Annotation
Original title: Why Repeal?
Date: May 6, 2011.
Comments: Originally by Mousebumples; reproduced with author's permission.
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What does it mean to repeal a resolution?
I'm guessing this one's a given, but for the sake of completeness, this seems like the best place to start. A repeal completely removes a piece of legislation from the WA books. When a repeal passes, your WA nation will get a telegram that says something to the effect of, "The World Assembly wishes to notify you that due to the passage of a resolution to repeal RESOLUTION X, your nation is no longer obligated to comply with its provisions."
From a practical standpoint, the resolution is still listed among the passed WA resolutions, but it is
After a resolution has been repealed, it can then be replaced with another resolution (hopefully one's that's more well written) on the same subject.
What is an "Insta-Repeal"?
And Insta-Repeal is a repeal that is drafted (and, often, passed) shortly after the original resolution passes. It usually arises when the repeal author feels that there are major flaws in the resolution that are not being realized by voters. They try to get the original resolution removed from the books as quickly as possible - and the Insta Repeal is really the way to do that. As an example, "In Regards to Cloning" was passed on 3/20/11 and repealed on 3/30/11.
However, if you're looking to author an Insta-Repeal ... You're more than likely to get at least some opposition from voters who are annoyed about voting on the same subject so close together. (This is especially probably if the queue is empty and the original resolution and it's repeal are voted upon back-to-back.) Further, if you're looking to submit a replacement right after an insta-repeal effort ... Such frustration with frequent voting on the same subject matter is even more common.
Of course, that's not to say that it can't or shouldn't be done. However, depending on what the resolution is (and on how strong your case is for repeal), it's something that authors and advocates of a given insta-repeal should take into consideration.
Why repeal?
The most commonly heard argument against repeal is that any problems in the original should just be fixed by "amending" the original resolution. While that would be my preferred option for many resolutions (especially since it's not a given that any replacement will ever pass), it's not legal.
Per the Rules for GA Proposals:
(If you want to know the details as to WHY amendments are illegal, please see here. Further details can be found below.)
So, basically, if you have a problem with an existing resolution, you need to repeal it. Problems with resolutions can range from "too vaguely worded and thereby ineffective" to "too overreaching and micromanagement" to "I could write a better proposal on this subject." And, of course, there's plenty of other possible reasons as well. To be honest, the reasoning doesn't really matter - but you need to have valid arguments for repeal if you're going to be submitting a repeal to the WA.
What rules apply only to repeals?
First: Make sure you use the repeal function (it's a link at the bottom of every passed WA resolution) to submit your repeal. Otherwise, your repeal attempt will be yanked for a category violation.
Second: Repeals cannot legislate. The only thing a repeal can do is repeal, and trying to introduce new legislation (or preserve portions of the resolution you're trying to repeal) is a big no-no.
Third: Rule Violations are not valid grounds for repeal. The WA mods are pretty smart and usually vet proposals for legality before they come to vote. However, if a proposal with a rule-breaking clause or three does make it's way to vote, it cannot be repealed on those grounds. By virtue of being WA law (should such a proposal pass), it is presumed to be legal. Other arguments need to be found to get it repealed. For an example of such a horror, please see UN#223: Max Barry Day.
Fourth: National Sovereignty arguments are not sufficient grounds for repeal. There's some dispute over whether or not NatSov arguments can be included within a bigger list of reasons for repeal, but your arguments are generally stronger if you steer away from these sorts of arguments. Many NatSov-based arguments can be changed to valid arguments with some innovative word play.
Do repeals need to be replaced?
HELL NO!
Of course, if you ask some GA regulars, they'll insist that almost every repealed resolution needs a replacement. (After all, God forbid we actual govern our own nations without the oversight of the WA, right?) And you are certainly more than welcome to write a replacement for the repealed resolution yourself, should that be something you're interested in. However, you are by no means required to author a replacement, if you don't wish to do so.
Can I just make some edits to the repealed resolution and resubmit?
Unless you are the original author (or get permission from the original author), you cannot. That would be considered "plagiarism," which is a WA-ejection level offense.
However, you can certainly reword the original resolution (so it's not plagiarism) and use the same basic points in your replacement.
Any other questions?
I think I've covered most of the basics, but I'm open to further questions, if anyone has anything else they'd like to know.