Rules of the Senate

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Continuator
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Rules of the Senate

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Rules of the Senate

I. NAME

1. The name of this legislature is the Senate, alternatively the Senate of Elwynn.

II. MEMBERSHIP


2. Members of the Senate are known as Senators.

3. New Members are appointed to the Senate by an Instrument of Government promulgated by the Court of the Prince.

4. A Senator may by public notice to the Senate resign his or her membership in the Senate.

5. A Senator who has renounced his or her Elwynnese nationality has automatically resigned his or her membership in the Senate.

6. The Senate may, by a majority vote of all Senators and at least two-thirds majority of those voting, exclude a Senator from the membership in the Senate.

III. MEETINGS


7. The Senate is in continuous session and meets normally in public.

8.In times of emergency, the Senate may decide to meet behind locked doors, provided that once the emergency is over, the Senate shall release its records of the meeting.

IV. PRESIDING OFFICERS


9. Presiding officers of the Senate comprise collectively the Coordinated Praesidium of the Senate of Elwynn, and individually these office-holders are the President of the Senate, the Deputy President and the President pro tempore.

10. The President of the Senate is elected by the Senate according to the rules on election, but may be removed by a simple decision of the Senate (according to the rules on measures).

11. The President of the Senate shall appoint a Deputy President to assist him or her whenever necessary, operating as a team to streamline Senate efficiency. In the absence of the President of the Senate, the Deputy President shall temporarily assume those duties.

12. The President pro tempore is, in the absence of a presiding officer, the first Senator, other than the one making a proposal, to address an item on the Senate floor. The President pro tempore retains said title only so long as a presiding officer remains absent.

13. The hierarchy among the presiding officers is as follows:
  • 1. the President of the Senate
    2. the Deputy President
    3. the President pro tempore
14. The President pro tempore may be overruled by the deputy president and the President of the Senate. The Deputy President may be overruled by the President of the Senate. The Senate is, however, reserved the right to overrule any of its presiding officers.

15. Whenever the rules speak of "the President", it shall include any of the presiding officers under this rule.

16. Notwithstanding anything contrary to it in this rule, the Prince (or in his stead, the Steward or other representative) shall be the presiding officer in the election of the President of the Senate.

17. The President, on his or her own accord or at the request of a Senator, may summon witnesses to give testimony to the Senate on relevant subjects. Witnesses summoned in this manner will provide this testimony to the Court of Justice and remain available to answer any and all follow up questions.

V. RECORD-KEEPING


18. The President shall make public each enacted law, resolution or other decision of the Senate in appropriate sections of the Senate's library as soon as possible after passage in the Senate.

19. The President shall keep the roster of Senators and update such roster when a new Senator is admitted and when a Senator resigns or is relieved from the Senate.

VI. ELECTIONS


20. Whenever the Senate shall elect a Prince, President of the Senate or other officer of the Republic, the election shall be managed according to this rule.

21. At least seventy-two hours of nominations shall be ensured, during which nominations must be confirmed by the prospective nominee.

22. If so moved, the President shall allow the Senate's subsequent discussion and debate on the matter for as long as deemed necessary, provided that it is not for longer than 150 hours.

23. Thereafter, voting for at least 96 hours shall go on. Each confirmed nominee shall be considered a candidate. Senators are allowed one vote alone and shall vote for one candidate, against all candidates (or, whenever only one candidate is provided, against the candidate) or vote blank.

24. When tallying the votes, blank votes shall make no bearing on the result. Otherwise, the plurality of the options wins. If it is a candidate, the candidate wins. In case of the "against all candidates"/"against the candidate") option winning, no candidate shall be elected and the election re-visited.

VII. IMPEACHMENT


25. Whenever a Senator feels it necessary to bring the Prince, the Steward, the President of the Senate or a judge of the Commission of Justice, before impeachment, the Senator shall issue a motion for impeachment to the Senate outlining the charges.

26. Impeachable charges may only include the following:
  • a) the failure of the accused to meet the obligations pertaining to his or her office;
    b) the act of criminality of the accused (found so by a court of law), and/or
    c) the contempt of Senate.
27. Once a motion for impeachment is issued before the Senate and the motion received support from a second senator, the President shall manage the question of impeachment.

28. The President shall order the accused to appear before the Senate to respond to the charges and answer the charges. Failure to appear shall have the impeachment motion automatically amended to include the contempt of Senate.

29. The Senate shall then begin to vote on each charge, with the option for each charge being guilty, not guilty or blank. If a two thirds' majority of the Senate has voted guilty on at least one of the charges, the accused is removed from his or her office.

VIII. MEASURES OF THE SENATE


30. The Senate passes Measures of the Senate. A Measure making law or amending a law is an Act of the Senate. A Measure deciding an administrative function of the Senate, as well as ratifying treaties, is a Decision of the Senate. A Measure expressing the Senate's will, sentiments or feelings is a Resolution of the Senate.

31. Any Senator may bring a Proposal for a Measure ("Proposal") to the Senate. The proposal shall be given at least 96 hours of debate upon receipt from the President.

32. During the debate stage, the Measure-proposing Senator may accept amendments to his or her Proposal . Should this occur, at least forty-two hours of debate shall be given.

33. After the debate stage, the President shall invite the Senate to vote on the Proposal during a period of 96 hours. Votes shall be cast in clear language and shall be in favour of passing the Proposal or against passing the Proposal. Senators may also indicate their neutrality by doing so in clear language. Votes of "AYE" for signifying being in favour, "NAY" for signifying being against and "BLANK" for neutrality are recommended.

34. After the voting stage is complete, the President shall tally the votes. The option (of either "AYE" or "NAY") receiving plurality shall be considered being adopted. If the plurality is in favour ("AYE") the Proposal is made official as the intended Measure (Act, Decision, Resolution). If the plurality is against, the Proposal is considered failed and recorded in the Senate's library.

IX. TIME LIMITS


35. When so moved by a Senator, the President may extend any hourly measured stage (for example in debate or voting) by an appropriate number of hours. The President may decide not to agree to such an extension and shall make his or her decision known.

36. When so moved by a Senator, the President may reduce any hourly measured stage by an appropriate number of hours. Reducing the hours of voting shall be only be made if a majority of the Senators already have voted or if the outcome of the vote cannot be changed by any subsequent vote.

37. Debate shall extend beyond the allotted hours until the President invites the Senate to vote.

38. Voting shall extend beyond the allotted hours until the President has closed the voting.

X. BY-LAWS


39. The President shall, when necessary, issue temporary by-laws to interpret these Rules.

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