FORMAL DISCUSSION

[Grosseschnauzer]

This thread formally opens at 0000 GMT 5 November 2007:

The latest version of this proposal is placed before the Regional Assembly for a formal discussion period of one week. Thereafter it will move to a vote.

Constitution of The North Pacific.
Article I
Legislative Authority

S1
All legislative powers shall be vested in a Regional Assembly of The North Pacific.

S2
The Regional Assembly shall be composed of Citizens of The North Pacific who choose to participate.

S3
The regional Assembly shall have the power to choose their Speaker and other Officers; and shall have the sole power of Impeachment. The Chief Justice of The Court of The North Pacific shall preside. Conviction shall only occur upon 2/3rds of the votes of the Regional Assembly.Judgment in Cases of Impeachment shall not extend further than to removal from Office, and disqualificationto hold and enjoy any Office of honor, but the Party convicted shall nevertheless be liable and subject to Indictment, Trial, Judgment and Punishment, according to Law.

S3 New Members of the Regional Assembly, who are Citizens of The North Pacific, shall be granted membership to the Regional Assembly by simple majority of participating members.

S4
The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Delegate and Vice Delegate, shall be prescribed by the Regional Assembly.

S5
Each House shall be the Judge of the Elections, Returns and Qualifications in all elections.

S6
The Regional Assembly may determine the Rules of its Proceedings, punish its Members for disorderly Behavior, and, with the Concurrence of two thirds, expel a Member.

S7
No member of the Regional Assembly shall, during the time for which he was elected, be appointed to any civil Office under the authority of The North Pacific. no Person holding any Office as Judge or Minister under The North Pacific, shall be a Member of the Regional Assembly.

S8
The Regional Assembly shall have the power to:

To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization of new citizens,

To constitute Tribunals inferior to The Court of The North Pacific

To define and punish Piracies and Felonies and Offences against the Law of Nations,

To declare War,

To raise Military Forces, and to provide rules and regulation for the government thereof,

To provide for calling forth the military to execute the Laws of The North Pacific, suppress insurrections and repel
invasions;

To make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, and
all other powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of The North Pacific, or in any Ministry, Agency or Officer thereof.

S9
No Bill of Attainder or ex post facto Law shall be passed.

Every law, or resolution having the force of law, shall relate to but one subject, and that shall be expressed in the title.

S10
No Citizen or Nation shall enter into any Treaty, Alliance, or Confederation.

S11
The Regional Assembly shall have the right to override a Veto by the Regional Delegate by a 2/3rds majority vote of the participating members of the Regional Assembly.

*********************

Article II
Executive Authority

S1
The executive authority of The North Pacific shall be vested in the Regional Delegate. The Delegate shall hold office for a term of 3 months along with a Vice Delegate.

The Delegate and Vice Delegate shall be elected to office by a simple majority of participating members of The Regional Assembly and those citizens of The North Pacific who may choose not to be members of The Regional Assembly. In the event that no candidate receives more than ½ of the votes cast, a run-off election shall be held between the top two candidates. There shall be a ten day campaign period immediately followed by a 7 day voting period. Abstentions shall not be counted towards the total number of votes cast and shall be considered non-votes in the respective campaigns.

The Regional Assembly shall determine the dates of these elections.

No person except a legal citizen of The North Pacific at the time of the Ratification of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Offices Regional Delegate, Ministers of Government or be seated at the bench as a Judge in any Court or Tribunal.

In the event of the removal from office of the Regional Delegate by resignation or inability to discharge the powers and duties of the said Office, those powers and duties shall devolve upon the Vice Delegate, thence the Speaker of the Regional Assembly and thence the Regional Assembly member with the largest population.

Before he enter on the execution of the office of Regional Delegate, the Regional Delegate shall take the following Oath or Affirmation: ”I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of Regional Delegate of The North Pacific, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of The North Pacific, defend the region from all enemies both foreign and domestic and uphold the Legal Code of The North Pacific.”

The Regional Delegate, all members of the Regional Assembly, Judges, Ministers, Military and Intelligence members and Citizens shall make a similar oath to place in the “Oaths of Office” thread.

Members of North Pacific Intelligence Agency Or other Intelligence Agencies requiring secrecy are exempted from the publication of their respective oaths.

S2
The Regional Delegate shall be commander in chief of the armed forces and intelligence agencies of The North Pacific and shall have the authorities to grant pardons and reprieves except in cases of impeachment.

S3
The Regional Delegate shall have power, by and with the advice and consent of the Regional Assembly to make treaties provided that 2/3rds of the Regional Assembly concur.

The Delegate shall appoint all Ministers, Judges of The Court of The North Pacific, The Attorney General, Consuls,  create or abolish new Ministries as needed, and all other officers of the Government of The North Pacific whose appointments herein are not provided for and which shall be established by law. The Regional Assembly may vest by law the appointment of inferior offices as they think proper in the Regional Delegate, in Courts of Law  as they see fit.

The ministries of Defense, Justice, The Interior, The Exterior and Communications shall be known as Core Ministries; The Delegate is required to keep and maintain the functionality and existance of the Core Ministries.

Article III
Judicial Authority

S1
The judicial Power of The North Pacific shall be vested in The Court of The North Pacific, and in such inferior Courts as the Regional Assembly may from time to time ordain and establish. The Judges, both of The Court of The North Pacific and inferior Courts, shall hold their Offices during good Behavior.

S2
The judicial power shall extend to all cases, in law, torts and equity, arising under this Constitution or, the laws of The North Pacific, and Treaties made, or which shall be made, under their Authority; to all Cases affecting Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls; to all cases of military jurisdiction; to all controversies to which The North Pacific may be party; between nations of The North Pacific, citizens or otherwise; between individual citizens of The North Pacific or citizens or subjects of foreign nations or regions.

In all Cases affecting Ambassadors, The Court of The North Pacific shall have original jurisdiction.

All parties to all suits, criminal, civil or otherwise, have the right of appeal to The Regional Assembly.

The Trial of all Crimes, except in Cases of Impeachment, shall be by Jury.

S3
Treason against The North Pacific, shall consist only in levying war against them, or in adhering to their enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person or Nation shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court.

The Regional Assembly shall have power to declare the Punishment of Treason.


Article IV

The Regional Assembly, whenever two thirds of the Regional Assembly shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution, or call a Convention for proposing Amendments, which, in either Case, shall be valid to all intents and purposes, as Part of this Constitution, when ratified by, seventy five percent of The Regional Assembly shall become part of the Constitution.

Article V

The Members of The Regional Assembly, Ministers of Government, and all executive and judicial Officers, of the The North Pacific, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution shall be required for anyone seeking or obtaining an office or public trust under The North Pacific.

Article VI
The Ratification of this Constitution by 2/3rds of the participating members of the Regional Assembly shall be considered sufficient shall be considered sufficient for the establishment of this Constitution in The North Pacific.

There shall be seven days of debate and seven days for voting from the time of the introduction of this Constitution to the standing Regional Assembly.

All Officers, Agents, Agencies, Ministries, Officials Judicial or otherwise shall remain in office until such time as the election of a new Regional Delegate has been Accomplished.

Article VII.

The Declaration of Rights shall stand as an independent document acting as a guide and ruling authority over all laws and this Constitution and shall have the weight of law should this Constitution come in conflict with said Declaration.