Law

THE LAW OF CHURUMDUUL
THA CUNA ULL CELUL LEW ULL CHISINNIIR
Installed by the authority of The Spiritual Council on the 12th of August, 2019.

PREAMBLE
WE, The Spiritual Council of the people of Churumduul;
BLESSED by the Triple Gem, the protection of our guardian deities, the wisdom of
our native people, and the guidance of the Buddha Amitabha;
SOLEMNLY pledging ourselves to strengthen the sovereignty of Churumduul, to secure
the blessings of liberty, to ensure justice and to enhance the unity and happiness of the people;
DO HEREBY ordain and adopt this Law for the Divine Abode of Churumduul on the
Twelfth Day of the Eighth Month in the year Two Thousand and Nineteen.

Article 1: The Homeland
§1 The informal name of the nation shall be Churumduul. The formal name shall be The Divine Abode of Churumduul.
§2 The form of Government shall be that of an oligarchical theocracy lead by The Spiritual Council.
§3 The Spiritual Council, as the highest body of political authority of Churumduul, shall have unlimited and complete political jurisdiction over the laws, land, and people of Churumduul. The Spiritual Council, hereafter referred to as "TSC", will maintain the territorial boundaries of the country; create and uphold the laws of the land; ensure that the people's voice is considered during the course of legislation; cultivate equality, understanding, and governmental transparency; and will persevere, in its considerations and enactments, for the ultimate welfare of the people of Churumduul.
§4 The homeland shall have as its national holiday the Twelfth Day of February of each year.
§5 The national language of Churumduul is Churumduuli.
§6 This Law and its amendments shall be the Supreme Law of the nation, and all citizens, visitors, and members of TSC are subject to its provisions.

Article 2: The Spiritual Council
§1 TSC is the executive and legislative body of the state. TSC shall lead the nation as head of the Buddhist faith and protector and counselor of the nation's Buddhist monastic council. TSC shall oversee and guide the activities of the Buddha Sasana and ensure the continuation and promulgation of the Buddhist faith.
§2 TSC shall be comprised of nine members at all times, at least four members of each sex. There shall be no barrier with regards to age.
§3 TSC members shall hold their seat for life. A member can only be expelled from the council if they are 1) unanimously voted out; or 2) voluntarily resign; or 3) pass away.
§4 TSC shall elect its predecessors by vote. The vote must be unanimous in favor of the candidate, or the candidate cannot be seated.
§5 When a member of TSC dies, a candidate must be found and a vote must take place within three days of the date of death.
§6 TSC shall meet every day to discuss, debate, consider and establish decrees, laws, and guidance for the state. The sessions shall be held all day, from eight in the morning until eight at night. No government work shall be undertaken outside of these hours.
§7 TSC cannot make government decisions with the presence of fewer than nine members. All members of the council must be present for a vote to take place. However, only seven members must be present to consider and debate government policy.
§8 Members of TSC will not use blackmail, force, or any methods of coercion to guide a vote in a particular direction. Failure to comply with this stipulation shall result in a vote to unseat the member in question.
§9 Members of TSC will act as role models for the citizens of Churumduul and shall dress appropriately, conduct themselves professionally and with spiritual awareness, and will be kind, courteous, understanding, conscientious, and caring of the national interest at all times.
§10 TSC has the power to vote and pass laws and to add to this Law and alter its contents.
§11 TSC is the supreme political body of the land. No authority, agency, or person is permitted to contest its rulings.

Article 3: Spiritual Heritage
§1 Buddhism is the spiritual heritage of Churumduul, which promotes the principles and values of peace, non-violence, compassion, and tolerance.
§2 TSC is the protector of all religions in Churumduul.
§3 It shall be the responsibility of religious institutions and personalities to
promote the spiritual heritage of the country while also ensuring that religion
remains separate from politics in Churumduul.
§4 TSC shall appoint a learned and respected monk ordained in accordance with the Buddhist teachings of the nation, to report to them on the affairs of the respective regions of Churumduul and their townships. The respected monk who undertakes such a position shall duly appoint regional heads of the Buddhist tradition. Regional heads shall appoint and supervise city heads. City heads shall appoint and supervise township heads. Township heads shall appoint and supervise village heads. All heads of regions, cities, townships and villages shall answer to their superiors, and their superiors shall answer to The Spiritual Council. All heads are ultimately answerable to The Spiritual Council.

Article 4: Governmental Structure
§1 The governmental structure of Churumduul shall consist of the following:
1. The Spiritual Council (TSC)
2. Regional Administrators (10, appointed by the TSC)
3. Precinct Administrators (90, appointed by Regional Administrators)
4. City Administrators (25, appointed by Precinct Administrators)
5. Township Administrators (500, appointed by Precinct Administrators)
6. Village Administrators (1,500, appointed by Precinct Administrators)
§2 Each of the administrative positions listed in Article 4 §1 are answerable and responsible to their superiors, i.e., Village to Township; Township to City; City to Precinct; Precinct to Regional; Regional to TSC.
§3 All government positions shall be chosen by their superior department.

Article 5: Fundamental Rights of the Person
All persons within the territorial limits of Churumduul, whether citizen or non-citizen, shall not be deprived of the:
§1 Freedom of speech, religion, press, political conviction, movement, and restitution of grievances.
§2 Right to information, when requested from the governmental authority.
§3 Right to freedom fro coercion or inducement.
§4 Right to a secure and sanitary abode, the property of the state.
§5 Right to a secure and well-paying profession, provided by the state.
§6 Right to free health care, at the cost of the state.
§7 Right to a pension ("Basic Living Allowance") upon reaching the age of 70, the monthly total of which shall not be less than $500 USD and shall not surpass $2,000 USD.
§8 Right to a free and fair trial, and an attorney provided by the state.
§9 Right to work no more than 35 hours per week maximum.
§10 Right to self-expression, so long as said expression does not physically harm others.
§11 Right to equality, such that personal expression shall not be limited, and no person shall be judged, treated unfairly publicly or privately, or placed before a court of the law due to appearance, physical ability, ethnic background, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, language, religion, politics, economic or social status, or any other status thereunto appertaining.
§12 Right to air grievances directly to the local, precinct, or regional authority during hours of "The Airing of Grievances", and the right to air grievances directly to The Spiritual Council once annually during TSC's Airing of Grievances public event.
§13 Right to public assembly and peaceful demonstration.
§14 Right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of the law.
§15 Right to marry any person, irrespective of ethnicity, nationality, sex, gender, or sexual orientation. There shall be no limit on the amount of persons one may marry.
§16 Right to not be subjected to arbitrary detention by the Churumduuli Police Force, nor to be tortured or interrogated without the proper authorization from the authorities and the correct documentation, which shall become 'public knowledge' and provided to the detainee upon request.

Article 6: Activities and Materialities Prohibited
§1 Capital punishment is hereby prohibited.
§2 Torture, interrogation, blackmail, and coercion by the authorities without prior authorization from TSC is hereby prohibited.
§3 Private property and intellectual property are hereby prohibited.
§4 The export, import, and consumption of meat is hereby prohibited.
§5 The export, import, and consumption of alcohol is hereby prohibited.
§6 Motor vehicles and airplanes are hereby prohibited.
§7 The possession, acquisition, and sale of nuclear weapons or weapons of mass destruction of any kind is hereby prohibited.
§8 Participation in private business for material gain is hereby prohibited. The State shall provide a socialist means of sustenance and livelihood to the people by means of a planned economy.
§9 Harm against an animal, including causing an animal physical affliction and/or death, is hereby prohibited.
§10 A breach of the aforementioned Activities and Materialities Prohibited Law (Article 6, §1-9), will result in no less than 1 year's imprisonment and no greater than 10 year's imprisonment, and/or discipline befitting the crime as seen fit by TSC.

Article 7: Fundamental Duties
§1 A Churumduuli citizen shall preserve, protect and defend the sovereignty, territorial integrity, security and unity of Churumduul and render national service when called upon to do so by TSC.
§2 A Churumduuli citizen shall have the duty to preserve, protect and respect the environment, culture and heritage of the nation.
§3 A Churumduuli citizen shall foster tolerance, mutual respect and spirit of brotherhood amongst all the people of Churumduul transcending religious, linguistic, regional or sectional diversities.
§4 A Churumduuli citizen shall not tolerate or participate in acts of injury, torture or killing of another person, terrorism, abuse of any other person or sentient being, and shall take necessary steps to prevent such acts.
§5 A Churumduuli citizen shall have the responsibility to provide help, to the greatest possible extent, to victims of accidents and in times of natural calamity.
§6 A Churumduuli citizen shall have the responsibility to safeguard public property.
§7 A Churumduuli citizen shall have the responsibility to pay taxes in accordance with the law.
§8 A Churumduuli citizen shall have the duty to act in aid of the law.
§9 A Churumduuli citizen shall have the duty and responsibility to respect and abide by the provisions of this Law.

Article 8: The Judiciary
§1 TSC shall interpret the laws that it passes, and shall render judgment when requested to do so by a Churumduuli Court of Law, whether the court be regional or local.
§2 A court shall make a provisional decision regarding the outcome of civil and criminal cases, and shall submit its decision to TSC to be authorized or denied.
§3 The power to appoint Judges for the Courts of Law of Churumduul, when regional, shall fall to the Regional Administrator of said region.
§4 The power to appoint Judges for the Courts of Law of Churumduul, when local, shall fall to the Precinct Administrator of said precinct.
§5 There shall be appointed no more than 50 Regional Court of Law judges, and no more than 500 Local Court of Law judges.
§6 Civil cases shall be considered before a court of law no later than one week after the reported incident.
§7 Criminal cases shall be considered before a court of law no later than 2 days after the reported incident.
§8 The plaintiff and the defendant must both be physically in appearance at court and within the same courtroom for a court hearing to proceed.
§9 Regardless of the evidence proffered and the cases by all parties presented, a court hearing shall last no longer than 3 days. A decision by the judge shall be administered to TSC by midnight on the third day of the court's session.
§10 No limitation shall be made on the amount of time that TSC can consider the verdict of any legal case submitted to it.
§11 With the exception of a TSC-issued verdict and punishment, the maximum punishment for any crime shall be the forceful dispossession of Churumduuli citizenship and expulsion from the country without blessing to return (for a Churumduuli citizen), or life imprisonment for a non-citizen.
§12 The minimum punishment rendered by a court of law shall be a fine of 500 Qyarat.
§13 There shall be no "trial by jury". A panel of no less than 3 judges shall hear both sides of the civil or criminal case and shall render a provisional verdict based on testimony and evidence presented.
§14 All persons, citizen or non-citizen, have the right to approach the courts in matters arising out of the Law or perceived injustices.
§15 In the event that a court of law cannot arrive at a verdict, the judge(s) must defer the case to the next highest organ of authority. A Village Court of Law must defer to a Township, a Township to a City, a City to a Precinct, a Precinct to a Region, and a Region to TSC.
§16 The position of judge shall be held for no more than 25 years, after which a judge must retire and submit his documentation to the courts so that the next highest organ of judicial administration can select their replacement.

Article 9: Defense
§1 TSC shall be the supreme chief of the nation’s Armed Forces.
§2 The Armed Forces of Churumduul shall serve as a professional standing army and the core of Churumduul's defense against security threats.
§3 The Armed Forces of Churumduull shall consist of the Ground Service and the Naval Service, two distinct branches of the Armed Forces.
§4 The National Police of Churumdul (NPC) shall, as a trained uniform force under the higher authority of the Ground Service of the Armed Forces of Churumduul, be primarily responsible for maintaining law and order and prevention of crime, and shall also be considered an important part of the nation's security force.
§5 TSC may, by law, require compulsory military service for adult citizens over the age of 18 to strengthen the defense of the country, and may call a draft of the country's citizenry during times of crisis.
§6 The State shall be responsible for the maintenance of the Armed Forces to safeguard the security of the country and the well-being of the nation.
§7 Churumduul shall not use military force against a foreign State except in self-defense or for the purpose of maintaining its security, territorial integrity and sovereignty.

Article 10: Amendment & Authoritative Text
§1 TSC shall have the power to amend, by way of addition only, the provisions of this Law in accordance with the procedure set out in this Article.
§2 A motion to add to the Law under §1 of this Article shall be initiated by a simple majority of the total number of members of TSC.
§3 A law can only be installed or amended with the unanimous support of all nine members of TSC.