New Virginian Consul

Consuls of New Virginia
Incumbent His Hon. Sir Adam von Friedeck SKSM Vacant since 1 January 2021 and 2 August 2021
Appointer	Prime Minister from the Senators and at their own discretion
Term length	One calendar year
Constituting instrument	Constitution of New Virginia
First holder	Adam Belcher Adam von Friedeck

The Consuls are two officers of the New Virginian Senate and judiciary who are appointed at the start of every calendar year by the Prime Minister from the sitting senators. The office of Consul was established with the enactment of the Constitution of New Virginia on 31 July 2020; however, the first Consuls would not be appointed until 22 August later that year.

The New Virginian Consulship is based heavily on the Austenasian institution of the same name, and shares many of the same functions held by that office.

Powers and responsibilities

The Consuls have the authority to issue punishment for criminals convicted by any of the New Virginian courts at any level; however, the Consuls alternate in these duties each month, with the non-sitting Consul having veto power over his colleague. Consuls additionally serve as deputies to the President of the Senate in their duty of presiding over the Senate, however this a result of precedent and not statutory authority. Consuls also serve as presiding officers and voting members (so long as they are concurrently citizens and not candidates themselves) of the Electoral College, which elects the President of the Commonwealth. Consuls also preside over trials of impeachment of the President of the Commonwealth; this was done to prevent a conflict of interest due to the President of the Senate's status as first in the line of succession to the Presidency.

At present, no punishment has been declared by the Consuls as no criminal trials have taken place. While the Senate is the de jure advisory body to the President, for relatively minor questions and affairs the President will often seek the counsel of the Consuls and/or the President of the Senate. The Consuls are by convention considered "grand officers of state," an informal term used to describe the President of the Commonwealth and the heads of the three branches of government - the Prime Minister leads the Government, the presiding officers lead the houses of Parliament, and the Consuls concurrently lead the judiciary with the President of the Senate.

Appointment and removal

The Consuls are appointed by the Prime Minister at the start of a calendar year to serve until the end of that year. Consuls must concurrently be Senators, and at least one Consul must be a citizen of the Commonwealth; making the Consuls unique amongst the great officers of state in that they may potentially hold the status of New Virginian national, without having the full political rights of citizens, by special dispensation of the House of Burgesses.

When the Consuls are appointed, they are designated as either the first or second Consul. These titles carry with them no sense of rank, and are used to determine which consul will enact powers on odd- or even-numbered months. Additionally, when a Consul dies, is removed from office, or resigns, the Prime Minister shall designate a Consul suffectus to serve the remainder of the term. As with first and second Consuls, there is no difference in rank between a Consul ordinary or a Consul suffectus.

Consuls may be removed from office by the Senate by majority vote for misconduct; however, at present, this has yet to occur.

List of Consuls

Year	First Consul	Second Consul
2020	His Hon. Adam Belcher	His Hon. Adam von Friedeck
2021	His Hon. Sir Adam von Friedeck SKSM	The Rt. Hon. Sir Simon White KNVI until 19 January
		Her Hon. Dame Magnolia Flowers DSM suffectus 23 February - 2 August

See also

• Senate (New Virginia)