Ebnerian Articles of Governance
Ebnerian Articles of Governance
Let it be known that these articles are ordained and established under the pretense that they serve as a binding document for the Kingdom of Ebneria in an effort to insure peace and justice, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare of the populace and make orderly the government.
Article 1: The Council
The Council is the formal legislative body of the Kingdom of Ebneria. It consists of individuals who vote and discuss matters of state, advise the King, and represent the populace.
Section 1: Members Council Members are never elected directly, and must always consist of two representatives from each of the seven provinces of Ebneria. It is required that all seven of the provincial governors attend with their choice of a chosen representative citizen alongside them. There are currently no specific requirements for the chosen representative citizens. There are to be fifteen Council Members and the King in total attendance.
Section 2: Attendance The Council will meet on available days throughout the week for as long as is needed to resolve all pressing matters.
Section 3: Voting All Council Members must vote when finalizing decisions, responding in one of three ways: For, Against or Neutral. In the event that there is an even number of votes on each side, the Leader of the Council may extend their vote as an offset. The Leader of the Council may only use their vote in this circumstance. The King has the power to suggest a revote, in which case the issue will be discussed once more, with a second and final vote occurring after the fact.
Section 4: War Declaration When considering the case for war, all Council Members are required to vote; there can be a revote, but in either case, it is the decision of the King himself which is final.
Section 5: Leader of the Council The Leader of the Council can be requested or recommended to the council for a background check. If they pass, the council may vote on whether they should be the Leader of the Council. If they are accepted, they must then swear an oath of office and proceed to perform their duties accordingly. They may be released from their position by a vote of the council; in which case the process shall begin anew. The Leader of the Council is expected to begin and end meetings, lead the Council and oversee the decision making and voting processes. The Leader of the Council may distribute copies of the EAG to all members present for reference while the Council is in session.
Section 6: Requirements To be a Member of the Council, you must be an Ebnerian citizen with the ablity to make logical decisions based on reasoning and untainted by bias.
Section 7: Oath of Office The Oath of Office for all Council Members and the Leader is repeated as follows: “We the Members of the Council do solemnly swear to serve and protect the people of Ebneria to the best of our ability, to establish peace and justice, to endorse education, to create and strengthen political connections, to wage war against those who threaten the livelihood of our nation, to make logical decisions and act upon them accordingly.” The Oath shall be recited at each meeting of the Council as well as at the appointment of new Council Members.
Article 2: The King The King is the Head of State, and thus represents the nation as a whole.
Section 1: Powers in Council The King has the power to suggest a revote (as stated in Art. 1, Sec. 3) when establishing a course of action on matters of state. The King’s vote does not have any particular significance. The King shall not bribe or blackmail fellow council members in casting their votes; persuasion is considered a political skill. The King may choose to remove a council member from his position with the consensus of two-thirds majority of Council Members.
Section 2: Exclusive Powers The King has the power to grant titles of nobility but also repeal them. The Ebnerian Royal Decree is an direct order from the King which is to be put into effect immediately; for example, this can be used to declare a national holiday or State of Emergency. In previous years, these were not formalized, so it is difficult to determine which actions constituted a Royal Decree. Thus, from this revision of the EAG onward(20 July 2020) all Ebnerian Royal Decrees must be formally written, catalouged and announced.
Section 3: Royal Style A ruler of Ebneria is known mostly by their chosen ruling name, i.e. Roman I Conqueror. In Royal Proclamations however, the ruling name is read first in addition to the name of their Royal House and micronational titles in the ruler's possession: Roman I of House Westrich, Chieftain of the Woodland Vikings, Mayor of the City-State of Memphis, Emperor of New Rome, Master Architect of Ravinia, President of Ravinia, King of Ebneria, the Conqueror.
Section 4: Removal The Council has the power to remove the King in the event of a power struggle(such as a coup) or if it is seen as a necessary step in protecting the Kingdom. A two-thirds majority is needed.
Section 5: Abdication The King may abdicate on the premise of any one of these three reasons: physically/mentally unfit to serve, unwillingness/lack of interest in serving, and the inability to properly govern the Kingdom due to lack of skill or time. If a ruler no longer inhabits the Kingdom regularly, they should not keep their throne, as they will not govern well from afar. If there is not a monarch residing in Ebneria to govern, then the Mayor of Hausstadt(the capital city/province) holds power as Steward of the Kingdom until the return of a rightful King.
Section 6: Death In the immediate aftermath of a ruler’s death, the Kingdom of Ebneria will lower all flags, send out a formal announcement and immediately issue a time of mourning, that time being equal to that of the ruler’s reign in this conversion(years=days). A new ruler must be chosen immediately.
Section 7: Succession The King may decide who will succeed him by creating a list of succession; this list may be edited and revised. Male Primogeniture is prohibited, as all who are in line for the throne may be capabale and powerful rulers regardless of their identity. If the King is childless, the next youngest sibling will assume the throne. If there are no living close family members, the line may pass to the next nearest and oldest cousin. The line may never pass back a generation. If the next in line happens to be a governor of one of the provinces, they may act as both, retain both titles and continue to control both their province and the nation.
Section 8: Coronation In the event that a new ruler is chosen, they must immediately be coronated. The previous ruler must be present to bear witness and crown the new ruler. If the previous ruler is dead, then this ceremony must be performed at their funeral. The new ruler will walk towards the old while the royal anthem plays. The ruler yet-to-be-crowned will then be asked to recite their oath. Having done this, the new ruler must kneel and receive the crown from the old ruler. As a symbolic gesture, the old ruler wears the crown till this moment, showing that the reign is being passed to another. In the case of a death, the next highest official performs these honors. After the crown is placed upon the new ruler’s head, the old ruler shall say “Rise, King/Queen/Ruler ______(name) of Ebneria. The newly coronated ruler will rise and turn to face the crowd; the old ruler will shout alone “Long live the King/Queen/Ruler!” and the crowd will repeat the same. One cheer goes to each ruler as a gesture of good faith.
Section 9: Requirements In order to ascend the throne, a ruler of Ebneria must be at least thirteen years of age. The ruler must always live presently in Ebneria, and attend to business as needed. Those who become ruler of Ebneria and identify as male may hold the title “King of Ebneria” while those who identify as female may hold the title “Queen of Ebneria”, and those who identify as neither of the aforementioned two may hold the title “Ruler of Ebneria”.
Section 10: Oath of Office The Oath of Office for the King of Ebneria reads as follows: “I swear upon my honor as the sovereign ruler of this independent nation that I will serve and protect my people with honor, loyalty and responsibility. I agree that if I, as King of the Ebnerians fail to serve and protect with honor, loyalty and responsibility, if not the Council, the people will release me from my duties.”
Article 3: The Supreme Court The Supreme Court is the formal judicial body of the Kingdom of Ebneria. It functions as the source of justice in the Kingdom.
Section 1: Laws The laws which are passed by the Council as well as the laws mentioned in the EAG are to be enforced by the courts.
Section 2: Members The Supreme Court will be headed by a collection of three national judges; underneath them there is one judge for each province.
Section 3: Attendance Judges need only meet when there are cases to be resolved. All must be in attendance.
Section 4: Voting With a total of (?) judges, the verdict will always be determined immediately, although if the final verdict does not satisfy the King, he may request a re-evaluation of the decision. There are three verdict choices: Guilty, Innocent, and Cannot be Determined. Cases are always to be analyzed through the use of logical and objective reasoning, with the proper use of evidence, untainted by bias.
Section 5: Law And Punishment Treason, the highest offense, is punishable by exile and the revocation of one’s citizenship, meaning they may never step foot upon Ebnerian soil ever again. Raising arms or plotting against the government, lying directly with intention to the Council, King or any of the Court Judges is a violation of this law. Physically striking someone with the intent to harm or injure them is considered assault and will be punished with the suspension of one’s citizenship and a strike on their record (you may not become any sort of government official if you have obtained any number of strikes). The use of excessive vulgar language or insults with the intent of harming someone in any way is considered Verbal Assault/Verbal Harassment, which is punishable by a strike on your record, a simple referral to the Courts or public service (depending on the severity of the words used) in which case the Courts will work to fix the problem effectively. Thieves will be forced to return stolen items and pay a fine to the rightful owner or replace the object if it is broken, and will also receive a strike or community service time. The stealing of others ideas is considered to be theft as well (although not punished as harshly) and will result in proper credit being given and well as a fine payed to the creator; this also includes the EAG, which may not be replicated in any form by any person, for their work shall be destroyed and they themselves forced to pay a fine. The intentional destruction of the environment (excluding building) is considered destruction of state property which is punishable by community service time, a strike, referral to the Courts or suspension of one’s citizenship; the destruction of buildings also falls under this rule. All non-natural items must always leave the woods when one would return. Trespassing on Ebnerian territory without permission, or if you have had your citizenship revoked, or you have been exiled will result in the removal of said person(s) by use of force. Spying or being in possession of stolen information will have said person interrogated and detained until a solution may be achieved.
Section 6: Law Enforcement The Sheriff shall actively enforce the laws laid down by both the court and the EAG. They are to be elected by the King, Council and Supreme Court to fufill their duties. Their oath is as follows: “I shall enforce the laws of Ebneria with honor and diligence. I assume this position with the just intent of doing this; If I should fail at my duty, I will thus be relieved from my post.
Section 7: Requirements To be a member of the Court, you must be an Ebnerian citizen and at least 13 years of age, with a decent knowledge of Ebnerian Law and government functions.
Article 4: Provinces The Provinces of Ebneria function as smaller political divisions which provide materials, people, goods and services for the use of all of Ebneria. Each follows national law and retains a fair amount of autonomy from the central government while possessing a unique culture and history.
Section 1: Laws Laws established by the EAG are universal for all provinces and territories of the Kingdom. Provincial Judges and their courts may only prosecute criminals; only the Supreme Court may put laws into action.
Section 2: Cities Cities may choose to elect their own Mayor, and all cities in a state are under the rule of their respective Provincial Government. Cities may conduct building projects with the approval of the Provincial Governor.
Section 3: Autonomy Territories will remain generally autonomous from the central government and other territories if they wish. This is to guarantee more freedom and create an atmosphere of independence while still belonging to a central government.
Section 4: Death If any leader in the Kingdom were to die, a successor must be found immediately and brought to power.
Section 5: Gubernatorial Election The Council must approve the new governor, and they must take an oath of office. They will then swear fealty to the King; in the case of a new King, they will take the oath of office and swear fealty to their people, their nation and their government.
- Section 6: Protected Lands
Territories which retain the title of “Protected Lands” are not under the jurisdiction or control of the Kingdom, though they are supervised, protected and maintained. They are designated lands which are not to be claimed by any political entity, as they have been set aside for the people of La Crosse. Two territories currently fall under this title, The Hixon Forest Protectorate and the Bluffview Protectorate.
- Section 7: Governor of All Protected Lands
The Governor of All Protected Lands shall oversee the Protected Lands of Ebneria. They must have a passion for the environment and teaching others about it, as well as protecting it.
- Section 8: The Governor Of The Islands
The Governor of the Islands shall oversee the islands which belong to the Kingdom.
- These sections do not pertain to the current state of the Kingdom and its territorial assets, though these particular paragraphs are deemed useful were a situation to arise in which they could be used; thus, they have been struck through for the time being.
Article 5: Military The military is responsible for keeping the peace and protecting the country.
Section 1: Leaders The Captain of the Royal Guard is the head of the Army; the Admiral of the Royal Navy is the head of the Navy; the Lead Pilot of the Special Drone Force is the head of the Drone Force. King and Council have control of all three groups and their leaders, and will forward orders to them as necessary.
Section 2: Following Orders One will only follow orders from the top. One will comply with and complete these orders to the best of one’s ability. Failure to comply with orders will result in immediate discharge from the military.
Section 3: Weaponry All weapons belong to or are monitored by the government.
Section 4: Maintenance The military is to be maintained by the central government; no province may possess any body of armed personnel. The Sheriff is an exception to this, as they belong to the government, not any particular province.
Article 6: Economy The Economy is a crucial part of a nation state, providing funding to the people as well as the government.
Section 1: Currency There will be a single national currency; no province may possess different currency.
Section 2: Finances Finances, such as GDP, will be maintained by the council.
Section 3: Financial Aid If Ebneria or any other micronation is in need of financial aid, the Council will manage the transaction after completing the necessary decision making, voting and approval processes.
Article 7: Rights and Freedoms of the People The rights and freedoms of the people are important to both the Kingdom and its citizens.
Section 1: Freedoms and Rights These freedoms and rights will be guaranteed to each and every citizen of the Kingdom, regardless of ethnicity, religion, gender identity or age; the freedom of religion, the press, speech and expression. The right to a fair and speedy trial, to refuse a search without a warrant, to seek asylum from persecution, and to all freedoms. These rights and freedoms of the people shall not be infringed in any circumstance. If clarification is needed, please contact a government official with an understanding of the rights and freedoms granted to citizens.
Section 2: Culture Cultural practices may be observed so long as they do not violate the law, inflict pain upon others or infringe upon the rights of others.
Section 3: Citizenship Ebnerians may possess dual citizenship, although they must notify a government official and receive approval. All people living on land claimed by Ebneria are automatically Ebnerian Citizens. Passports shall be issued to those wishing to travel internationally. Passports are not needed if one possesses dual citizenship.
Article 8: Political Relations Forming political relations with other nations are essential in today’s globally connected world.
Section 1: Alliances In order to join a political alliance, the King and his Council must approve the decision. Alliances are maintained by the Council and the King through communication with said groups or states. In the case of the shattering of an alliance, precautions may be taken by the government.
Section 2: War and Peace Creating an alliance is forming a treaty. Therefore, two nations who have established an alliance are at peace with one another. If an allied nation betrays the Kingdom, they are now an enemy of the state and it is acceptable to declare war against them if necessary. During war, Allies may send aid in the form of weapons, supplies, troops, etc. Said Allies may also receive aid given by Ebneria(with the approval of King and Council).
*Article 9: Building Laws and Limits It is necessary for building laws and limits to be established in order to create a safe, creative environment.
Section 1: Materials Buildings and structures will be built using only natural materials found in the area. These natural materials may be shaped and manipulated by accepted tools.
Section 2: Boundaries All buildings and structures will be overseen by the state they are a part of. Buildings may only be built by Ebnerians in Ebnerian territory.
Section 3: Tools Building tools that are accepted are as follows: Hatchets, Saws, Loppers, Pocket Knives.
- These sections do not pertain to the current state of the Kingdom and its territorial assets, though these particular paragraphs are deemed useful were a situation to arise in which they could be used; thus, they have been struck through for the time being.
Article 10: Revisions Future additions which may be made to these Articles to alter, abolish or establish new laws. A revision may be suggested or ordered by and Ebnerian Royal Decree.
Section 1: Approval Process Amendments to the Ebnerian Articles of Governance shall be approved by the Supreme Court, the Council and the King.
Section 2: Implementation The law(s) that an Amendment establishes will go into effect immediately after approval and signing into law.
Let it be so, that, on the Twenty-Second of July Two-Thousand and Twenty, this document was updated and ratified by the King and his Council.