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Dispatch → Bulletin → Policy
The First Amendment
Full Name: The First Amendment
Abbreviation: AMD I
Date: 04/13/2021
Brief Purpose: This Amendment shall ensure that the Citizens'
Assembly—and only the Citizens' Assembly—has the power to
Impeach Executive and Judicial Officers deemed unfit for Office.
This shall also be able to fill Vacancies that the Executive and
Judicial officers have emptied since Impeached.
AMD 1, The First Amendment
Preamble:
ACKNOWLEDGING: any Officer that shall violate the Constitution, its Laws, and Amendments.
UNDERSTANDING: that any Officer is not liable for Removal from Office necessarily and appropriately and he, if further wrongdoings are being done, shall be held liable.
BELIEVING: that this Amendment shall secure the Executive and Judicial Offices of the Free Nations Region.
This piece of legislation hereby amends the following:
ARTICLE III - Government
The Government of the Free Nations Region shall consist of an executive branch, a legislative branch, and a judicial branch.
The World Assembly (WA) Delegate, President, Vice President, and their Cabinet represent the executive branch.
The Citizens’ Assembly represents the legislative branch.
The Supreme Court represents the judicial branch.
No members of the government may hold multiple elected offices within the region.
No Justice may concurrently hold an elected position.
Any elected or appointed member of the government who does not post on an FNR-affiliated site for a period of 14 days without notifying the region beforehand shall be removed from office.
If reasonable, a special election shall be held to replace a removed official.
The Citizens’ Assembly shall determine whether or not a special election shall be held.
If a special election is not held, or an appointed official is being replaced, the President may shall appoint a replacement with the approval a majority vote of the Legislature.
Any member of the government found to be using puppetry or coercion to make any sort of gain shall be immediately removed from office
Article IX - Accountability on Powers and Offices The Citizens’ Assembly shall have the sole Power to Initiate and Try all Impeachment. The President, the Vice-President, the Ministers, and the Justices of the Supreme Court shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and on Conviction of Violation of the Constitution, Treason, Bribery, Graft, Betrayals of Public Trust or High Crimes and Misdemeanors. A Justifiable Complaint in the matter of Impeachment, that shall be filed by any Member of the Citizens’ Assembly, shall be presented to the Speaker of the Free Nations Region, which shall recommend the Articles of Impeachment; provided supermajority of the Citizens’ Assembly concurs within seventy-two Hours, the Trial of Impeachment shall begin that shall last for one Hour, otherwise provided by Law. Any Member of the Citizens' Assembly who shall wish to issue a Justifiable Complaint shall recognize such wrongdoings of the said Officer; if the Speaker shall find the Same not qualified for an Impeachment, he shall not approve it and return it to the Citizen which it originated with his Objections in the Complaint. The Time(s), Place(s), and Manner of holding Impeachment Trial shall be prescribed by the Speaker of the Free Nations Region. Such Trial of the President of the Free Nations Regions shall be presided by the Chief Justice. When Impeachment Trial shall be done, provided supermajority of the Citizens’ Assembly concur within seventy-two Hours, the Officer shall be convicted and he shall be removed from Office unless the Officer shall be acquitted, then he shall pursue the Office he shall be holding. When the President of the Free Nations Region shall be removed from Office, the Vice President shall assume the Office of the President of the Free Nations Region, and he shall nominate a Vice President who shall take office upon confirmation by a Majority Vote of the Citizens’ Assembly; When the Vice President shall be removed from office, the President shall, likewise, nominate a Vice President who shall take office upon confirmation by a Majority Vote of the Citizens’ Assembly; And When a Minister or a Justice of the Supreme Court shall be removed from office, the President shall nominate who shall take office upon confirmation by a Majority Vote of the Citizens’ Assembly.
Article IX - Referendum Article X
Citizens have the right to call for a referendum, excepting the matter of impeachments, bills, or amendments, which shall be considered valid when at least five additional Citizens support it.
A referendum must be announced to the entire region via telegram at its start.
The Government may not refuse to announce or organize a valid referendum.
Referendums must be approved through a supermajority.
A Vote of No Confidence may remove an elected or appointed official from office. Votes of No Confidence shall take place in the form of referendums.
A court verdict may be challenged to a second ruling via a referendum. This is known as a Challenge of Verdict. A second Challenge of Verdict may be initiated after the second ruling to annul the verdict.
A referendum may annul a piece of legislation.
Citizens may petition to appeal the legality of an existing law. The Supreme Court shall review the law and confirm the legality or annul the said law via majority vote upon it’s justices.
Article X - Regional Crisis Article XI
A crisis may occur if there is an emergency within the region.
A time of crisis may be declared and ended by a supermajority vote of the Citizens’ Assembly..
Should the Founder cease to exist, which is a Regional Crisis that does not require legislative approval, the President shall immediately assume the office of the World Assembly Delegate and shall have the authority to take on the roles reserved for the Founder.
The President shall password the region for a maximum period of two weeks.
If the Founder does not return within the two weeks, the President shall then, at the approval of the Citizens’ Assembly and Judiciary take the best-determined course towards securing and refounding the region.
In a Regional Crisis, all elections are suspended until the crisis is ended.
If a Regional Crisis is determined, the government must act in a manner consistent with the provisions of the legal code.
Article XI - Military Forces Article XII
All nations have a duty to defend the Free Nations Region from those with harmful intentions towards it.
The Free Nations Defense Association (FNDA) shall function as the legitimate armed forces of the Free Nations Region.
The armed forces shall defend the Free Nations Region against invasions and foreign aggression and shall also participate in defenses of allied regions against raiders.
Article XII - Amendments Article XIII
The Constitution may be amended by the Citizens’ Assembly through a supermajority vote.
The changes introduced by an amendment shall be applied within 72 hours of becoming law.
Amendments may be repealed by the Citizens’ Assembly through a supermajority vote of approval.
Article XIII - Supremacy Article XIV
This Constitution is the supreme legal authority of the Free Nations Region.
No other legislation shall contravene it. In case of possible contrary interpretation of lesser law, the Constitution is to be considered the highest authority.
The Constitution cannot be invalidated, appealed, removed, or abrogated in whole or in part. Any changes must be made through amendments.
Any attempt to remove or weaken this article shall be deemed unconstitutional.
