Great Council
A Great Council is a constitutional convention called in the South Pacific to significantly alter existing laws.
Procedure
The procedure of Great Councils is laid out in the Charter of the Coalition of the South Pacific.
Great Council of 2003
In August 2003, tensions arose on the Regional Message Board, with the nation Casalanario criticizing the Charter and the off-site community. Slackervania announced a Great Council on 20 August. The Council was to occur on the onsite forums and hold discussions on amendments to the Charter, election processes, and the role of the Cabinet.[1]
Outcomes
The onsite forum records are lost, but the amended Charter is available here.
Great Council of 2006
Over the course of 2005, Tsrill, with Cabinet approval, worked privately on improvements to the Charter, identifying and resolving inconsistencies in the law.[2][3] This was brought to the attention of the Council in November 2005, causing debate on if the revision process should be opened up to the public.[4] The resulting Great Council lasted from 6 to 19 January 2006.[5]
Outcomes
- Several offices changed names - the Council of the South Pacific became the Assembly of the South Pacific, the Vice Delegate became the Prime Minister, and all Cabinet Secretaries became Ministers.[6][5]
- Judicial procedure was codified.[7][5]
- The Chair of the Assembly was established (initially under the name Chair of the Council) with the responsibilities of running votes and maintaining the law archives.[8][5]
- The procedure of law-making was codified, setting vote thresholds and giving the Minister of the Region the responsibilities of running votes and maintaining the law archives.[9][5]
- Treason was made a crime.[10][5]
- Recalls were introduced under the name impeachment.[5]
Great Council of 2007
In late 2007, a forum server crash destroyed all records of contemporary South Pacifican law. The Great Council of 2007 was proposed as an opportunity to improve and reconstruct the laws of the South Pacific.[11] The Great Council was called by Caer Rialis and lasted from 6 January to 20 January 2007.
Outcomes
As the previous laws were lost it is difficult to determine changes made in this Council. Some votes passed on changes that had previously been made but records were lost.
- The position of Minister of Security was created, combining the roles of Ministers of Defence and Intelligence.[12][13]
- Term lengths of three months were set.[14] This amendment had already passed, but records were lost in the crash.[15]
- The Charter was confirmed as the supreme document of South Pacifican law. The Ministry of Justice was given the power to declare void any law if it conflicted with the Charter, and a procedure was set out for Judicial Review of laws.[16]
- Breaking forum rules became equivalent to breaking on-site rules.[17]
Great Council of 2010
I can't find any evidence for this outside this thread: https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/thespacific/viewtopic.php?p=179658#p179658 and it was mentioned here: https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/thespacific/the-great-council-2012-t8490.html#p194925
Great Council of 2012
The Great Council of 2012 was called by Hileville due to contradictions in election laws, overly complicated procedures, and general dissatisfaction.[18] Citizens also hoped that the Great Council would spark legislative activity.[19][20] The Great Council lasted from 13 February to 6 March 2012.
Outcomes
(can't find the voting threads or results)
Great Council of 2013
13 March - 25 April 2013
Called by Belschaft
https://archive.tspforums.xyz/showthread.php?tid=1589
https://archive.tspforums.xyz/showthread.php?tid=1415&pid=22466
https://archive.tspforums.xyz/showthread.php?tid=1593
First Great Council of 2015
12 January 2015 - 24 February 2015
Called by Tsunamy
https://tspforums.xyz/thread-1497.html
https://tspforums.xyz/forum-149.html
Second Great Council of 2015
12 October 2015 - 21 November 2015
https://tspforums.xyz/forum-210.html
2016 Great Council
8 March - 26 May 2016
https://tspforums.xyz/forum-248.html
https://tspforums.xyz/thread-3854.html
References
- ↑ Slackervania, 20 August 2003. https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/thespacific/the-great-council-of-the-south-pacific-t135.html
- ↑ Tsrill, 5 December 2005. https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/thespacific/discussion-on-the-charter-t3934-s50.html#p112222
- ↑ Kloister, 4 December 2005. https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/thespacific/discussion-on-the-charter-t3934-s40.html#p112142
- ↑ Tsrill, 27 November 2005. https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/thespacific/discussion-on-the-charter-t3934.html#p111415
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 Fudgie, 19 January 2006. https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/thespacific/council-results-t4148.html#p116943
- ↑ Caer Rialis, 11 January 2006. https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/thespacific/chair-of-the-council-t4051.html#p115720
- ↑ Marionetsva, 14 December 2005. https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/thespacific/separation-of-powers-t4008.html#p113473
- ↑ Tsrill, 14 December 2005. https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/thespacific/chair-of-the-council-t4015.html
- ↑ Parrrrtay, 10 January 2006. https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/thespacific/council-procedures-t4052.html#p115678
- ↑ Marionetsvia, 13 December 2005. https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/thespacific/proposed-treason-amendment-t4012.html
- ↑ j delight, 10 January 2007. https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/thespacific/cabinet-meeting-t5384-s30.html#p130298
- ↑ Caer Rialis, 7 January 2007. https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/thespacific/ministry-of-security-t5423.html
- ↑ Voting thread. 13 January 2007. https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/thespacific/ministry-of-security-t5437.html
- ↑ Voting thread. 13 January 2007. https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/thespacific/term-of-office-t5436.html
- ↑ Fudgie, 11 January 2007. https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/thespacific/terms-of-office-t5418.html#p130378
- ↑ Tsrill, 7 January 2007. https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/thespacific/supremacy-of-the-charter-t5420.html
- ↑ Tsrill, 7 January 2007. https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/thespacific/scope-of-the-charter-t5419.html
- ↑ Tsrill, 21 January 2012. https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/thespacific/the-great-council-2012-t8490-s20.html
- ↑ Hileville, 20 January 2012. https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/thespacific/the-great-council-2012-t8490.html#p194925
- ↑ Antariel, 21 January 2012. https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/thespacific/the-great-council-2012-t8490-s20.html