[Passed] Council Organization Amendment
Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2016 3:16 pm
What this amendment does:Council Organization Amendment Section 1: Council of Viziers Amendment
(1) Article III, Section 3 of the Scroll of Ma'at will be amended as follows:
Current Text wrote:Section 3: Chief Vizier of the Osiris Fraternal Order
(1) The Chief Vizier is the head of government of the Osiris Fraternal Order and is responsible for managing domestic and foreign affairs in the name of the Pharaoh, pursuant to requirements and restrictions imposed by law.
(2) The Chief Vizier will serve a three month term, following election by the Council of Scribes and appointment to office by the Pharaoh.
(3) The Chief Vizier is responsible for appointing, with the assent of the Pharaoh, a Council of Viziers to assist in the execution of government duties.
(4) The Chief Vizier must confer with the Pharaoh regarding matters of executive policy and will invite the Pharaoh to participate in all meetings of the Council of Viziers.
(5) The Chief Vizier must, a minimum of once per month, update the Council of Scribes on matters of executive policy to ensure informed legislative oversight.Section 2: Council of Priests AmendmentAmendment Text wrote:Section 3: Council of Viziers
(1) The Council of Viziers is responsible for managing executive domestic and foreign affairs in the name of the Pharaoh. The Council of Viziers will include the Chief Vizier and a minimum of two additional Viziers.
(2) The Chief Vizier presides over the Council of Viziers and is responsible for setting its executive domestic and foreign agenda in the name of the Pharaoh.
(3) The Chief Vizier will serve a three month term, following election by the Council of Scribes and appointment to office by the Pharaoh.
(4) The Chief Vizier is responsible for appointing, with the assent of the Pharaoh, the minimum number of Viziers required by this constitution and any additional Viziers. The Chief Vizier may, with the assent of the Pharaoh, remove Viziers from office.
(5) The Chief Vizier must, a minimum of once per month, update the Council of Scribes on matters of executive policy on behalf of the Council of Viziers to ensure informed legislative oversight.
(6) The Council of Viziers must confer with the Pharaoh regarding matters of executive policy, and the Pharaoh may attend all meetings of the Council of Viziers. The Pharaoh will have final authority on matters of executive domestic and foreign policy.
(7) Unless otherwise noted by this constitution, all decisions legally requiring a vote by the Council of Viziers will be determined by simple majority vote, which is defined as 50%+1. Abstentions may not be used to determine the outcome of any vote.
(8) The powers and duties of the Council of Viziers may be further regulated by requirements and restrictions imposed by law.
(1) The following will be amended into the Scroll of Ma'at as Article IV, Section 1(6) and (7):
Amendment Text wrote:(6) Unless otherwise noted by this constitution, all decisions of the Council will be determined by simple majority vote, which is defined as 50%+1. Abstentions may not be used to determine the outcome of any vote.
(7) The Council may delegate decisions related to criminal and civil proceedings to one Priest, provided the prosecution and the accused are permitted to appeal any such decision to the entire Council at the conclusion of the proceedings.
- Establishes that the Chief Vizier is part of the Council of Viziers. This is necessary to ensure that the Chief Vizier is able to cast a vote if the Council of Viziers is asked to authorize an Acting Pharaoh to take the WA Delegacy (cf. Article IV, Section 1(4) of the Legal Code).
- Establishes that the Council of Viziers must include a minimum of two additional Viziers. Again, this is necessary to ensure that there is sufficient representation in a vote to authorize an Acting Pharaoh to take the Delegacy, and any other legal voting power we may grant to the Council of Viziers in the future.
- Empowers the Chief Vizier to remove Viziers from office with the assent of the Pharaoh. Currently, only the Council of Scribes can remove a Vizier from office, which was an oversight when the constitution was drafted. The Chief Vizier should be able to manage the Council of Viziers as needed.
- Establishes a majority requirement for all decisions that legally require a vote by the Council of Viziers (such as the aforementioned authorization of an Acting Pharaoh to take the Delegacy).
- Establishes a majority requirement for all votes by the Council of Priests. Currently, due to an oversight, this isn't legally defined, which could empower the Council of Priests to establish plurality voting or unanimity requirements, either of which could be incredibly problematic.
- Empowers the Council of Priests to delegate criminal and civil decisions to one Priest, provided both the prosecution and the accused are able to appeal such a decision to the entire Council. Essentially, this allows trials to be overseen and ruled upon by one Priest instead of the entire Council, and appeals to be filed with the entire Council.