Constitution of the United Islands of Aquavia

The **Constitution of the United Islands of Aquavia** is the founding document and most important element of the United Islands of Aquavia. It was established on January 1, 1918, on the day of the Union being founded. The author of the Constitution of the United Islands of Aquavia was Oliver Mariner, who ended up becoming the First President of Aquavia.

The Constitution contains **eight** articles, each of which contain further sections and parts. The Constitution guarantees rights to individuals, lays out the foundation and procedures of government, and establishes the election process.

A summary and layout of the Constitution will be provided below. You can read the full Constitution here.

## Preamble

*WE THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED ISLANDS OF AQUAVIA, in this historic year of 1918, hereby declare the permanent unification of Nautica, Navaquia, Tidalion, Marinia, and Coralium as one Nation united by our shared values of independence, liberty, and hope – one that we call the United Islands of Aquavia – “through the ocean.”*

*Bound by the principles of liberty, we, the five islands – now states – of this new Union, embark on a journey toward a future of resilience and unity.*

*We hereby establish this Constitution of the United Islands of Aquavia to serve as the founding document, guarantor of rights of the people, establishment of the government, and ultimate law and authority of the Union.*

## Article I - Rights

Article I (one) establishes the rights of the People.

### §I - Declaration of Rights

1. The right to life and liberty;
2. The right to be free from torture and inhumane treatment;
3. The right to equal protection under the law;
4. The right to freedom of conscience, religion, and beliefs;
5. The right to freedom of speech, press, and peaceful assembly;
6. The right to privacy
7. The right to free travel and migration;
8. The right to security;
9. The right to citizenship of those born within the Union;
10. The right to vote and engage in the democracy;
11. The right to ownership of private property or items;
12. The right to bear arms;
13. The right to self defense;
14. The right to the presumption of innocence;
15. The right to a fair trial.

### §2 - Unenumerated Rights

*The rights enumerated in this Constitution shall not be construed to deny or disparage other rights implied by law that are not explicitly mentioned herein, so long as such unenumerated rights do not obstruct or diminish the enumerated rights within this Constitution.*

### §3 - Discrimination

*In accordance with the Third Right guaranteed by this Constitution, all human beings shall be free from any sort of unjust discrimination. No one shall be unfairly discriminated against or harassed in regards to their race, color, age, sex, language, disability, disease, religion, beliefs, creed, nation origin, or economic status. Prohibiting the service for, deciding against employment for, holding judicial or official prejudice of, or harassing for any of these factors is a violation of the rights guaranteed by the Constitution.*

### §4 - Unprotected Speech

This section lays out limited exceptions to the right of free speech. It elaborates on speech that is not protected under the Fifth Right, and applies the "Obscenity Test" for whether or not something is considered obscene.

### §5 - Due Process

*All procedures outlined in both this Constitution and any applicable law must be followed when holding legal proceedings or acting on behalf of the government. Furthermore, the government shall not hold unreasonable and excessive interference with the personal lives of its citizens, and neither shall the government intrude on the rights the citizens hold.*

## Article II - Federal Government

Article II (two) establishes the type of government that the United Islands of Aquavia is, and the three branches that fall underneath it. It also contains a section outlining the procedures for impeachment. The Constitution classifies Aquavia as a constitutional republic and representative democracy.

### §1 - Executive Branch

Elaborates on the duties and powers of the President, Vice President, and the Cabinet. It also includes a fourth part that outlines the procedures for impeachment of a federal officer.

### §2 - Judicial Branch

Elaborates on the duties and powers of the Supreme Court and District Court of the United Islands of Aquavia.

### §3 - Legislative Branch

Classifies Aquavia as having a unicameral legislature, and elaborates on the duties and powers of the Senate.

### §4 - Impeachment

Sets out impeachment prerequisites and procedures that can be used to convict and remove a President, Vice President, or Cabinet member of the federal Executive Branch from office.

## Article III - State Government

Article III (three) is a considerably small article of the Constitution that elaborates on the ability for states to form their own governments.

### §1 - Executive Branch

Establishes that each state shall have one Governor and one Lieutenant Governor. Grants the Governor the ability to form a State Cabinet composing of leaders of state departments.

### §2 - Judicial Branch

Leaves the decision of whether or not a state court shall be established up to each of the states. Elaborates on the limits of jurisdiction for state courts, if they are active.

### §3 - Legislative Branch

Establishes that each state shall have a State Assembly, where citizens who have been within that state for at least six months (irl 6 days) automatically are elected. Leaves procedures and other decisions related to the State Assembly up to the states.

## Article IV - Legislation

Article IV (four) is about the procedures for legislation and law that can be passed by the Senate.

### §1 - Law Code

Establishes the responsibility of the Senate to establish a "Law Code" containing a list of all active laws, including criminal offenses and their sentences, on an organized sheet.

### §2 - Legislation Process

Establishes the process for passing laws: Proposal -> Processing -> Committee Assignments -> Senate -> Presidential Approval.

## Article V - Elections

Article V (five) lays out the candidate requirements and proper procedures for elections of the President and Senate. Furthermore establishes rules regarding congressional vacancies and state elections.

### §1 - Presidential Elections

Establishes the requirements and procedures for the elections of both the President and Vice President.

### §2 - Congressional Elections

Establishes the requirements and procedures for the elections of Senators.

### §3 - Congressional Vacancies

*In the event of a vacancy in the Senate, the Governor of the specified state may appoint a new Senator to finish the remaining duration of the term with majority approval by their State Assembly.*

## Article VI - The Land

Article VI (six) establishes the five states of the United Islands of Aquavia, the District of Wavehaven, and the prohibition of secession.

*The United Islands of Aquavia is a country located in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean with no other nation to border it. It is a small nation with five islands close together, each of them being considered states.*

### §1 - States

1. State of Nautica
2. State of Navaquia
3. State of Tidalion
4. State of Marinia
5. State of Coralium

### §2 - District of Wavehaven

*The District of Wavehaven is an independent region that serves as the capital of the United Islands of Aquavia. It is connected to the State of Navaquia, yet is not under the Navaquian government. The District of Wavehaven only houses the President, Vice President, and other government officials. No ordinary citizens may permanently reside in the District, however, any citizen may visit the District.*

*The District of Wavehaven is under the complete jurisdiction of the federal government.*

### §3 - Secession Prohibition

*Under **NO** circumstance may any state secede from the Union or form a confederacy in contradiction to the Union. Here it is resolved that all states shall be permanently enjoined together in the Union we call the United Islands of Aquavia, and no law or decision may abolish such Union. Furthermore, no state may take the land of another state without the approval from both states and the federal government.*

*None of this shall be construed to prohibit the addition of a new state to the Union.*

## Article VII - Armed Forces

Article VII (seven) is the smallest article within the Constitution. It establishes the military and law enforcement.

### §1 - Military Sector

*The Union shall have a military composed of the United Islands Navy, United Islands Army, and United Islands Air Force – all members of the United Islands Armed Forces. The federal government may allocate funding and establish procedures and regulations in abidance with this Constitution and applicable law.*

*The United Islands Armed Forces shall fall under the Executive Branch.*

### §2 - Law Enforcement Sector

*The Executive Branch shall establish a federal law enforcement agenc(ies) to enforce federal law, uphold order, and protect the safety and security of the People.*

## Article VIII - Simulation Authority

Article IX (nine) is the final article of the Constitution. It establishes the ability to amend the Constitution.

### §1 - Constitutional Amendments

*The Constitution may be amended via the following process:*

1. *Proposal of the amendment by a Senator;*
2. *Vote in Congress with a two-thirds majority;*
3. *Vote in each State Assembly with 4/5 of the states being in favor of the amendment;*
4. *Final processing and implementation of the Amendment by the Simulation Authority.*

*Amendments will be listed below this Article. Any amended language or sections within the Constitution shall contain a footnote.*

## Amendments to the Constitution

### FIRST AMENDMENT (1940)

```
RATIFIED FEBRUARY 10, 1940

```

*Article II, §1 shall be amended to add Part D, which shall establish a line of succession for the presidency implemented as follows:*

1. *In the event that a President dies, resigns, is impeached, or otherwise leaves office, the line of succession to take over as President is as follows:* *a. First: Vice President* *b. Second: President Pro Tempore*
2. *Congress may establish a further line of succession for personnel after the President Pro Tempore. This shall include members of the Cabinet, for which Congress may put into a specific order.*

*In the event that a Vice President spot is left vacant, the President shall appoint a new Vice President, who shall be confirmed by a simple majority vote from Congress.*

### SECOND AMENDMENT (1967)

```
RATIFIED APRIL 10, 1967

```

*The Constitution shall be amended to recognize term limits for the President of the United Islands of Aquavia. Terms shall be 4-years each, with each citizen being able to serve a maximum of two terms. Only elected terms are counted, and the limit does not apply under circumstances of the Vice President or other person in the line of succession taking over due to a vacancy.*

1. ↑ https://docs.google.com/document/d/18HdvJKDuODvVeP41OXoO46SOsm4FiPIFR-r9cFmcWTs/edit?usp=sharing