Constitution of the Alliance of Independent Nations

The Constitution of The Alliance of Independent Nations is a set of fundamental principles and established precedents according to which the member states and organisations within the alliance are governed. The current constitution of the Alliance was published on 17th of July 2011. The constitution defines the principles upon which the alliance is based, the procedure in which laws are made and by whom. The constitution also acts as limiter of state power by establishing lines which a state's rulers cannot cross, such as fundamental rights.

SECTION 1: PREAMBLE
[1.1] We, the members of the Alliance of Independent Nations hereby agree to the terms settled by us, the members and will abide by these terms to the benefit of ourselves, our nations and our peers.

[1.2] We, the members of the Alliance of Independent Nations hereby agree to hold all those accountable for breaching the terms agreed in our constitution to maintain our union’s essential ideologies of Freedom, Independence, Peace, Justice, Honour and Equality.

SECTION 2: BASIC RIGHTS OF CITIZENS OF THE ALLIANCE
[2.1] We agree that all citizens of our nations, regardless of gender, religion, political views, race, ethnic origin, sexuality, age or social background will be entitled to the following rights bound by this constitution and provided by our sovereign governments:


 * [2.11] The right to life & liberty.


 * [2.12] The right of protection from slavery.


 * [2.13] The right to equal protection under the laws of this alliance.


 * [2.14] The right of equality before the law.


 * [2.15] The right to own property.


 * [2.16] The right to hold nationality and the right to change nationality.


 * [2.17] The right of expression, in freedom of speech and opinion; whether spoken, written or recorded.


 * [2.18] The right to work & leisure.

[2.2] Everyone in the sovereign court of an AIN nation and in the AIN Judicial System will be innocent until proven guilty.

[2.3] Sovereign Nations reserve the right to suspend section 2.11 of this constitution in order to impose a penalty of death upon a convicted criminal, in a fair court of law, approved to do so by The Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs.

[2.4] The Alliance will have the duty of ensuring sovereign nations impose the death penalty, strictly in line with this constitution. The alliance will have the full power to intervene to save human life, when such a judicial penalty is imposed in violation with this constitution.

[2.5] It will only be permissible for certain types of capital punishment. This constitution hereby outlaws Death by Firing Squad, Death by Hanging, Death by Electrocution as viable means of imposing the death penalty.


 * [2.51] The Security Council will reserve the sole power over sovereign courts to outlaw and intervene in any case by outlawing Death by any other means of torture.


 * [2.52] The Security Council can halt any sovereign attempt in carrying out capital punishment in order to investigate whether proposed means are defined as non-torture or whether the trial and verdict were a fair and independent process.

[2.6] The AIN Court/Security Council cannot hand down any death sentence.

SECTION 3: SECURITY COUNCIL AND VIOLATION OF CONSTITUTIONAL TERMS
[3.1] The Alliance Security Council is the main body for the protection of international peace and security within the AIN.


 * [3.11] The Security Council also upholds the standards and laws as written in the Constitution of the Alliance of Independent Nations. Any nation that breaches the conditions in this constitution will be tried by the Security Council.

[3.2] The five Permanent Members of the Security Council are democratically elected by all the members of the union. Permanent Members are able to exercise a veto of any sanction or proposal at any time.


 * [3.21] The Permanent Members will be elected for life unless that state resigns as permanent member or the other members of that region vote for a new member to represent them. Permanent Membership will be reviewed on a six monthly basis by the Ministry for Justice and Constitutional Affairs.


 * [3.22] Members must abide by a checklist to become permanent members. Their nations must have a democratic and accountable political system, have something unique to bring to the permanent council and they must be long standing members of the union and in good standing with the admins and other members.

[3.3] The President of the Alliance may also sit as a Permanent Member and can exercise a veto if he feels that the vote will be detrimental to the status of a member within the alliance or will impact negatively on the Alliance as a union.

[3.4] The Security Council will also have five non-permanent members. Elections to the rotating panel will be held every three months and presided over by the Ministry for Justice and Constitutional Affairs.


 * [3.41] The non-permanent members are elected by the representatives of all the nations in their relevant geographic region. They will represent all the nations in their region that are not permanent members.


 * [3.42] The five regions of the Alliance are Europe and the Middle East, North America, South America and the Atlantic, Oceania and Asia. These regional boundaries may be edited at any time by the Executive, but member countries will not change region until the next election of Security Council seats.

SECTION 4: ROLE OF GOVERNMENT
[4.1] THE EXECUTIVE is wholly elected and consists solely of the President and his Vice-President. The president is head of the executive department but the executive should function as a diarchy in all but ceremonial occasions.


 * [4.11] When the President absent for more than 5 days, the Vice-President will be in charge of the executive until the President returns (if the absence is scheduled with the Vice President) or an election is called.


 * [4.12] The executive will have all powers and privileges as administrators and the President will function as the Chief-Administrator. These powers will be revoked after the member’s term, unless they are made a permanent administrator.


 * [4.13] The executive’s main roles include that of managing the administration of the forums, representing and promoting the union within the wider community, ensuring the domain and other paid services are maintained and sufficient funds are available for further subscription, preventing and solving union disputes, ensuring the smooth running of the AIN Parliamentary Branch and ensuring events take place smoothly and professionally amongst other minor roles.


 * [4.14] An executive will retain their office until they either resign, surrender office after a vote of no confidence is placed in the executive or allow their term to lapse via defeat in an election.


 * [4.14.1] A President/Vice-President may individually resign from office at any time during their elected term via a letter of resignation. If the President resigns, the Vice-President shall take up his position until elections can take place.


 * [4.15] The members of the union reserve the right, at any time to recall the executive through a motion of no confidence put forward by any Member State in the senate that achieves a simple majority vote. In this case the Security Council will run the union for a maximum period of three months until elections can be called.


 * [4.15.1] The executive members surrendering office may re-run in the subsequent election.


 * [4.16] The executive’s term is limited to six months from the day of election. An election must be scheduled within this term.A member can only serve as part of the executive for an absolute maximum of three consecutive terms.

[4.2] THE DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATORS is an appointed group of trusted members consisting of the Union Founder, the Executive, the Appointed Administrators and the Commissioners primarily tasked with maintaining the forums and ensuring the constitution is upheld by all members.


 * [4.21] This constitution applies no limit to the number of Appointed Administrators, but applies that the DOA/Executive will only appoint Administrators on a needs basis and in proportion to the total amount of members.


 * [4.22] The Commissioners are assistants to the administrators providing moderation over their respective areas. They are appointed by ministers and serve to the end of the ministers’ term.


 * [4.23] If an administrator resigns, leaves the union or is consistently inactive their position will become available for the other administrators to appoint a new administrator.


 * [4.24] An administrator should have skills beneficial to the running of the union, be a trustworthy and mature individual and be willing to give up other commitments within the community to provide focus on their responsibilities to the union.


 * [4.25] Administrators are to remain independent of union government and only serve in the smooth running of the forums.

[4.3] THE SENATE consists of all Member States of the union. Its primary function is for voting upon laws proposed and debated upon in the Legislative Assembly.


 * [4.31] Only members of the senate may vote on laws.


 * [4.32] Only the Minister for Parliamentary Service under the guidelines or The Executive or the Security Council may move laws into the Senate.


 * [4.33] Once a bill enters the senate, it must not be modified or amended further without consent of the Executive.


 * [4.34] Motions are emergency or temporary laws that do not need to enter the legislative assembly. Examples of such are halting debate on a certain issue for good reason, declaring war on an AIN nation, placing sanctions on a nation, filling a gap in law or requesting aid from nations of the union. The executive must give assent to motions after they get the required amount of votes in senate.


 * [4.35] For a bill to pass in the Senate it must have a absolute (50%+1) majority, for a motion to pass it must have a simple majority.


 * [4.36] The Executive must give all approved laws official assent, after a suitable period of voting in the Senate.


 * [4.36.1] The minimum period is 48 hours and the maximum is a week.


 * [4.37] Any permanent member of the Security Council may exercise a veto at any law or motion that they can justify to have a detrimental effect. The law will then be scruntisied in a full trial before the Alliance Security Council Court.

[4.5] THE LEGISLATIVE ASSELMBLY consists of all Member, Associate and Observer states of the union along with any Ambassadorial/Social member invited to debate or give evidence by a Member state.


 * [4.51] The purpose of the Legislative Assembly (Legislate) is for members to debate and amend laws before they go to vote along with allowing a decision to be made on the class of a law.


 * [4.52] All bills must remain in the Legislative Assembly until there is general consensus to move the bill for a vote in the Senate.

SECTION 5: TERMS OF MEMBERSHIP
[5.1] SOCIAL/AMBASSADORIAL MEMBERS are entitled to participate in most areas of the forum with the exception of the Department of Parliamentary Services, Executive Department, Department for Justice and Events forums (unless given exception by an admin). They may send private messages and view City Notebooks.

[5.2] OBSERVER MEMBERS are entitled to all the privileges detailed in 5.1 as well as the ability to post in any forum (except the senate), state their opinion on new legislation proposed in the legislate, post a City Journal thread in the Observers forum and participate in union events.

[5.3] ASSOCIATE MEMBERS are entitled to all privileges detailed in 5.1 and 5.2 as well as being permitted to speak at union meetings, proposing legislation, having their own sub-forum for their City Journal and being able to create and run union events.

[5.4] MEMBER STATES are entitled to all privileges detailed in 5.1, 5.2 and 5.3 as well as being able to contribute to union meeting agendas, to vote in union elections, to veto legislation, to collectively veto Member State applications, to run for a ministerial or executive position in elections and to collectively call an election after a collective vote -of-no-confidence is made to the executive.

SECTION 6: CONDUCT OF MEMBERS
[6.1] All registered members are required to follow all of the rules set out in the Code of Conduct available on the forums or alternatively from an administrator.

[6.2] The Code of Conduct is an extension of Section 6.0 of this constitution and breaking them is a violation of the constitution which can be punishable by an admin.

[6.3] Any member disputing a breach of conduct may seek trial in front of the Security Council.

SECTION 7: MISCELLANEOUS & AMENDMENTS
No Amendments at this Stage

SECTION 8: RATIFICATION & SIGNATORIES
[8.1] The Constitution and the judiciary of the Alliance of Independent Nations, along with the original signatories assume all new members of the Alliance – both Member States and Associate members to be automatic signatories and will expect ratification of all sections of the constitution by the time initial applications are approved.

[8.2] Observer nations are non-automatic signatories of the constitution but may adopt it if they so wish.

[8.3] All Observer and Social Members are expected to abide by sections 4 and 6 of the constitution – whether signatories or not.

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