Laws of Princia
The article details most of the common laws in the Princian Commonwealth; those such as drinking age, voting age, border control, taxation, etc. Only those laws that are different from that of the United Kingdom are listed in this article, most other laws that are not listed here are shared with the UK and are the same in Princia.
Drinking age
The legal age to purchase alcohol in Princia is 15 (although individual sellers usually set their own policies in regards to drinking age, commonly 16-18), with no legal age to consume it at home or in other private premises. Since the foundation of Princia in June 2017 up until the 2021 De-Prohibition Act in August 2021, the drinking age was previously set at 18 in the provinces of Addersonheath, Cathairo-Pempire, Southopearce, the Soeds, Stonne & Allisterloo and 21 in Parvusmount. The drinking age in Princia (bar Parvusmount) lowered from 18 to 15 on 20 August 2021 following the passage of the 2021 De-Prohibition Act. The drinking age in Parvusmount later lowered from 21 to 15 to be in line with the rest of Princia on 2 January 2022 following the passage of the 2022 Parvusmount Act, which meant that Parvusmount lost the right to laws exclusive to within its jurisdiction – including drinking age. On 30 December 2021, two major parties announced intended changes to the drinking age in Princia: the United Democratic & Liberal Party announced their intention to completely abolish the drinking age, and the Metropolitan Party announced their intention to higher the drinking age by one year to 16. The United Democratic & Liberal Party have since stood by their original intention, while the Metropolitan Party modified theirs to include holding a national referendum in regards to both the drinking age and use of drugs laws. On 17 January 2022, the Traditionals Party announced their support for a drinking age of 21, but recognised that some provinces may be accustomed to a significantly lower drinking age.
Age of consent
Sexual consent
The current age of sexual consent in Princia is 16, but only when the consenting individuals in question are aged 16 or 17 – otherwise the age of consent is 18. Princia previously had no age of consent until August 2021.
Medical consent
The current age of medical consent in Princia is defined as when a person reaches legal adulthood, the first June following a 16th birthday.
Purchase and use of drugs
In Princia, low-risk drugs such as nicotine and medicinal drugs are legal at any age; cannabis, sleeping pills and sedatives are legal from 16; and all other high-risk drugs such as heroin, cocaine, amphetamine, LSD and ecstasy are legal from 18. On 30 December 2021, two major parties announced intended changes to the purchase and use of drugs age in Princia: the United Democratic & Liberal Party announced their intention to abolish the use of cannabis, sleeping pills and sedatives age, and the Metropolitan Party announced their intention to higher the use of high-risk drugs age to 21. The United Democratic & Liberal Party later abandoned their original intention, while the Metropolitan Party modified theirs to include holding a national referendum in regards to both the use of drugs and drinking age laws. On 17 January 2022, the Traditionals Party announced their support for a complete ban on cannabis and all other high risk drugs and the introduction of a nicotine age of 18.
Minimum wage and retirement
The current per hour minimum wage in Princia is 1Ʀ-4₫ for over-16s, 18Đ for under-16s (both effective since the 2nd Minimum Wage Act passed on 27 July 2021) and 2Ʀ-8₫ for over-60s (effective since the 3rd Minimum Wage Act passed on 9 August 2023). Additionally, also effective since the 3rd Minimum Wage Act, the current per day minimum wage for over-18s is 1Ỻ, while this minimum does not exist for under-18s. Previously, Princia had no minimum wage at all and for a short time following the introduction of Princia's first minimum wage as a result of the 1st Minimum Wage Act passed on 25 July 2021 it was set at 18Đ for over-16s and 14Đ for under-16s. Optional retirement age in Princia is currently set at 60 – although, as mentioned previous, persons over this age are entitled to a much higher minimum wage in the hopes that they continue working past this age.
Education and adulthood
Adulthood in Princia is classed as when a person completes mandatory education, which in most cases is the first June following a 16th birthday. Adulthood means parents lose parental rights & responsibilities; voting rights are obtained; consent is able to be given; and cannabis, sleeping pills & sedatives are able to be purchased; among other things.
Taxation
Income tax
Princian income tax is split into six brackets: tax-free, starter, basic, intermediate, higher and top. All income tax brackets are the same nationally.
| Name | Income backet (p.a.) | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Tax-free | Up to 400Ỻ | 0% |
| Starter | 400Ỻ to 800Ỻ | 15% |
| Basic | 800Ỻ to 1,200Ỻ | 20% |
| Intermediate | 1,200Ỻ to 1,600Ỻ | 40% |
| Higher | 1,600Ỻ to 2,000Ỻ | 50% |
| Top | Over 2,000Ỻ | 60% |
Value-added tax (VAT)
Princian value-added tax is a set rate applied to any goods or services a business sells, including that of statutory corporations. The rate of VAT is usually decided and collected nationally, or it can be overridden and collected by an autonomous area or a governmental province if they so choose. At present, all subdivisions with the authority to collect VAT have opted to do so.
| VAT | Rate | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| National rate | 20% | Increased from 17·5% in 2021 | |
| Areas | Brikkad Area | 25% | Increased from 20% to comply with Penroe-Louçade funding agreements |
| Devergate Area | 30% | Highest VAT in Princia | |
| Warterby Area | 22·5% | Decreased from 25% and due to further decrease by 2·5%pt. increments until 15% | |
| Dashgamo Area | 12% | Lowest VAT in Princia | |
| Tourstead Area | 17·5% | Decreased from the national rate and due to further decrease by 2·5%pt. increments until 12·5% | |
| Provinces | Stonne | 17·5% | Retaining of the original national rate |
| Parvusmount | 12·5% | Increased from no VAT following the 2022 Parvusmount Act | |
Murage
As per the 2024 Murage Order, which established murage tax-zones (MTZs), a rate of murage/muragh (tax) is applied to goods entering each – with the tax raised funding the MTZ's relevant UMDF regiment.
| Murage tax-zone | Code | Geogrph. area covered | UMDF regiments funded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home provinces & Stonne | Mrg. I | Addersonheath | Allied, Blacks and 1st Royal (part) |
| Cathairo-Pempire | |||
| Southopearce | |||
| Isles of Stonne | |||
| The Soeds | Mrg. II | The Soeds | 1st Royal (part) |
| Allisterloo | Mrg. III | Allisterloo | 2nd Royal Grouped (part) |
| Parvusmount | Mrg. IV | Parvusmount | 2nd Royal Grouped (part) |
LGBT+ rights
Princia has extremely progressive LGBT+ rights, permitting many rights such as same-sex marriage and the changing of legal gender. These laws permit any gender (not just male and female) to be stored in government documents and databases, with a distinction made between biologically-oriented sex (male and female) and socially-oriented gender (any). The only aspect Princia falls short on is legislation covering hate-crimes and discrimination - as it is the opinion of the Prince's Order that discrimination in an ideal society should not occur in the first place for the need to arise of legal protection, with education being the best tool any government can use to combat such discrimination rather than authority.
| Right | Law |
|---|---|
| Same-sex sexual activity |  16+yrs
|
| Equal age of consent | |
| Anti-discrimination laws in employment | 
|
| Anti-discrimination laws in all other areas | |
| Hate crimes laws covering both sexual orientation and gender identity | |
| Anti-hate speech legislation | |
| Recognition of same-sex couples (e.g. civil unions) |
|
| Marriage equality (e.g. same sex marriage) | |
| Adoption by same-sex couples | |
| LGBTQ+ allowed to serve openly in the military | |
| Right to change legal gender | |
| Access to in vitro fertilisation for lesbians | |
| Homosexuals allowed to donate blood |
Licensing
Most forms of licence that exist in the neighbouring United Kingdom simply do not exist in Princia, for example: no licence is required for the sale of the likes of alcohol, nicotine, medicinal drugs, cannabis, sleeping pills, sedatives, heroin, cocaine, amphetamine, LSD or ecstasy and there are no time or quantity restrictions on their sale.
Driver's licence and vehicle registration
The main kind of licence required in Princia is a driver's licence, with a provisional (learner's) licence available from the age of 15 and a full licence available from the age of 16. All licences are currently tested for and granted by the Vehicles Authority, a branch of the Filorux Group. Drivers will also require their vehicle(s) to be registered with the Vehicles Authority and its unique identification number (registration plate) displayed on the front and rear of the vehicle. All registration plates in Princia start with the two, three or four digit postal code of the district in which the vehicle was registered, then an interpunct for separation followed by four random letters. The postal codes used in the image example are W11 (Warterby City, Cathairo-Pempire), Ɪ21 (Nasc Docklands, Stonne) and 15 (City of Kinparley, Parvusmount).
Firearm possession
All guns are banned in Princia unless express permission is given in the form of a licence for a very specific reason, usually for the police or army. Even most police in Princia do not carry guns - only a small number of specially trained officers are permitted to do so. Most laws in Princia are extremely liberal, bar only gun laws. This is due to the opinion of the Prince's Order being that guns are seen as inherently authoritarian - if the government does not use the authority to ban firearms, the population of the country will use said firearms to project authority regardless, with this type of authority often being unjust due to lack of regulation. In simple terms, it is more liberal to ban guns as the freedom to own firearms gives individuals too much power to wield over others when that power could be responsibly wielded by a democratically elected government.
National identity card
Although not strictly a license, the PiCNIC card (for Princian Commonwealth National Identity Card) can be used for proof of age and citizenship. No law mandates that the Princian people must bare an identity card, but one can be issued if the person so chooses: displaying their photo, names, age, place of birth, sex and gender.
Electoral regulations
Voting age
The voting age in Princia is currently 15, having previously been set at 18 until August 2021.
Referendum regulations
If the result of a two-way referendum does not produce an option with 60% or more of the vote share, the outcome of the referendum defaults to the status quo (i.e. nothing happens). Since January 2023, referendum regulations have been expanded to include those with more than two options – stipulating that a run-off second referendum must be held with the two highest-voted options of the first if a single option does not exceed the 60% threshold.
Election regulations
Unitary elections, royal elections and economic elections (together known as tri-elections) must be held monthly, between the 1st and 7th days of each calendar month. If the registered voters for an election does not exceed 50% of the population of eligible voters by the day of the election it will be cancelled and pushed to the next month.
Exceptions
Since May 2024, the law requiring a voter registration of at least 50% for a given election to be held can be overruled if the prime minister so chooses – meaning the leader of the ruling party can force an election if needed, regardless of registration or turnout. The election in which the law will not apply must be announced no less than 4 weeks prior to voting day. The first election exempt from these regulations has been announced to be held on 4 July 2024, the first Princian election to be held on the same day as a United Kingdom general election.
Subdivision-specific laws
Tourstead Area
Military conscription
Citizens living in the Tourstead Area are subject to a minimum of 2 years military service in the Blacks Regiment of the Unified Military Defence Force once mandatory education has been completed. A common exemption can be obtained by completing 3 continuous years in the cadet section of the Blacks Regiment while still in education, in school years 9-11 (ages 13-16). Other exemptions can be obtained, such as for disabilities, etc.
The Soeds (province)
Welsh language
A law passed by the now-defunct Atiscross Assembly stipulates that the Welsh language must be placed on "equal footing" with English, meaning all official documents and signage must display both languages (similar to the Welsh Language Act 1993 in Wales). Despite the Atiscross Assembly now being abolished, the law remains in place.
Devergate Area
Spanish language
A law passed upon the area's founding stipulates much the same as the Welsh law in the Soeds, only with the Spanish language. All official documents and signage must display both Spanish and English, again on "equal footing."
Other laws
Border control
Princia currently maintains an extremely liberal and open border, not requiring a passport or a visa to enter or leave the country. Although in theory anyone can move through Princia's borders of their own accord, this in reality is subject to the neighbouring United Kingdom's discretion, as all of Princia is surrounded by either British national waters or United Kingdom territory - and without an airport of its own, anyone wanting to enter Princia must first pass through the United Kingdom and their border control.
Victimless crimes
Victimless crimes committed in Princia do not have a prison sentence as punishment, but instead will carry a fine. All fines in Princia are capped at 1Ỻ.
National emergencies
The 2024 National Emergencies Act, passed on 9th April 2024, allows a national emergency to be declared by either the prime minister, the prince or the minister of safety, but approval must be gained from all three. A national emergency exempts the Prince's Order from being subjected to the law and extends the UMDF's jurisdiction internally, temporarily converting the Princian Commonwealth from a Rechtsstaat to a Polizeistaat.
Measurement system
Princia uses a combination of the metric system and its own Comprehensive Imperial system in official documents and on signage.
| Measurement | Metric units used | Imperial units used | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Horizontal length | Centimetres, kilometres | Yards, miles | Centimetres are used until measurement exceeds 1yd |
| Yards are used until measurement exceeds 1½km | |||
| Kilometres are used until measurement exceeds 6mi | |||
| Miles are used when measurement is greater than 6mi | |||
| Vertical height | Centimetres, metres | Inches, feet | Centimetres are used until measurement exceeds 1in |
| Inches and feet are used until measurement exceeds 6m | |||
| Metres are used when measurement is greater than 6m | |||
| Speed | none | Miles per hour | Only mph are used |