Amelia, Ch 249- Avalon Constitution
ARTICLE V. Protected Rights of Avalon Citizens
No government may pass laws prohibiting freedom of religion and speech. While Avalon will acknowledge theocracies and predominant religions and languages, no law shall be passed which favors practitioners of a specific faith over others or prevents people from expressing their beliefs and ideas.
Right to asylum. All citizens of Avalon may petition the Imperial government for protection from and redress against abuse by government. An imperial committee shall determine if there is merit to the claim. Filing frivolous claims can result in fines.
Freedom of transit and citizenship. No nation may close their borders to other nations. People may freely travel or immigrate between nations without harassment, except as may be necessary to prevent criminal activity such as smuggling or fleeing justice. Laws may not be passed which complicate change of residence between nations.
Right to property. No property may be confiscated by the state except as necessary to repay lawfully incurred debt or fines, or where the individual can be shown to be using the property in criminal acts.
Right to preferred lifestyle. No law shall be passed that favors a language, sexual orientation, custom or personal preference over any other.
Right to recognition. No law shall be passed that favors any physical or mental condition over another. All people that are found capable of safely functioning in society must be treated equally under the law. The legal definition of person shall include unnaturally created, modified, nonhuman or otherwise unusual sapient beings that can be shown to have the mental capacity to interact meaningfully in society. For unusual intelligent life, special considerations may need to be taken to ensure their wellbeing. Failure to accommodate for these needs, or attempts to use these abnormalities against them shall be treated as a form of torture equivalent to denying a prisoner food or sleep.
Right to voice in government. While Avalon will acknowledge non democratic systems, membership in that system shall remain voluntary. If at any time, a group can produce evidence of over two percent of residents in a community favoring a petition to remove themselves from a given government, they may file a Change of Governance petition and initiate a Protected Vote. The Imperial government shall oversee the vote and ensure that all voting eligible citizens of the petitioner community have an opportunity to cast their vote. If upon completion of the vote a 2/3 majority is found in favor, the petition shall be recognized as law. Change of Governance petitions may be filed no more than once every five years.
Right to Government Clarity. All citizens have the right to be educated to the legal statutes of their region as well as Avalon Imperial law. All laws of a governing body must be made freely available for the public to access.
Right to Education. All citizens have the right to freely provided education meeting minimal standards as set by Imperial legislation. If a nation feels it is unable to provide these standards, they may petition the Imperial government to take management of their scholastic system.
Attempts by a government to interfere with or defraud these rights will result in punishments that may include imprisonment of responsible governing officials, or if necessary a forfeiture of recognition as a sovereign state.
ARTICLE VI. Recognition of Sovereignty of Communities, City States and Nations
SECTION 1a. A group of like minded colonists numbering no less than a hundred individuals may apply as a community and recieve an allotment of land no more than ten contiguous square kilometers, not including bodies of water. Communities are recognized as independent governments.
SECTION 1b. Communities of over 1,000 are recognized as cities and may found new communities. Cities are bequeathed the territory within three kilometers of their founding region unless it conflicts with prior territorial claims, and may found new communities within that territory. Founded communities are recognized as part of the origin City, City State, and Nation Commonwealth.
Cities have the right to determine municipal taxes and services and must provide a code of law for their territory.
SECTION 1c. A population of no less than than 100,000 people may found a City State. Communities must be within five kilometers of the nearest member community to join a city state. City states must be able to provide a constitutional government that is ratified by a Protected vote. The constitution and laws established within may not conflict with the law established in the Avalon Imperial Government. City states are bequeathed all territory within ten kilometers of their member communities, unless it conflicts with prior territorial claims.
SECTION 1d. Populations of no less than 500,000 people may found a Nation Commonwealth. City States must be within forty kilometers of the nearest member community to join a Nation Commonwealth. Nation Commonwealths are bequeathed all territory within 25 kilometers of their communities, unless it conflicts with prior territorial claims.
SECTION 2a. Communities, Cities and City States have the right to secede from their governing body via a Protected vote. A community may choose to secede membership from their immediate governing body without leaving membership of the higher governing bodies.
SECTION 2b. Communities, Cities and City States have the right to join another governing body via a Protected vote.
SECTION 3a. Communities have the right to purchase or sell territory to their neighbors. All traded territory must maintain a contiguous border with the purchasing party.
SECTION 3b. Arbitration of territory. In the case of conflicting territorial claims that cannot be resolved by the parties themselves, the most immediate government controlling both territories shall arbitrate the dispute. In the case of disputes between Nation Commonwealths, the Avalon Imperial Government shall arbitrate.
SECTION 4. Special Districts. When deemed necessary to serve specific cultural or governing needs, the Avalon Imperial Government may bequeath unusual amounts or shapes of territory to specific governments, grant titles to governments that do not meet the above qualifications, or designate areas that may not be held as territory by any nation.
ARTICLE VII. Protected Rights of Sovereign Nations.
All Nation Commonwealths and City States that are not part of a Nation Commonwealth may select a representative to participate in the Avalon's Legislative Assembly. Representatives are given a weighted vote based upon the percentage of Avalon's total vote eligible population within that territory's borders.
All governments have the right to establish and enforce their own constitution and governing structure, legal systems and all necessary works of government so long as these laws do not conflict with the Imperial Constitution.
Taxation. Governments have the right to issue, enforce and collect licensing, fees, and taxes for the costs of maintaining public utilities and paying government employees and leadership.
Nation Commonwealths have the right to issue their own currency. However, they must freely exchange their currency for the Imperial currency at recognized international value.
Nation Commonwealths may establish their own standard weights and measurements. However, they must include Imperial standards on all documentation.
Expectation of Defense. All nations of Avalon shall be protected from hostilities by Imperial military might.
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A/N- this was originally meant to be an Omake. *Headdesk*
Seriously, though. Could you imagine this system in action? Conquer your neighbors by virtue of being a nicer place to live than they are. Also... don't treat your population like shit, they can leave you. And if you can get a hundred people together, you can found any kind of community you want. Though you'll need a LOT more than that if you want to grab a particularly large chunk of land.
