found in another state, shall be extradited to the original state upon request of the executive authority of the original state.
Article XI:
Section 1: The right of citizens 16 years of age or older to vote in national and local elections in Nellisland shall not be infringed.
Section 2: Anyone who was not born in Nellisland can vote if they have lived in Nellisland for four year, have held a job for at least a year, and has passed a standard citizenship test.
Article XII:
Section 1: No law varying the compensation of any member of an elected government body shall take effect until an election of the members of the elected government body shall have intervened.
Article XIII:
Section 1: Discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, gender of birth or of reassignment, creed, national origin, sexual orientation, physical disability, or other protected class is expressly prohibited.
Section 2: Parliament shall have the authority to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
Article XIV:
Section 1: The laws of the United States of Nellisland shall be considered the supreme laws of the land. Any state or local laws that contradict those of the national government shall be considered null and void.
Section 2: Parliament shall have the authority to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
Article XV:
Section 1: No person shall be eligible to hold elected local, state or national office in Nellisland who has supported insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. [No such person shall be eligible to hold voting rights in such elections.] But Parliament may by a vote of two-thirds of each House restore the eligibility to do so.
Section 2: The validity of the public debt of Nellisland, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned. But neither Nellisland nor any state shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against Nellisland, but all such debts, obligations and claims shall be held illegal and void.
Section 3: The first Section of this Article is not applicable to any citizens of any State who shall have supported Nellisland in insurrection or rebellion against the same. It is also not applicable to any citizens who have not reached sixteen years of age by the conclusion of insurrection or rebellion.
Article XVI:
Section 1: No state may keep troops, ships of war, or other implements of war. No state may enter into any alliance or confederation nor sign or ratify any treaties, draft currency, pass any bill of attainder, ex post facto law, or law impairing the obligation of contracts, or grant any title of nobility.
Section 2: Parliament may not grant any title of nobility and no citizen may accept such title from a foreign government or jurisdiction therein without the consent of Parliament and the Prime Minister
(OOC: I am looking for some feedback! Anything to add, change, or take away!)
Article I:
Section 1: Executive power shall be vested in a Prime Minister, who shall, upon the death, resignation or removal from office of the founder of Nellisland, be elected every four years and shall serve no more than two terms of office, consecutively or otherwise.
Section 2: One Grand Minister shall assist the Prime Minister in the governing of the country. The Grand Minister shall serve as acting Prime Minister in the event of the death, removal from office, resignation, or temporary inability of the Prime Minister to perform his or her duties.
Section 3: The daily functions of the country shall be supervised by a Grand Cabinet, which reports directly to the President. Each position on the Cabinet shall be led by the Grand Minister.
Section 4: The President shall be commander-in-chief of all Nellislandian armed forces.
Article II:
Section 1: Legislative power shall be vested in a Parliament, which shall be comprised of two chambers and one leader.
Section 2: The leader of both houses is appointed by the Prime Minister. He or she will be known as Prime Delegate. The Prime Delegate has the power to veto any resolution that is passed. The Prime Delegate can only use the veto power ten times a year.
Section 3: Each chamber has twenty-five delegates which are elected every four years along with the President. Each state elects one delegate to each the chamber. The chambers work on ways to improve Nellisland separately, but join together once a month to bring resolutions to vote. The Prime Minister or the Prime Delegate can call an emergency meeting at any time.
Section 4: The delegates can serve as many terms as they are elected, but the Prime Delegate can only serve under two different Prime Ministers.
Section 5: For any declarations of war, the Prime Minister must officially ask Parliament for a declaration of war and Parliament must approve by simple majority. War can be declared on a nation, a region, or a specific group. i.e. terrorism, communism, etc.
Article III:
Section 1: Judicial power shall be vested in a Supreme Judicial Court, with six Associate Justices and one Chief Justice, all appointed for life by the Prime Minister and confirmed by the Prime Delegate. The Chief Justice may not vote in any decision unless the Associate Justices have reached a tie vote.
Section 2: Up to four Alternate Justices shall be appointed via the same process used to appoint Associate Justices and the Chief Justice to serve in the event that up to two Justices must recuse themselves from a case.
Article IV:
Section 1: In the event of the death, removal from office, resignation, or temporary inability of the Prime Minister to perform the duties incumbent upon him, the Grand Minister shall assume the title of Acting Prime Minister for the length of the temporary inability or for the remainder of the term. In the event of the inability of the Grand Minister to assume the title of Prime Minister, the Grand Delegate shall assume the title of Acting Prime Minister.
Section 2: The remaining line of succession for the title of Prime Minister is decided by the Prime Minister as soon he or she is elected. The people who can secede the Prime Minister are members of his cabinet or of the Parliament.
Article V:
Section 1: Nellisland shall be divided into 24 States, with a National Capital that is a separate jurisdiction from any State.
Section 2: The Capital shall receive representation in Parliament as if it were a State.
Article VI:
Section 1: Parliament shall make no law respecting an establishment of or furthering of any particular national religion nor prohibiting the free exercise thereof. Parliament also is expressly prohibited from denying or abridging the freedoms of speech and of the press or the ability of the people to assemble peacefully for a redress of grievances against the government.
Article VII:
Section 1: The right of the people to be secure in their persons, their papers, and their effects from unreasonable searches and seizures shall not be infringed.
Section 2: This article grants the people a right to privacy that may not be infringed without a properly-served warrant for arrest or without a preponderance of evidence to suggest that the person has committed a capital or otherwise infamous crime.
Article VIII:
Section 1: No person shall be held to answer for a capital or otherwise infamous crime unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury unless in cases arising in the military forces when in service during a time of war. No person shall be subject for the same offense to be put in jeopardy of life or limb nor be compelled in a criminal case to be a witness against himself. No person shall be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law. No private land shall be taken for public use without due compensation.
Article IX:
Section 1: All persons born or naturalized in Nellisland and subject to the jurisdiction thereof are citizens of the Nellisland and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law to abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of Nellisland. In addition, no State shall deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
Article X:
Section 1: Full faith and credit shall be given in each State to the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of every other State. And the Parliament may by general laws prescribe the manner in which such acts, records and proceedings shall be proven, and the effect thereof.
Section 2: A person charged in any state with treason, felony, or other crime, which shall flee from justice, and be found in another state, shall be extradited to the original state upon request of the executive authority of the original state.
Article XI:
Section 1: The right of citizens 16 years of age or older to vote in national and local elections in Nellisland shall not be infringed.
Section 2: Anyone who was not born in Nellisland can vote if they have lived in Nellisland for four year, have held a job for at least a year, and has passed a standard citizenship test.
Article XII:
Section 1: No law varying the compensation of any member of an elected government body shall take effect until an election of the members of the elected government body shall have intervened.
Article XIII:
Section 1: Discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, gender of birth or of reassignment, creed, national origin, sexual orientation, physical disability, or other protected class is expressly prohibited.
Section 2: Parliament shall have the authority to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
Article XIV:
Section 1: The laws of the United States of Nellisland shall be considered the supreme laws of the land. Any state or local laws that contradict those of the national government shall be considered null and void.
Section 2: Parliament shall have the authority to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
Article XV:
Section 1: No person shall be eligible to hold elected local, state or national office in Nellisland who has supported insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. [No such person shall be eligible to hold voting rights in such elections.] But Parliament may by a vote of two-thirds of each House restore the eligibility to do so.
Section 2: The validity of the public debt of Nellisland, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned. But neither Nellisland nor any state shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against Nellisland, but all such debts, obligations and claims shall be held illegal and void.
Section 3: The first Section of this Article is not applicable to any citizens of any State who shall have supported Nellisland in insurrection or rebellion against the same. It is also not applicable to any citizens who have not reached sixteen years of age by the conclusion of insurrection or rebellion.
Article XVI:
Section 1: No state may keep troops, ships of war, or other implements of war. No state may enter into any alliance or confederation nor sign or ratify any treaties, draft currency, pass any bill of attainder, ex post facto law, or law impairing the obligation of contracts, or grant any title of nobility.
Section 2: Parliament may not grant any title of nobility and no citizen may accept such title from a foreign government or jurisdiction therein without the consent of Parliament and the Prime Minister
(OOC: I am looking for some feedback! Anything to add, change, or take away!)