Amendments to the Constitution of Acadia

Amendment I - (CA.004.2)

I. UNORGANIZED TERRITORIES

1. An Unorganized Territory shall be defined as a region of land:

   1. Not claimed by another organized political entity,

   2. Without a permanent population,

   3. Without any form of self government.

2. Unorganized Territories shall be ruled directly by the Senate of the Republic of Acadia.

3. Settlers within an Unorganized Territory may petition the National Assembly to become an Organized Territory.

II. ORGANIZED TERRITORIES

4. An Organized Territory shall be defined as a region of land:

   1. With a stable permanent population of at least 1 individual,

   2. With a governor appointed by the National Assembly Assembly of Acadia.

   3. With a claim of land which suits the resources needed by the developments and people of the territory.

5. Organized Territories shall be ruled by a governor appointed by the National Assembly, with approval by the Senate.

6. Should an Organized Territory reach a stable population of at least three individuals, they may petition the National Assembly to become a State, with approval by the Senate.

III. STATES

1. A state shall be defined as a region of land:

   1. With a stable population of at least three individuals,

   2. With a constitution directing democratic self governance,

   3. With a claim that suits the people and developments of the state,

   4. With one seat in the senate given as representation.

2. States shall have total self governance so long as it is in a democratic form.

IV. FINAL PROVISIONS

1. The National Assembly may demote a political entity to a lower status with a 2/3rds vote.

1. This must be followed by a senate confirmation vote.

2. States existing prior to the passage of this amendment will continue to be states.

Passed 11, May 2021 (7Y/0N/0A - 7 Votes Total)

Amendment II - (CA.004.2)

I. SENATE VOTING PROVISIONS

1. Should necessity dictate a Minister fill the position of Minister of two or more ministries, that Minister may still only be granted one vote within the Senate.

2. Senators may not vote within the National Assembly, excepting the Prime Minister in the event of a tie.

Passed 11, May 2021 (7Y/0N/0A - 7 Votes Total)

Amendment III - (CA.005.2)

I. ESTABLISHMENT OF A QUORUM

1. All proposed bills will require a number of votes equal to 15% of the citizenry of Acadia.

a. At the time of ratification, this amounts to 3 votes.

2. Should a bill not reach the quorum, it shall be sent back to the National Assembly for further discussion and revision before it may be proposed again.

Passed 16, June 2021 (5Y/0N/0A - 5 Votes Total)

Amendment IV - (CA.006.4)

I. IMPEACHMENT OF AN OFFICIAL

1. An official may be impeached as a result of any of the following actions:

a. Corruption - An official has knowingly abused their position in office to gain undue wealth or power.

b. Treason - An official has sought to upend the balance of power within Acadia, with the goal of leading the nation into turmoil.

c. Unlawful Pearling - An official, or someone on orders of an official, has illegally ordered the pearling of an individual without just cause or fair process.

d. Unlawful Decrees - An official, without consent of the Senate, has abused their power to make Decrees illegally.

2. An impeachment may only occur if one or more of the above terms can be expressly proven.

3. An official may defend themselves in court during the impeachment process.

4. An official may be impeached with a 2/3rds majority in the National Assembly.

a. After the impeachment vote, the impeachment may be challenged in a court of law.

b. Should the impeachment be overturned, the official may resume their post.

c. Should the impeachment be carried through, the official must resign their post and all powers carried with it.

Passed 16, June 2021 (5Y/2N/0A - 7 Votes Total)

Amendment V - (CA.007.1)

I. PRIME MINISTER VOTING POWERS

1. The Prime Minister shall hold the power to vote on any matter within the Senate of Acadia.

2. All instances of the Prime Minister voting prior to the ratification of this amendment will be rendered valid.

Passed 18, June 2021 (11Y/4N/1A - 16 Votes Total)

Amendment VI - (CA.008.1)

I. CREATION OF THE OFFICE OF CHIEF JUSTICE

Passage of this act shall create the office of Chief Justice as defined in the constitution. The assembly may call a vote to choose the initial chief justice immediately or leave the office vacant until the August, 2021 monthly elections.

A. The Chief justice shall be granted observer status for all deliberations of the Senate and Assembly and shall answer questions of law and settle matters related to the constitution that arise.

B. In the event of a case where both the Chief Justice and Prime Minister have a conflict of interest the assembly may do one of the following:

1. Elect an acting Justice to preside over the individual trial being considered. Their role would expire when sentencing is complete.

2. Vote to allow another nation with a justice system considered fair by Acadia to try the defendant and abide by it’s ruling.

II. JURY TRIALS

It is recognized that while a jury of most of the citizenry is in line with democratic values it is not ideal as it often conflicts with the accused’s right to a speedy trial. For this reason as well as to better ensure impartial justice the following shall be adopted:

A. On the submission of charges a jury of 3 citizens shall be selected at random from those who are available to serve. That jury shall take on all duties and responsibilities in finding guilt or innocence on behalf of the Assembly.

B. Prior to opening statements, any member of the assembly may object to a juror for reasons of conflict of interest or demonstrated bias. If such an objection is raised the juror may withdraw or a vote will be held in the Assembly to affirm or reject the objection. If affirmed, the juror shall be removed and replaced with a new randomly selected juror

C. If for any reason three jurors can not be selected the assembly as a whole shall try the case.

D. A ⅔ vote of the jury is required to convict a defendant and a vote on guilt or innocence may last no more than 24 hours. Should fewer than two jury votes be cast in that time a mistrial shall be declared and the prosecution may re-submit the case if they choose.

E. Sentencing deliberations shall not last more than 24 hours. Should the jury fail to agree on a sentence in the allotted time the Chief Justice may sentence the defendant unilaterally based on the Acadian criminal statue recommendations.

F. The Chief Justice may dismiss a juror at any time if they find that the juror has a bias that will impact their ability to serve or the juror fails to comply with court processes, procedures or decorum.

III. Legal Counsel

A. All defendants shall have the right to counsel. Should the defendant be unable to provide their own counsel the Chief Justice shall appoint counsel for them. Any citizen who has acted as a prosecutor or defense attorney and is a citizen of Acadia may be subject to appointment and shall be required to serve or provide a valid excuse as to why they are unable.

B. When criminal charges are brought the Chief Justice shall appoint a Prosecutor to make the state’s case.

C. The Chief Justice may dismiss counsel for either side if that counselor fails to perform their duties, show proper decorum in the court, and follow the processes required by the court. Should a defense attorney be dismissed the defendant may name a new attorney or have a new one appointed for them

Passed 23, July 2021 (14Y/0N/0A - 14 Votes Total)

Amendment VII - (CA.009.4)

I. CREATION OF THE HIGH COMMISSAR OF THE ASSEMBLY

1. The Position of High Commissar of the Assembly shall be created after the passage of this document.

2. The High Commissar of the Assembly shall be elected on the Saturday immediately following the passage of this document.

3. The High Commissar shall be elected on a six-month term, and be subject to monthly votes of confidence on the third Saturday of every month.

a. Should a High Commissar fail a no-confidence vote, they shall be barred from running for reelection.

b. A High Commissar shall be elected with a simple majority, followed by a confirmation vote in the senate OR over a 2/3rds majority.

II. POWERS OF THE HIGH COMMISSAR

1. The High Commissar shall be responsible for owning and maintaining all Federal Namelayer groups for the Republic of Acadia.

a. The High Commissar shall be the sole individual with the “owner” rank.

b. The High Commissar shall grant the Prime Minister “admin” permissions, along with any individual the Prime Minister requests.

2. The High Commissar shall be responsible for managing the affairs of the Assembly.

a. This includes but is not limited to:

(1) Moderation of the debate floor

(2) Initiating, calling, and tallying votes

(3) The maintenance and updating of the #laws-of-acadia channel.

(4) Initiating, calling, and tallying elections

3. The High Commissar may propose legislation with a cosponsor in the Assembly, but is prohibited from voting on Assembly matters.

4. The High Commissar may advise the Senate at the Senate’s request, but is prohibited from voting in Senate matters.

III. FINAL PROVISIONS

1. The High Commissar shall become the Head of State of Acadia

a. The Prime Minister shall become the Head of Government

2. The High Commissar may be removed from office with a simple majority vote in the Assembly at any point.

a. They may also be removed with a 2/3rds majority vote in the Senate.

3. The Prime Minister may appoint the High Commissar in the event the seat is vacant before the next confirmation vote on the third Saturday of every month.

Passed 22, June 2021 (10Y/1N/1A - 12 Votes Total)

Amendment IX - (CA.014.4)

I. REPEAL OF AMENDMENT VIII

1. Amendment 8 (CA.012.3) will be repealed

a. Excepting Chapter I, Section 1, Subsection a, point ii, and subsequent establishment of the Ministry of Defense.

2. . The Senate shall be composed only of all Ministers, including the Prime Minister.

Passed 28, October 2021 (11Y/1N/0A - 12 Votes Total)

Last Updated 2, November 2021