Republic Tribunal and Judiciary Act

The **Republic Tribunal and Judiciary Act** was legislation authored by Chancellor Joseph Ibney, a Centralist. It allocated funds to the Galactic Tribunal and Judicial Forces from the general budget of the Republic Courts System. It also expanded the jurisdiction of the Galactic Tribunal beyond that granted in the Galactic Constitution to include "matters of controversy arising from constitutional challenges of law, interplanetary matters of controversy, and criminal hearings regarding government officials."

## Text

AN ACT TO ESTABLISH RULES REGARDING THE JUDICIARY AND ITS PURPOSE, ABILITIES FOR APPEAL, AND METHOD OF CREATION AND AMENDMENT TO RULES OF PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE

*Whereas* The Galactic Constitution establishes The Republic Tribunal and Judiciary as the highest court of appeal within the Galactic Republic,

*Whereas* The Constitution specifies that The Republic Tribunal and Judiciary shall handle constitutional disputes, as well as hold trials for government officials,

*Whereas* The Constitution does not specify the matter by which these goals shall be achieved,

Be it enacted by the Senate of the Galactic Republic herein assembled:

### Section I - Short Title

(a) This act shall be referred to as the "Republic Tribunal and Judiciary Act"

### Section II - Definitions

(a) "Original Jurisdiction" shall refer to a court's power to hear a case before any lower court review.

(b) "Appellate Jurisdiction" shall refer to a court's power to hear a case on appeal from a lower and inferior court within its own jurisdiction.

(c) "Certiorari" shall refer to a request to any court for the hearing of a case arising out of any jurisdiction, accompanied by the reason for the need to begin such hearing.

(d) "Judicial Review" shall refer to the process by which a judicial authority may review the actions of any government body to determine its constitutionality or status as a breach of the Republic Code.

### Section III - Establishment of Title III, "The Judiciary"

(a) Within the Galactic Republic Code (hereinafter "GRC") a title shall be created under Title III entitled "Title III - The Judiciary"

(b) All matters relating to the Judiciary and its governance by the Senate shall fall under this code section. All creation and amendment of such laws shall take place under such title.

### Section IV - Jurisdiction of the Republic Tribunal and Judiciary

(a) Under Title III of the GRC, create a new part entitled "Part I - Republic Tribunal and Judiciary." Under such section, create a new chapter entitled "Chapter I - Makeup and Jurisdiction of the Tribunal" to read as follows:

1. "§1. The Republic Tribunal and Judiciary (hereinafter "The Tribunal") Shall have three members as prescribed by the constitution consisting of a First Justice, as well as two Associate Justices."
2. "§2. No appointment shall be made unless a vacancy is available within the Tribunal."
3. "§3. The Tribunal shall have the power of judicial review over all matters that fall under its jurisdiction."
4. "§4. The Tribunal shall have original jurisdiction over all matters of controversy arising from constitutional challenges of law, interplanetary matters of controversy, and criminal hearings regarding government officials."
5. "§5. The Tribunal shall have appellate jurisdiction over all matters of controversy regarding the Galactic Constitution from the several lower courts of the systems of the Republic."
6. "§6. Applicants for review under proper jurisdiction shall submit a writ of certiorari within a timely manner to the Clerk of the Tribunal as prescribed by The Tribunal."
	* "(a) Applicants for review of all constitutional challenges shall have standing ability to submit challenges."
	* "(b) Applicants for review of all interplanetary matters of controversy shall have 90 galactic standard days since the bonafide beginning of the controversy to submit appeals."
	* "(c) Submission for criminal hearings shall be conducted under the statute of limitations of the crime being charged."
	* "(d) Applicants for appeal under appellate jurisdiction shall have 90 galactic standard days since the release of the decision of the lower court to submit an appeal."
7. "§7. In cases of incapacitation or inaccessibility of the First Justice, the line of succession of the remaining justices shall be determined by their date of appointment and approval by the Galactic Senate. In such cases of two justices being appointed and confirmed at the same time, the succession of the acting first justice shall be determined by random lot.

(b) Under Part I, create a new chapter entitled "Chapter II - Rules of the Tribunal" to read as follows:

1. "§8. The Tribunal shall establish Rules of Practice and Procedure at their discretion."
	* "(a) The rules must include a method by which petitions for certiorari shall be submitted."
	* "(b) The rules shall specify by what method petitions and briefs shall be submitted."
	* "(c) The rules shall establish guidelines for the formatting of such petitions and briefs."
	* "(d) The rules shall establish guidelines for the standard practice of law within the Tribunal."
	* "(e) The rules shall contain a method of nomenclature for the reference of case names including the two parties involved within the hearing."
	* "(f) The Tribunal shall have the ability to establish further rules of practice at their discretion."
2. "§9. The rules of the Tribunal shall be posted publicly for all to see."
3. "§10. The hearings of The Tribunal shall be public for the citizens of the Galactic Republic."
4. "§11. The Clerk of the Tribunal shall keep a record of all past hearings and cases, accessible by the public."

(c) Under Part I, create a new chapter entitled "Chapter III - The Judicial Forces" to read as follows:

1. "§12. The Tribunal shall be tasked with the management and upkeep of the Judicial Forces."
2. "§13. The Judicial Forces shall be charged with the protection of the Galactic Senate House, the Chancellor, the leader of the opposition, and all other government buildings and structures within the capitol."
3. "§14. The Judicial Forces shall also be charged with the protection of all Justices of The Tribunal, as well as the enforcement of any and all orders handed down by The Tribunal"
4. "§15. A General of the Judicial Forces shall be appointed by the First Justice with the approval of at least one other justice to head the judicial forces. The General shall serve at the pleasure of the First Justice."

### Section V - Appropriations

(a) Under Title III of the GRC, create a new part entitled "Part II - Appropriations" Under such section, create a new chapter entitled "Chapter I - Appropriations for the Tribunal" to read as follows:

1. "§16. The Tribunal is hereby appropriated ₹49,057,618 per galactic standard year from the general Republic Courts System allocation.
	* (a) "For the purposes of expenses and salaries of the justices of The Tribunal along with its employees, transportation, material purchase, and retention, as well as for general discretionary spending, the Tribunal is appropriated ₹41,439,047 per galactic standard year.
	* (b) "For the care of the building grounds of the Tribunals building, the Tribunal is appropriated ₹7,618,571 per galactic standard year.

(b) Under Part I, create a new chapter entitled "Chapter II - Appropriations for the Judicial Forces" to read as follows:

1. "§17. The Judicial Forces are hereby appropriated ₹11,112,380,952 per galactic standard year from the general Republic Courts System allocation.
	* (a) For the purpose of general law enforcement, the Judicial Forces are appropriated ₹14,091,000,000 per galactic standard year.
	* (b) For the purpose of maintaining prisons for offenders processed by the Tribunal, or other prisoners falling under the Tribunals jurisdiction, the Judicial Forces are appropriated ₹4,074,285,714 per galactic standard year.
	* (c) For miscellaneous department spending, the Judicial Forces are appropriated ₹332,380,952 per galactic standard year.

### Section VI - Enactment and Severability Clause

(a) The provisions of this act are severable. If one section is struck down, it shall not affect the parts that remain within.

(b) This act shall come into effect immediately after passage.