Constitution of the Duchy of Grand Fenwick

The constitution of the Duchy of Grand Fenwick was drafted as a result of the restoration of the semi-constitutional monarchy in Grand Fenwick.

It main drafters were the first Monarch of the new state, Pewter I, and the first elected President of the new state, Emerald Aster.

## Article I - Of the Document

The purpose of this document is to lay out the rights of the monarch, the legislature, the courts, and the citizens. The rights enshrined within this document cannot be infringed upon. All articles within this document are not set in stone and can be changed or augmented in the future with new constitutional amendments. Any repeals, augmentations or addendums of this document must be approved by a two-thirds majority of the legislature. All repeals or augmentations of this document must be done through a new constitutional amendments, and must clearly state which article is being repealed or amended.

## Article II - The Monarch

This article officially recognizes the Monarch's right to rule over the Duchy of Grand Fenwick and it's people. This document establishes and maintains that the Duchy of Grand Fenwick is a semi-constitutional monarchy, with an elected legislature of at minimum ten members, and a court which oversees the laws passed by the legislature or ensures that articles within this document are not conflicting with any laws passed by the legislature.

## Article III - Line of Succession

In the event that the monarch dies, the Crown of the Duchy of Grand Fenwick shall be given to the monarch's chosen successor. If the monarch has failed to choose a successor before his or her death, the law defaults to Primogeniture, in which all titles will pass to the eldest child of the monarch regardless of their gender. Should the eldest child pass away before the monarch, the Crown shall be given to their descendants before passing to siblings of the eldest child. Should the monarch not chosen a successor upon their death, or have any legitimate family members in which to pass the Crown of the Duchy of Grand Fenwick to, the elected legislature shall elect a new monarch with a two-thirds majority.

## Article IV - Responsibilities of the Monarch

The monarch, whoever it may be, has many responsibilities in the Grand Duchy of Fenwick. The monarch has the power to appoint a Prime Minister from among the largest party within the legislature, or from the largest coalition. The monarch shall have final say on any government formation, or any cabinet appointments the Prime Minister makes, and have the final say on any budget proposals presented by the elected legislature or Prime Minister. The monarch shall have final say on all legislation or amendment passed by the legislature, if the monarch chooses to veto any law or amendment, for whatever reason, their veto is absolute.

## Article V - The President

The President of Grand Fenwick is the highest political office directly elected by the people of Grand Fenwick. The responsibility of the President is to present laws to the legislature to vote on. If the President deems it necessary, they shall present a vote of no confidence against the elected legislature. The President has the power to nominate Supreme Court Justices before the end of their term, and has the power to veto any law passed by the legislature for any reason. A presidential veto can be overcome by a three-fifths majority of the legislature or the monarch directly.

The term for a President shall last four years (4 weeks in simulation), and the President can run for as many terms as he or she likes, however they can only serve two terms at a time before they must wait one term to run again. Each new president shall be sworn in on Friday every four years (every month in simulation). A President is not allowed to hold any other elected office, or the office of Prime Minister, while serving their term as President, and must resign from those elected positions or being Prime Minister before the President is sworn in.

## Article VI - Electing a President

Before a President's term is up, elections shall be held for the office of the President. All who wish to run for the office of President must do so by (a specific time and day we decide on). If the President intends to run for second consecutive term, they must also declare their intention to run. All Presidential Candidates must also choose a Vice President, when running for office. The responsibility of the Vice President is to take the office of President should anything happen to the elected President (should they die in office or are impeached). If any Presidential Candidate gets a majority of the votes, they automatically win the Presidential Election, however if no Candidate gains a majority of the votes, the top two will head to a second round of voting. Whoever wins a majority in the second round wins the Presidential Election.

## Article VII - The Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister

The Prime Minister is an ministerial position directly appointed by the Monarch of Grand Fenwick. The Prime Minister is the Representative of Parliament, and their duty is to appoint secretaries and run government on behalf of the monarch. The Prime Minister's term lasts for only two years (two weeks in simulation), and any single person can hold the office of Prime Minister as many times as the Monarch allows, but can only serve non-consecutive terms. The Deputy Prime Minister is appointed by the Monarch, and shall take over for the Prime Minister if anything happens to them (dies in office or is impeached).

## Article VIII - Impeachment of the President or the Prime Minister

If the legislative body deems either the President or Prime Minister of being unfit to represent to Government of Grand Fenwick. The elected legislative body can issue a motion to impeach either the President or Prime Minister, and must gain backing from the President (if attempting to impeach the Prime Minister) or the Prime Minister (if attempting to impeach the President). Either the President or Prime Minister can only be impeached if the resolution gains a two-thirds majority in the legislature. If the President is impeached, the Vice President shall become acting President, must appoint a new Vice President, and serve out the rest of the previous President's term. If the Prime Minister is impeached, the Deputy Prime Minister shall become acting Prime Minister, and the Monarch shall appoint a new Deputy Prime Minister.

## Article IX - The Governor and Vice Governor

The governor of any province can only have two consecutive terms. Each term lasting 4 years (4 weeks in simulation). The elections shall take place over the course of 1 week. If the Governor/Vice Governor dies or resigns voted out of office before his/her term ends then the elections shall be rushed and only take 5 days during those 5 days the province will enter a period of interregnum.(edited)

## Article X - Government Ministers

Government Ministers are directly appointed by the Monarch, and like the Prime Minister can serve as many non-consecutive terms as they like. If the legislative body deems it necessary, they can vote to strip any cabinet member of their position. If a Ministerial Position becomes vacant, it is up to the Monarch to appoint a new cabinet minister to finish the term. (deciding whether or not this Article should also include each Ministerial position and it's responsibility and powers).(edited)

## Article XI - Civil Rights

This article recognizes that all residents of Fenwick are entitled to certain rights and freedoms, such as:

* Freedom of Speech, the ability to speak out against the government, companies, or other institutions;
* Freedom of Religion, the ability to practice any religion without fear of repercussion;
* Freedom of Movement, the ability for any individual to live where one pleases;
* Freedom of Assembly, the ability to protest against the government, companies or other institutions;
* Freedom of Expression, the ability for anyone to hold or express ideas and opinions without fear of repercussion;
* Freedom of the Press, the ability for the Press to write anything they want, without fear of government censorship;
* The Right to Vote, the ability for all citizens above the age of 18 to cast a ballot (this doesn't apply to the actual server);
* The Right to a Fair Trial, the ability for all suspected of a crime to have a quick and speedy trial decided by a jury of peers

This document also recognizes that all people are equal, and should be treated indifferently from each other.

## Article XII - The Elected Legislature

The Elected Legislature of Grand Fenwick will consist at minimum 10 seats, which can be raised by a parliamentary majority. The responsibility of Parliament is to create and pass legislation that will affect Grand Fenwick, as well as draft, repeal or augment new articles of the Constitution. Any proposed legislation can pass with a simple majority, and any amendments, repeals or augmentations of this document must pass with a two-thirds majority. Members of Parliament have two-year term (2-week terms in simulation) and can serve an unlimited amount of consecutive terms.

## Article XIII - The Supreme Court

The Supreme Court shall be made up of seven justices, one chief and six associate, who are to oversee each law passed by the elected legislature and ensure that no laws passed contradict any articles in this document. Each Justice will serve a four-year term (4-week term in simulation), and can serve two consecutive terms at a time before having to wait one term. Justices can only be nominated by the President, and any choice they make must be approved by a majority of the elected legislature. Justices, when reviewing any law, have 3 different options, they can rule that any law is unconstitutional, rule that it does not violate the constitution, or abstain. If any justice personally challenges any law passed by Parliament, they must abstain. If the voting is tied, the Justices will put the case on hold until the next term of Justices takes office and votes again.

## Article XIV - Crimes Against the State

If any elected official is accused of committing crimes against the state or monarch, they will officially be tried in the Supreme Court, where they shall be able to defend themselves and their actions. Should the Court find the accused innocent, nothing shall happen, however shall the Court rule that the accused guilty, they shall be stripped of their position, and be replaced, in order to serve a punishment decided by the Supreme Court. Valid Reasons for accusing an elected official include: Treason, Crimes against the Populous, Bribery, or Election Rigging.

## Article XV - Electoral Procedure

Elections shall be held in the Duchy of Grand Fenwick every two years (2 weeks in simulation) when electing members to the legislature, or every four years (4 weeks in simulation) when electing the President or Governors. Elections shall be officially run by a five-person committee, with membership decided directly by the Monarch. For the sake of preserving impartiality, the Monarch must appoint 2 members from the leading coalition, 2 members from the opposition, and a member of their choosing. Elections shall be held for 24 hours to ensure all citizens vote. After elections for the legislature have concluded, all parties with at least (a margin we will decide later), or independents (with a margin we will decide later), will receive seats in the legislature proportional to the amount of votes received in the election. Election of a President shall follow the guidelines listed in **Article VI.**