Constitution of the Dominion of Lazarus and its Legal Code

Preamble

The nations of the Dominion of Lazarus, seeking to establish a government that is fair and equitable to all residents, dispenses justice fairly and evenly, and incorporates all manners of ideas and identities, hereby enact this Constitution as a single unifying representation of these ideals.

Section 1: Citizenship

1. Any nation may apply for citizenship on the Regional Forum by providing their current nation in the region, their current World Assembly nation, a brief history of their time in NationStates, and by swearing an Oath of Citizenship.

2. The King shall have the authority to accept or deny citizenship applications. The King may delegate and revoke this authority as he deems appropriate.

3. The King shall have the sole authority to change the format of citizenship applications, as long as the format retains the aforementioned requirements.

4. Citizens shall forfeit their citizenship if they renounce it, their nation in Lazarus ceases to exist or leaves the region, they do not post on the forum within 30 days, or if they are found guilty of a crime and punished with loss of citizenship.

Section 2: The Monarch

1. The King is the Head of State of Lazarus. They are assisted by their chosen Regent. The King is always permitted to surpass their endorsement cap, whereas the Regent may be granted that privilege by the King.

2. The King shall hold the position of delegate in-game. The King is responsible for maintaining order, enforcing justice, and ensuring the security of the region.

3. The King may determine the region’s endorsement cap. Nations may not exceed this cap unless they have been given explicit permission to do so by the King.

4. The King is permitted to appoint Guardians, who are tasked with gaining endorsements for the purposes of maintaining in-game security. The King is permitted to set a limit on the endorsements of Guardians.

5. The King is permitted to create offices that are not explicitly outlined in this document, however these positions must not contradict or overrule those outlined in this document.

6. The King is permitted to remove their Regent, the Directorate, or any other government or military official from their office.

7. The King is appointed by their predecessor. If the King does not appoint a successor before ceasing to exist, being deleted, or otherwise going inactive, the Regent will ascend to the throne if the King does not return after a week.

Section 3: The Assembly

1. The Assembly is the legislative body of Lazarus. A citizen who participates in a District for at least two consecutive weeks may hold membership in the Assembly. Membership in the Assembly is contingent on an application and approval by the Speaker.

2. Members of the Assembly will have vacated their position if they lose citizenship or do not post on the forum for 15 days.

3. The members of the Assembly shall elect, from their membership, a Speaker once every three months. The Speaker shall be the president of the Assembly and oversee its membership and procedures.

4. The Speaker is responsible for, but not necessarily limited to, conducting Assembly votes, auditing the Assembly membership roll, and accepting applications to the Assembly.

5. The Speaker shall be permitted to appoint a Deputy Speaker to serve as their assistant, wherein they may be granted the powers to execute the duties of the Speaker at the Speaker’s discretion.

6. The Assembly is permitted to create laws so long as they do not contradict or conflict with this document or the Edict of Lazarene Law and Order.

7. The Assembly is permitted to recall the Speaker or the Viceroy by a simple majority vote. If the Viceroy is recalled, members of the Directorate are not permitted to vote on that matter.

8. Treaties between Lazarus and other regions and declarations of war shall only be proposed by the King or the Viceroy.

9. The Assembly may enact, amend, or repeal regional law with a simple majority vote. Amendments to this document or the Edict of Lazarene Law and Order may only be enacted by a 66% majority vote.

10. All bills passed by the Assembly must be signed by the King before they are enacted.

Section 4: The Directorate

1. The Viceroy is the Head of Government of Lazarus and oversees and manages the responsibilities of the Directorate.

2. The Viceroy is elected by the Assembly of Lazarus every three months and can serve no more than two terms consecutively.

3. The Viceroy will appoint Governors to lead the various Districts of Lazarus and form the Directorate. Appointees must be approved by the King before taking office.

4. The Directorate is responsible for establishing and maintaining all internal regional directives and plans of action. The King shall reserve the right to participate directly in Directorate affairs.

Section 5: The Districts

1. The Districts of Lazarus exist to encourage cooperation and production within the region, and each of the several Districts shall manage one specific facet of Lazarene directives.

2. A District will be lead by a Governor who is responsible for maintaining their District’s activity in accordance with policy enacted by the Assembly.

3. The jurisdiction of these Districts shall be further defined by the Assembly. Any member of the Assembly may propose the creation or disestablishment of a District.

Section 6: Rights and Justice

1. Citizens may be removed at the discretion of the King, if the King can legally justify such an action. All those whose citizenship has been revoked must immediately be informed of the reason for removal and has the right to appeal that decision to the High Court.

2. Citizens have the right to a fair trial.

3. Residents have freedom of speech so long as they do not violate standing Lazarus law. However, foreign entryists exploiting Lazarus’ freedoms for the sake of undermining the will of the people will not be tolerated.

4. Residents have the right to manage the internal affairs of their nations; the Dominion may not discriminate based on how a nation answers issues or customizes their fields. However, Nazism, Fascism, and hate speech will not be tolerated.

5. Residents shall be permitted to participate in the Dominion as long as they are not deemed a threat to regional security, compliant with regional law, not an enemy of the state, and above the age of thirteen.

Section 7: Constitutional Amendments

1. Section 6 of this document may only be added to. Section 7 may not be edited or revised.

2. This document may only be repealed by unanimous vote of the citizens.

Section 8: The Forum

1. The off-site forum shall be located at: [url]http://www.ns-laz.com[/url]

2. Forum administration is separate from the affairs of the government. Violations of site rules and the Invision Community terms of service will be handled only by forum administration.

Section 9: Adopting Clauses

1. This document shall be considered the supreme law of Lazarus. Any conflicts between this document and any other law shall be resolved by deferring to this document.

2. Upon the passing of this document, the sitting WA delegate shall be named as King.

3. Upon the passing of this document, the King may appoint the first High Sepulchre for the benefit of immediate action in the region.

4. Upon the passing of this document, all citizens of the Celestial Union shall become citizens of the Undead Dominion.
   

Section 10: Amendments

1. Upon the passing of this amendment, all current Cathedrals shall be redefined as Districts with the same responsibilities. The Cathedral of Heresy shall become the Diplomacy District. The Cathedral of Corruption shall become the Cultural District. The Cathedral of Arbitration shall become the High Court. The Cathedral of War shall become the Military District.

2. Upon the passing of this amendment, all current citizens shall be considered members of the Assembly upon committing themselves to a District.

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   Edict of Lazarene Law and Order

   Preamble

   This document serves to establish a simple and effective legal system for the Dominion of Lazarus. It establishes the region’s laws, outlines the justice system, and establishes court procedures.

   Laws and Penalties

   Section I. In-Game Crimes
   In-game crimes are those committed physically on the NationStates region of Lazarus. The consequences of these crimes are determined by the King.

   1.1 Nations may not recruit for other regions on the Regional Message Board.
   1.2 Nations may not surpass the endorsement cap, or ask nations to unendorse the Skeleton King or the Regent, except for the King.
   1.3 Nations in Lazarus must follow NationStates rules.
   1.4 Nations may not promote fascism, nazism, or hate speech.
   1.5 Nations may not undermine or seek to undermine the region’s security through in-game means.
   1.6 Nations must type coherently on the Regional Message Board and must not annoy residents by way of rapidly posting or making disruptive comments.
   1.7 Nations who are banned may not rejoin the region. If a nation is found to be a puppet of a banned nation, it will also be banned.

   Section II. General Crimes
   General crimes are those committed anywhere in cyberspace. General crimes may also be committed in-game, and are not treated the same legally as in-game crimes. The penalties for general crimes, which must be applied by the court if guilt is found, shall accompany their definition. Interpretation of these crimes and penalties is to be done by determining what the law is meant to mean, rather than what it might technically mean. The law is meant to maintain order, not to be manipulated and exploited.

   2.1 Treason: Treason shall be defined as attacking Lazarus and/or its government and/or plotting to do so. Treason is punishable by banishment from the region and forum.
   2.2 Espionage: Espionage shall be defined as maintaining a presence in Lazarus and using that presence to gather sensitive or private information for distribution to foreign parties without proper authorization. Espionage is punishable by banishment from the region and forum.
   2.3 Fraud: Fraud shall be defined as lying about or intentionally omitting information in an official statement that is relevant to regional security. Fraud is punishable by banishment from the region and forum.
   2.4 Harassment: Harassment shall be defined as persistent, unwanted bothering of a fellow Lazarene. Harassment is punishable by a one month ban from the forum, and if the harassment took place in-game, a similar ban shall be levied in-game.
   2.5 Conspiracy: Conspiracy shall be defined as aiding a plot to undermine the Dominion of Lazarus or not reporting a plot that one is aware of. Conspiracy is punishable by banishment from the region and forum.
   2.6 Subversive Activity: Subversive Activity is defined as belonging to an organization that the Circle of Necromancers declares subversive, working with nations that seek to subvert Lazarus, performing unauthorized actions that one could reasonably assume are capable of or intended to weaken Lazarus, acting in Lazarus for the sake of foreign interests, and/or being a proxy of a foreign power. Subversive Activity is punishable by banishment from the region and forum.

   3. Severe Crimes
   Severe Crimes are crimes that are punishable by immediate action by the King or the Regent, and punishment for these crimes may be appealed by the affected party later.

   3.1 Legal Violations: Violations of IRL laws pertinent to Lazarus and Nationstates (i.e. Hacking, DDOS, being a sex offender) are punishable by banishment from the region and forum.
   3.2 Forum Crimes: Intentionally destroying forum content, pornspamming, and gorespamming are punishable by banishment from the region and forum.
   3.3 Personal Crimes: Publishing sensitive real-life or contact information about Lazarenes is punishable by banishment from the region and forum.

   Legal Procedure

   One Necromancer shall handle the courts of Lazarus, serving as the court’s judge and jury.

   1. For in-game crimes, the King shall be permitted to mete a punishment before a trial. If a nation chooses to appeal the decision, they shall be granted a trial before the Necromancer responsible for justice. They must explain why they deserve to return to Lazarus, and if the Necromancer agrees, they may reverse the King’s decision. The King is also permitted to provide his argument against a reversal.
   2. For general crimes, any Lazarene may accuse another of committing a crime. To make such an accusation, they must clearly state who they are accusing, what crime they have allegedly committed, how their action constitutes said crime, and their evidence. The Necromancer of Arbitration will allow the accused to respond and will moderate a debate between only the involved parties, unless either party asks for a specific individual to testify, in which case the Necromancer may approve or deny that request. The debate shall last for three days. Once that time elapses, the case will be closed and the Necromancer will announce his decision in a timely manner, as well as a punishment to be executed by the King.
   3. Severe Crimes shall be handled by both the King and forum administration.

   Rules for General Crime accusations
   1. A nation may not be accused of the same crime for the same action twice unless new evidence is discovered.
   2. A nation may be accused of multiple crimes for the same action.