Article XIV of the Charter was amended by the Assembly on the 29
th of May, 2022 (
Debate thread |
Voting thread)
CHARTER OF THE SOUTH PACIFIC
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XIV. GREAT COUNCILS
Setting a procedure for constitutional conventions.
(1) When the Assembly wishes to debate the fundamental principles and structures of the Coalition, it may call a Great Council to rewrite all laws in their entirety, or establish a new state for the South Pacific.
(2) A resolution establishing a Great Council may be adopted with a three-fifths supermajority of the Assembly, which must be confirmed by a majority vote of the gameside community.
(3) The purpose of a Great Council is to rewrite all laws from the ground up, not merely to amend existing ones. The Assembly should use the normal amendment process for basic amendments, reserving Great Councils for a time when extreme changes are necessary and proper.
(4) Any and all changes to regional law proposed by a Great Council may be adopted by a three-fifths supermajority of the Assembly, which must be confirmed by a majority vote of the game-side community.
(5) If a Great Council fails to pass a new constitution and set of laws to replace the existing ones, then the existing laws will remain in place.
(6) At least one year must have passed since the previous Great Council before a new one may be established.
(1) The Assembly may call a constitutional convention, wherein the Charter and laws of the Coalition can be rewritten or amended in a systematic manner. These conventions shall be known as Great Councils and be presided over by a chair responsible for maintaining decorum, compiling proposals, recognizing motions, and recording votes.
(2) Great Councils shall operate in parallel to the Assembly, which will still be convened under regular order. Participation in Great Councils is determined in the organizing resolution, where the Assembly may expand eligibility beyond legislators or restrict eligibility by criteria it deems fit.
(3) Great Councils may only be called once per year, unless in the intervening time the legitimacy of the Coalition has been challenged and the Assembly must reassert constitutional order.
(4) In calling a Great Council, the Assembly shall pass an organizing resolution by majority vote, naming a chair, determining eligibility requirements, and establishing an agenda and rules of order. Organizing resolutions may be altered by majority vote of the Great Council once convened.
(5) Changes or additions to the constitutional canon of the Coalition may be adopted by a three-fifths majority of the Great Council. Changes or additions to regular statutory law may be adopted by simple majority of the Great Council.
(6) Great Councils shall remain convened until a motion to adjourn sine die is adopted by simple majority.