Lasanar/Constitution
The Constitution of Lasanar
This document is presently a work-in-progress and is not fully applicable to Lasanar until the Grand Council has completed revisions and voted on it.
Contents
The Grand Coucnil of Lasanar
Lasanar is ruled by the Grand Council, which is made up of four ministers (two elected and two appointed) and the five Dukes of the realm. No noble shall hold more than one title of ministry, though it is permissable for a noble to hold both a landed title (i.e. Duke/Count/Baron) and a ministry position.
Matters Before the Council
Any council member may bringing a matter before the council to a vote; the vote must then be completed within 36 hours unless a longer time frame is expressly called for by the initiating councillor or the Prime Minister. Any councillor not voting shall be considered to have abstained. Each councillor receives a single vote, regardless of whether they hold one or two positions on the council. In most cases, a simple majority settles any vote. In the instance of a tie, the Prime Minister shall determine the result and is not permitted to abstain.
Certain matters fall under the jurisdiction of individual Ministers or Dukes and do not require council votes; these are outlined elsewhere in the next section.
Any council member may call for a vote on a topic within the council's scope. From the official declaration, at most thirty-six hours shall elapse until the end of the vote, unless otherwise lengthened for extenuating circumstances.
Ordinarily, a proposal shall pass if a majority of council members vote for it. If a majority of council members do not vote for the proposal, then the proposal will pass if it receives more 'yea' than 'nay' votes, and at least four members of the council have cast a vote.
If a majority of council members vote 'yea' before the voting period has elapsed, then the proposal may be considered passed as soon as the majority is reached.
Confidentiality of Council Discussions
Councillors are expected to use the better judgment in discussing council matters with anyone outside the council or in public. Though it is permissible to discuss some matters before the council with any noble of Lasanar, revealing state secrets or other matters not yet known to the nobles of Lasanar is considered a minor treason and may result in a fine or in the removal of the offending councillor from the Grand Council at the discretion of the Grand Justiciar (or, if the Grand Justiciar is the offending noble, a majority vote of the council).
Even if a particular matter is not considered 'secret,' permission should be sought as a matter of courtesy before revealing another councillor's views in public. Even so, it should be assumed that council sessions are public unless specifically stated otherwise (as opposed to secret unless specifically marked as public).
In the matter of realm appointments, no councillor shall reveal another councillor's remarks or votes to either the applicant or a third party. Any councillor may, at his or her discretion, reveal his or her own vote or opinion.
Recusing a Councillor from a Vote
Councillors always retain their vote on the council unless the vote in question would remove them from office (which may only be done for appointed positions). There are no other circumstances under which a councillor loses his or her vote.
Jurisdiction of the Ministers
As a matter of course, Minsiters are empowered to manage the responsiblites of their office without requiring the support of the Council. The Grand Justiciar may dispense sentencing; the Minsiter of Defense may re-organize the military; the Minsiter of Finance may alter food distribution or taxes all without a vote.
Overruling Ministers
As appointed offices, any decision of the Minister of Defense and the Minister of Finance may be overruled by a majority council vote, provided that the Prime Minister is counted among those votes.
As an elected office, the Grand Justiciar may not be overruled by the council, but is subject to public elections and protests. The Grand Justiciar is expected to use his discretion to avoid such protests and to recuse himself in favor of the Council's judgment as the final legal arbiter in cases where there is a clear conflict of interest.
The Positions of the Council, Elected and Appointed, and the Requirements of Office
Ministry positions are as follows:
===Office of the Prime Minister (Elected -- "Your Excellency")=== Lasanar's head of state. Empowered to conduct foreign negotiations on behalf of Lasanar and given certain executive privileges over council procedure.
===Office of the Grand Justiciar (Elected -- "Your Honor")=== The judicial arm of the Grand Council, the Grand Justiciar is responsible for enforcing the Laws of Lasanar and maintaining protocol and procedure on the Grand Council as they are laid out in the Constiuttion. The Grand Justiciar is charged with the overseeing liege lords' legal responsibility for their vassals, the sentencing of captured foreign nobles, and the oversight of the Homeland Security Force, which is in turn charged with region maintenance.
Charging Nobles with a Crime
Depending on the severity of the crime and the evidence on hand, the Grand Justiciar is permitted to unilaterally enforce the law according to his discretion.
Barring an immediate threat or extraordinary circumstances, the Grand Justiciar may, also at his discretion, hold a public trial for the offending noble. The Grand Justiciar may judge the trial personally, or else appoint a jury to consider the case.
A liege lord shall be responsible for enforcing the laws of the land with respect to his vassals to the satisfaction of the Grand Justiciar. Should the liege lord fail to hold his vassals accountable for their crimes to the satisfaction of the Court, the liege lord shall himself be held accountable in addition to the the offending vassal.
Oversight of the Laws of the Land
No laws of the land or documents pertaining to those laws (such as this one) may be changed without the consent of the Grand Justiciar. Changes to the the Constitution shall require a majority vote of the Grand Council. Ratifying the Constitution for the first time shall require a majority vote of all nobles of the realm who have been present for at least thirty days.
===Office of the Minister of Defense (Appointed -- "Your Lordship")=== Commander-in-chief of the armies of Lasanar. Develops long-term strategic military policy based on the foreign relations policies dictated by the council. The Minister of Defense is directly responsible for all free nobles. Coordinates military planning with the Marshals of the realm.
===Office of the Minister of Finance (Appointed -- "Your Lordship")=== Charged with the oversight of realm taxes, food distribution, and trade. Coordinates with region lords to assist in their management of local taxes.
The Hierarchy of Lasanar: The Dukes, their Jurisdictions and Duties
Lasanar consists of several Duchies, federated into a single union, or Republic. While the ministry offices oversee the various federal aspects of governing Lasanar, the Dukes are the highest feudal titles in the land. Within the borders of each Duchy, the Duke is almost as a King; only a majority vote of the Council can set aside the command of a Duke.
Appointment and Duties of the Duke
The Prime Minister may nominate any noble for elevation to the position of Duke. A simple majority vote is required to confirm a candidate. Any councillor may recommend a noble to the Prime Minister, but only the Prime Minister can make a nomination.
Dukes must oversee the appointment of region lords and marshals (below) and are responsible for everything that goes on in their Duchy. They are also required to participate in matters before the Grand Council.
Removal of a Duke
A motion to remove a Duke may be put forth by the Prime Minister and confirmed by a majority vote of the council. The Duke in question is excused from the vote.
Appointment and Duties of Barons, Counts, and Marquis
A Duke may nominate any noble to be a region lord within his Duchy, but the appointment must be confirmed by the council. The council may recommend any noble to the Duke for consideration, but only the Duke may put a nomination before the council.
Region lords are responsible for maintaining the health and happiness of everyone within their region. They may request assistance from the Homeland Security Force for bureaucratic support. They are required to coordinate with their Dukes regarding taxes, construction and maintenance of recruitment centers, and militia.
Removal of a Region Lord
A motion to remove a region lord may be put forth by the Prime Minister and confirmed by a majority vote of the Council. A Duke may remove his own region lords at any time.
Appointment and Duties of the Marshal
A Duke (or Army Sponsor) may appoint whatever Marshal he pleases, though historically the council is consulted beforehand as a matter of courtesy.
Once appointed, the Marshal is subject to the Minister of Defense as well as his own liege.
Removal of a Marshal
A motion to remove a Marshal may be put forth by the Minister of Defense and confirmed by a majority vote of the council. A Duke or Army Sponsor may remove his own Marshal at any time.
The Armies of Lasanar
The armies of Lasanar are organized by Feudal Contract. A knight owes his military service to his liege lord, who owes his service to a Duke, who owes his service to the Grand Council. Every noble is expected to fulfil his obligation to his liege lord; knights shall be dispatched to an army of their lord's choosing, and region lords shall dispatch themselves to an army of their Duke's choosing.
Any Duke who does not use the resources of his Duchy to fund an army is expected to contribute all of his knights (as well as his own service, either in soldiers or in gold) to another army.
Landed nobles below the rank of Duke may fund their own armies, but they are still required to provide the services of that army to their liege lord (as the army's war chest is funded from the proceeds of the land held at the Duke's pleasure). The Minister of Defense shall provide counsel and recommendations as to the number and composition of the armies of Lasanar.
In times of war, the Minister of Defense shall be given command authority over all armies of Lasanar as the military embodiment of the authority of the Grand Council. In times of peace, Dukes have final authority over all armies funded from their Duchy.
Laws of Lasanar
Law of Application
It is the right of any Lasanarian to apply for any available position in the realm, no matter their current liege or status. No penalty or reprimand shall befall any knight expressing an interest in any appointed position, and the Council shall, on request, make clear their desires for the requirements of any available position.
Prohibition of Looting
No Lasanarian is ever to loot, rape, or pillage any lands of the Far East, whether inside Lasanar's borders or not. Doing so is a severe violation not only of the law, but also of the principles upon which Lasanar was founded. Nobles violating this law are subject to fine and possible banishment.
Dueling
Dueling until surrender is legal in Lasanar. Dueling to the death, whether with a local or foreign noble, is highly discouraged, though whether or not it is permissable is ultimately up to a noble's liege lord (who may request that the Justiciar punish the offending noble).
Lasanar Code of Conduct
Lasanar encourages free and constructive speech, but this is not the same as free license to say whatever you wish. All nobles are required to be courteous to one another; being rude or insulting to a fellow noble may be grounds for a fine, at the discretion of the Grand Justiciar. Any noble is free to disagree with the council and protest their decisions without fear of reprisal, but be careful of the manner in which you do so. Continued abuse of the code of conduct may be dealt with at the Grand Justiciar's discretion.
OOC Issues
Activity and Notification
It is the inalienable right of all BM players not to be concerned that inconsistent activity will result in some form of punishment. As such, Lasanar has many positions and duties available for people of all levels of activity. If you commit to a position that requires a high degree of activity (such as Minister or Duke) and fail to carry out your responsibilities, you may be asked to surrender that position.
If you know you are going to be unavailable for any length of time, we ask that you notify your liege lord and the council OOCly. We all have real lives that are more important than BM and want to work with your schedule rather than against it!
OOC Disputes, Arguments, and Discussions
Lasanar is not the place to have OOC arguments. If you have an OOC question or comment that is relevant to what is going on, feel free to make it, but we try to keep the infamous 'gray background' messages to a minimum as we are focused on being a roleplaying realm. If you have an OOC complaint or dispute, under no circumstances should you bring it before the entire realm. Take it up with our Prime Minister or the Titans -- those are the only two groups empowered to do anything about OOC issues. Being OOCly abusive or insulting in-game will get you in hot water with one or both of them. Please do everything you can to keep a sporting attitude, both with your fellow Lasanarian players, but (even more importantly) with other realms' players.
Names
We do ask that new players use feasible Medieval names or nicknames. If you aren't sure if your name is appropriate, ask on your first day and we will be happy to help.
