The Laws of SolaceThe Charter of Solace (February 3rd yr of Adelrune)I – The sovereign Nation of Solace is hereby established on Tear, as set down in the treaty between the Effendal Houses and Celestine Nation.
II – The Nation of Solace is established to provide for the protection and defense of the Citizens of the Nation of Solace, and those accepting the hospitality of the Nation of Solace.
III – The Nation of Solace shall be governed by a Council of Solace, as set down in the treaty between the Effendal Houses and Celestine Nation.
[/ul]IV – Citizenship of the Nation of Solace is bestowed upon those who meet the following conditions:
V – Citizens of Solace are obligated to follow all laws and duties as created by the Council of Solace.
VI – The Nation of Solace exists to promote good will between the Awakened, Returned, Human, Effendal, and other races.
The Council of Solace (February 3rd yr of Adelrune, revised February 4th yr of Adelrune)I – The Council of Solace is composed of:
II - Terms for Council Members will be for the duration of one year and all positions will be voted upon annually.
III - Special elections for a seat may be held if the Council Member has passed or derelict of duty as agreed upon by the remaining Council Members.
IV – All decisions made by the Council of Solace are binding law and must be agreed upon by vote.
[/ul]V – Formal meetings of the Council of Solace shall be held regularly and in closed session.
2. Closed sessions shall be restricted to Council Members only.
3. Citizens and Officials may be called before the Council of Solace to speak as needed.
4. Activated Proxies may come forth to vote in absentia as instructed by their Council Member.
5. Activated Proxies may present prepared statements or gather testimony on behalf of an absent Council Member as specifically requested by the absent Council Member, but may not engage in debate or deliberation.[/ul]VI - Votes and decisions made by the Council of Solace require a quorum.
VII - If a Council Member is unavailable for a duration of time, they may set in place a proxy to vote in absentia upon matters on their behalf.
2. It is the absent Council Member’s duty to inform their proxy of how they wish to vote on matters.
3. Proxies are empowered solely to vote as instructed by their absent Council Member, or to present prepared statements to the Council of Solace on behalf of their absent Council Member.
4. Proxies are granted two Pins of Status, as bestowed upon their position as a servant of royalty.[/ul]
The Election Standards for the Council of Solace (November 3rd yr of Adelrune)I – The Council of Solace is composed of:
II – Candidacy for the Council of Solace is as follows:
III – Votes by Citizens of Solace shall be cast as follows:
IV – All nominations must be received by the Solace celebration of Yule. Nominations may then be accepted or declined by the nominee before voting is allowed. Candidates will be announced after they have accepted their nominations. The announcement of final candidates will be made at the celebration of Yule.
V – Voting will be performed following the celebration of Yule. All votes must be cast before the next Court session following the celebration. Votes shall be signed by Citizens to guard against fraud.
VI – Candidacy, Nominations, and Voting shall be restricted to Citizens who have been established for at least one Court session prior to Yule.
Special Appointments (May 4th yr of Adelrune)I - Special appointments may be created by the Council of Solace as is necessary.
II- A listing of appointments is as follows:
[/ul]2. Solicitor
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Regarding the Rules of Society (February 3rd yr of Adelrune)I - Solace officially adopts the Rules of Society.
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Military Structure (February 4th year of Adelrune)I. The Solace Military shall be comprised of:
II. The Military Leader shall command the Solace Military
b. The Solace Army is led by a Commander of the Army.
[/ul][/ul]III. The responsibilities of the Solace Military is to protect the citizens and lands of Solace.
IV. Membership in the military is open to all citizens.
[/ul]V. The arms and equipment of the Guard and the Army will be held in the Armory.
Crimes (June 4th yr of Adelrune)I - The list of crimes that can be punishable in Solace includes, but is not limited to:
j. Treasonous offenses under the Rules of Society[/ul]2. High Crimes
3. Unforgivable Offenses under the Rules of Society
[/ul]II - Acceptable punishments based on crime for Citizens of Solace
2. Punishment for High Crimes
3. Punishment for Unforgivable Offenses
[/ul]III - Trial empowerment
Extradition (April 4th yr of Adelrune)I - Solace does recognize extradition.
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Financial ConsiderationsI - Only the Council of Solace has the authority to decide on issues that create income.
II - Physical representation of currency.
Regulation of the Treasury (February 4th yr of Adelrune)I – The Solace Treasury shall be managed by:
II - The duties of the Treasurers are as follows:
2. Management of Expenditures
3. Maintaining records
[/ul]III - Expenditures
[/ul]IV – Income
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Trial Law and Procedure for Offenses in Solace (January 4th yr of Adelrune)When a crime is brought to the attention of the Lord Magistrate of Solace, he shall empower the Solicitor to begin a trial against the Accused. The Accused must be presented with a formal accusation of their crimes by the Solicitor, followed by a declaration of when their trial shall be held.
After the accusation, and before the trial, the Solicitor shall collect evidence against the Accused or their delegate may gather evidence for their defense.
A guard detail shall be assigned to the Accused while they gather evidence for their defense. Should the Accused commit further offenses of the law during this time, or should they attempt to leave Solace, they shall be locked away and must assign a delegate to gather evidence in their stead.
A trial may be open to attendance or in closed session, decided upon by the Magistrate (or Council of Solace). The dignity of the Accused, the dignity of the wronged, and the public interest shall be weighed in this decision.
At the start of the trail, the Accused shall be presented before the Magistrate, or before the assembled Council of Solace for high crimes. The Solicitor shall announce the crimes of the Accused.
Before proceeding further, the Accused shall be given a choice: confess to the crimes against them, or refute the accusation and defend them in trial. If the Accused confesses, the Magistrate (or Council of Solace) shall consider and deliver their sentence. If the Accused instead refutes the accusations, then the trail shall continue.
The Solicitor shall present his evidence against the Accused. After each item of evidence is presented, the Accused may offer rebuttal regarding the evidence. The Solicitor may present his own rebuttal to that of the Accused, after which the Magistrate (or Council of Solace) shall take the evidence into consideration for it validity.
The Accused shall present his evidence refuting the accusations. After each item of evidence is presented, the Solicitor may offer rebuttal regarding the evidence. The Accused may present his own rebuttal of that of the Solicitor, after which the Magistrate (or Council of Solace) shall take the evidence into consideration for its validity.
Evidence shall be considered thusly:
- Evidence shall be a single point or fact.
- Evidence shall be tangible or verifiable by common examination.
- A point in testimony may be considered evidence, if the speaker is: trustworthy, under no coercion, and free from bribery.
After all evidence has been presented and accepted as valid, the Magistrate (or Council of Solace) shall consider the weight of all the evidence for and against the Accused and shall decide the Accused to be either Guilty or Innocent of the crimes for which they stand trial. If the Accused is found to be Guilty, a sentence shall be assigned based upon the merits of the crime.
After the evidence has been considered, the Magistrate shall announce his (or Council of Solace’s) judgment of the Accused. If Innocent of all crimes, the Accused shall be released. If the Accused are found to be Guilty of any of the crimes presented, their sentence shall also be announced.
The trial is concluded once the judgment has been announced. If the Accused is judged to be Guilty, the Magistrate and his delegates are responsible for carrying out the sentence. The matter of the crime is considered finished, and shall not be revisited without great need as determined by the Magistrate (or Council of Solace).
Rules of the Duel Under Solace LawThese rules are set in place to provide a standard code by which matters of honor may be settled in Solace between offended parties and their offenders. Under the Rules of Society, it is Treason not to abide by the terms of a duel, including the provisions herein. Duels and duelists that break these rules of civil conflict will be brought before the Council of Solace for their transgressions.
***Please note this has been edited to correct an error. The Council of Solace has never given seven pins of status to Council members, only five. This was a misprint from conversations that had occurred but were never approved.
