A Constitution for The Sanctuary

  1. A Constitution for The Sanctuary
  2. Preamble
  3. Chapter 1 Houses of Parliament
    1. House of Sponsors
    2. House of Representatives
  4. Chapter 2 Government
  5. Chapter 3 Judiciary
  6. Chapter 4 Rights
  7. Chapter 5 Constitution change

Preamble

The Sanctuary is a new country formed to provide hope to displaced persons. The Sanctuary is sponsored economically by other nations who redirect asylum seekers there. Sponsor nations retain influence over the governance of The Sanctuary through one of three houses in the Parliament; the House of Sponsors. Another house, the House of Representatives represents citizens through elected representatives. The third house, the House of Citizens enables citizens to directly participate in Parliamentary decision making. The Sanctuary has a clear separation of Parliamentary, Judiciary and Police powers.

Chapter 1 Houses of Parliament

  1. The Parliament shall have power to make laws for the peace, order, and good government of The Sanctuary
  2. Any member of any of the three Houses can initiate a Proposed law . A draft of the proposed law, is initially released to the public and includes a brief description of the proposed legislation, rationale and ramifications.
  3. A majority of any two of the three Houses is required for the initiator of the Proposal to be invited to submit a Draft of the proposed law to House of Representatives.
  4. A majority in the House of Sponsors and House of Representatives is counted as a simple majority of members. A majority in the House of Citizens is counted as a majority of citizens who have registered with the Parliament to discuss a Proposed law.
  5. A Draft of the Proposed law includes, supplementary material and extensive rationale elucidating arguments for and against and ramifications of the Proposed law if it were to be approved. A Draft of the Proposed law is deliberated on in online forums independently by all three Houses. A majority of any House may elect to discuss any Proposed Law synchronously (face to face or virtually).
  6. A majority of any two of the three Houses (Sponsor, Representatives and Citizens) is required for the initiator of the Proposal to be invited to submit a Final Draft Proposed law.
  7. A Final Draft of the Proposed law includes, a summary of points raised by all Houses during the Draft deliberations, supplementary material and extensive rationale elucidating arguments for and against and ramifications of the Proposed law if it were to be approved.
  8. A majority of any two of the three Houses (Sponsor, Representatives and Citizens) is required for Proposed Law to become law.

House of Sponsors

  1. A Sponsor is a representative of a national government that has pledged to support the Sanctuary to house asylum seekers and displaced persons as citizens in The Sanctuary.
  2. The Sponsor’s role is to represent the interests of the national government in the Sanctuary Parliament and to ensure The Sanctuary offers asylum seekers a safe haven at least equivalent to the safe haven available to asylum seekers in the Sponsor’s nation.
  3. A Sponsor government is allocated a number of Sponsor representatives in proportion to their contribution to the Sanctuary. The maximum number of sponsor representatives is 100. The contribution of a Sponsor to The Sanctuary is set by the Sanctuary’s Parliament.
  4. A Sponsor’s term is six years. Every six years a Sponsor must renew their contribution and number of Sponsor representatives.
  5. Sponsors are admitted or removed by a majority in The House of Representatives and The House of Citizens
  6. A Sponsor Representative is required to initiate, review, discuss and deliberate on proposed laws
  7. A Sponsor Representative is required to reside in the Sanctuary

House of Representatives

  1. A Sanctuary Representative is a representative of the citizens in a geographically defined region of The Sanctuary. Regions are defined by the Parliament so that the number of Sanctuary representatives is equivalent to the number of Sponsor representatives and each region has approximately the same number of citizens
  2. A Sanctuary Representative is required to initiate, review, discuss and deliberate on proposed laws
  3. A Sanctuary Representative term is for three years.
  4. Persons not eligible to be a Sanctuary House of Representatives or House of Citizens representative includes any person who:
    • has been found guilty of any offence punishable under the law of The Sanctuary by imprisonment for one year or longer; or
    • is an undischarged bankrupt or insolvent; or
    • holds any office of profit under the Government, or any pension from the Government : or
    • has any direct or indirect pecuniary interest in any agreement with the Public Service of the Government otherwise than as a member and in common with the other members of an incorporated company consisting of more than twenty-five persons;
  5. All citizens of The Sanctuary are required to vote for representatives in The House of Representatives.

House of Citizens

  1.  Every citizen over 18 is eligible to be part of the House of Citizens for a term of three years.
  2. Artificial agents are legal entities that may be citizens who can participate in the House of Citizens if sponsored by a human citizen over 18 such that:
    • The AI agent is approved to represent a human citizen by a Sanctuary Government department
    • A human citizen may not sponsor more than one artificial citizen at a time
    • Conditions of sponsorship set by Parliament have not been breached
    • A human citizen may not cast a vote in the House of Citizens for the same Proposed law as his/her artificial agent
    • An artificial agent cannot be directed to cast a vote on behalf of a human other than the AI agent’s sponsor
  3. A member of the House of Citizens is invited to initiate, review, discuss and deliberate on proposals.
  4. A member cannot transfer their right to initiate, review, discuss and deliberate to another citizen

Chapter 2 Government

  1. The executive power of the Sanctuary is vested in the President and extends to the execution and maintenance of this Constitution, and of the laws of the Sanctuary.
  2. The President may appoint officers to administer such departments of State of the Sanctuary as the Parliament may establish and shall be Ministers of State for the Sanctuary. Ministers shall be a member of the House of Representatives.
  3. Until the Parliament otherwise provides, the appointment and removal of all other officers of the Executive Government of the Sanctuary shall be vested in the President
  4. The command in chief of defence forces of the Sanctuary is vested in the President
  5. The President is to be elected for no more than ten years by a majority in each of the three houses House of Sponsors, House of Representatives, House of Citizens. If a candidate does not receive a majority in all three houses, the President shall be elected by direct poll of all eligible citizens.

Chapter 3 Judiciary

  1. The judicial power of The Sanctuary is vested in the High Court of The Sanctuary, and in such other federal courts as the Parliament creates, and in such other courts as it invests with federal jurisdiction.
  2. The High Court shall consist of a Chief Justice, and at least two other Justices, as the Parliament prescribes.
  3. The Justices of the High Court are appointed by a majority in the House of Representatives and House of Sponsors

Chapter 4 Rights

  1. No laws shall be passed that contravene the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)
  2. All citizens have fundamental rights to:
    • Right to equality
    • Right to freedom
    • Right against exploitation
    • Right to freedom of religion
    • Cultural and educational rights
    • Right to constitutional remedies

Chapter 5 Constitution change

  1. This Constitution shall not be altered except in the following manner:
    • The proposed law for the alteration thereof must be passed by an absolute majority of each House of the Parliament, and not less than two nor more than six months after its passage through both Houses the proposed law shall be to all citizens qualified for the House of Citizens.

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