Founder's Charter by Article (UBBC)

[z-Count Palatine Agent]

Sabastos, Count-Palatine of the Continental Union.
The Founder's Charter by Article.
6 January 2012

[/color][/b][/center]

The following topic responses contain a plain text version (UBBC format) of the Founder's Charter by Article. The documents appended to Constitutional Law appear in the sub-board below this sub-board. The official version of the Founder's Charter and Canon of Constitutional Law is contained in a non-modifiable PDF file located in a separate sub-board below that containing Constitutional Law Appendages. Below is the title page preface text of the Founder's Charter and the Canon of Constitutional Law.

---

The Founder’s Charter
of the Unified Region of the Continental Union:

The Principal Foundation and Canon of Constitutional Law
with Regional Orders-in-Council and Constitutional Commission Resolutions
appended to Constitutional Law as Established and Approved by

Constitutional Convention of the
Constitutional Commission and Charter Members
of the Continental Union.

[/b]

---

[z-Count Palatine Agent]

The Founder's Charter of the Continental Union
ARTICLE ONE
Purpose and Creation of the Founder's Charter,
Regional Names, Symbols, and Regional Mission Statement.

[/color][/b][/center]

---

1. The purpose of the Founder’s Charter is to establish an outline for Regional Constitutional Law [cf. ROIC 01§1], to create a guideline for managing the Regional Forum, to provide an apparatus for Regional Administration during each Stage of Regional Governance [cf. III FCh], and to establish, define, and codify the activities and responsibilities of the Regional Founder [cf. III FCh 1(a)(i) & V FCh], the Founder’s Council [cf. IV FCh], the Unified Executive Council, and the Branches of Regional Government [cf. III FCh 1(b), VI FCh & ROIC 01§3].

2. The Founder’s Charter is part of the immutable Canon of Constitutional Law that is not subject to amendments once the entire Founder’s Charter and its appendages are approved and implemented as outlined in ROIC 01§5 and chronicled in Article Seven of this Charter and in Constitutional Commission Resolutions designated for that purpose. No other legislation, statute, or Judicial Review will have precedence over the Founder’s Charter or cause it to be altered, amended, or eliminated [cf. ROIC 01§4].

3. During the Constitutional Convention, the Founder’s Council may enact Regional Orders-in-Council outlining permanent policies, processes and procedures that can be considered a matter of Constitutional Law, which must be approved as part of Constitutional Law during the final ratification process outlined in ROIC 01§5.

4. The Region’s official long-form name is “The Unified Region of the Continental Union.” Other short-form names include "The Region of the Continental Union" and "The Continental Union." [cf. ROIC 01§2].

5. At the discretion of the Regional Founder and when in Personal Union with a parallel or sister region, the Region’s official name may be modified with the option of adding the name(s) of the sister region(s) to reflect the relationship that exists between the Continental Union and the other region(s). Other short-form names may be adopted by the Regional Founder at his discretion [cf. ROIC 15§4].

6. At the discretion of the Regional Founder, the forum in which the Continental Union operates may be converted to a multi-use or multi-region forum, which will be known as the “Unified Regional Forum,” which also constitutes the Continental Domains as defined by the Regional Founder.

7. Official Colors and Symbols of the Region.

8. Official Forms of the Mission, Vision, Values Statement [cf. ROIC 01§2].

9. All entities and sovereignties sharing the Unified Regional Board or Continental Domain are required to implement the ideas of fairness, equality, and good roleplay practices outlined in the Continental Union Mission, Vision, Values Statement.

---

[z-Count Palatine Agent]

The Founder's Charter of the Continental Union
ARTICLE TWO
Regional Fora and Platforms.

[/color][/b][/center]

---

1. All Regional Activities take place on the forums recognized or established by the Founder and those authorized by him and the Founder’s Council. Only those fora established or recognized by the Founder, the Founder’s Council, and their authorized agents will be given official sanction by the Region [cf. V FCh 4(a)].

2. Regional Forum Activities are regulated as follows [cf. III FCh 1(a)(i) & V FCh 4(a) & (b)]:

3. Roleplay activities are regulated as follows:

4. The Regional Founder is authorized to charter other regions or organizations to share use of the Continental Union forum under the following conditions:

---

[z-Count Palatine Agent]

The Founder's Charter of the Continental Union
ARTICLE THREE
Regional Governance.

[/color][/b][/center]

---

1. The Regional Government of the Continental Union is divided into four branches classified into two domains:

(b) The Elective Domains of Regional Government contain three branches and are so classified because most of the Regional Officers and participants in these branches are elected by the General Membership or are an extension of members of the Region.

[/ul]
2. The Stages of Regional Governance are determined by number of members registered on the Regional Forum and their level of activity. Each stage determines the mode of Regional Administration and the phasing of Regional Officers. The Stages of Regional Governance are as follows:

3. A Regional Census will be taken to verify the activity status and number of members in the Region as authorized by the Founder’s Council. Frequency of the Regional Census and criteria for active, passive, or inactive membership status for the purposes of establishing the Stage of Governance will be defined by the Founder’s Council as stated in ROIC 10§3(a).

4. Legislation and general administration of the Region is assigned as follows based on the Stages of Regional Governance:

(b) The Regional Assembly is responsible for Regional Legislation and all other matters assigned to it by Constitutional Law once Regional Governance has reached Stage III as outlined above.

(c) The Regional Founder can limit temporary or permanent Founder’s Council membership or delay the dissolution or creation of the Regional Assembly for the sake of administrative efficiency upon Advice of Council [cf. IV FCh 4(c)].
[/ul]

---

[z-Count Palatine Agent]

The Founder's Charter of the Continental Union
ARTICLE FOUR
The Founder's Council and the
Unified Executive Council.

[/color][/b][/center]

---

1. The Purpose of the Founder’s Council is to assist the Regional Founder with Regional affairs and to act as an executive council in cooperation with the Regional Chancellery to review proposals and to ensure that Regional Legislation, Orders, and actions are in the best interests of the Region and are in accordance with Constitutional Law.

2. Membership in the Founder’s Council is classified in the following way:

[/ul]
3. Founder’s Assent to Regional Legislation and Regional Orders-in-Council are granted as follows:

4. The Unified Regional Forum will be managed by the Unified Executive Council that will be responsible for the following matters:

(b) To mediate any issues or disputes that may occur between entities sharing the board;

(c) To establish dicasteries and commission Syndics or officers necessary to manage the forum and implement and enforce policies and procedures authorized by the Council;

(d) To assist the Executive Administrator with the management of the Unified Regional Forum and implementation of any policies approved by the Unified Executive Council;

(e) All policies, procedures, and regulations of the Unified Executive Council will be published and posted as “Unified Executive Council Orders.”
[/ul]
5. The Executive Administrator reserves the right to regulate the processes of the Unified Executive Council to include the following:

---

[z-Count Palatine Agent]

The Founder's Charter of the Continental Union
ARTICLE FIVE
The Regional Founder and the
Regional Præsidium.

[/color][/b][/center]

---

1. The Office of Regional Founder is permanently assigned to the Grand Master of the Imperial Crown Knights, Founding Nation of the Continental Union. The Office of Regional Founder and all other dicasteries operating under the auspice of the Founder are collectively referred to as the Regional Præsidium.

2. The purpose of the Regional Founder is to preserve and defend the Continental Union against all rogue forces and maintain the continuing existence of the Region. The Founder is primus inter pares in the Founder’s Council and is the primary guardian of the Region. The Founder is obliged to ensure that no act or statute violates the provisions of Regional Constitutional Law [cf. I FCh 8].

3. The Regional Founder executes the powers of office in the following manner:

4. The Regional Founder is vested with the following powers, which are executed by Right of Office:

5. The Regional Founder is vested with the following powers, which are executed upon Review by Council:

6. The Regional Founder is vested with the following powers, which can only be executed upon Advice of Council:

7. The Founder’s authority and participation in Regional Administration are limited under the following circumstances:

8. Officers of the Regional Præsidium:

(e) Officers of the Regional Præsidium are appointed and dismissed by the Regional Founder alone. These Officers are not subject to term limitations and can remain in office for as long as they enjoy the confidence of the Regional Founder.

(f) Officers of the Regional Præsidium are not subject to impeachment procedures as other officers of the Region. The Regional Founder is obligated to remove those officers who have been negligent in the performance of their duties, violated Regional Statutes, abused their authority, or endangered the Region.
[/ul]
9. The Regional Honor Roll will be established by the Regional Founder for the purpose of recognizing members who have distinguished themselves in the service of the Region and its members.

---

[z-Count Palatine Agent]

The Founder's Charter of the Continental Union
ARTICLE SIX
The Elective Branches of Government.

[/color][/b][/center]

---

1. The Regional Chancellery is responsible for administrative matters of the Continental Union to include the following [cf. III FCh 1(b)(i)]:

(d) To create, monitor, alter, and implement protocols and procedures related to the functionality of the Regional Chancellery:

(e) To review and approve proposed legislation before its presentation to the Founder’s Council for Assent under conditions outlined in IV FCh 3(b) & (g).
[/ul]
2. The Regional Chancellery is headed by the Regional Chancellor who is elected directly by the General Membership, a Contingent Member of the Founder’s Council, and responsible for the following:

(c) To submit requests for legislative proposals to the Assembly Speaker in a manner consistent with Chapter 3(a)(i) of this Article;

(d) To act as the chief administrator of the Region as defined by Regional statutes, legislation, and Constitutional Law.
[/ul]
3. No elective Officers of the Chancellery may serve more than two consecutive terms in office, except in cases of necessity to prevent disruption of Regional Administration as approved by the Founder’s Council.

4. The Regional Assembly is responsible for legislative matters of the Continental Union to include the following [cf. III FCh 1(b)(ii)]:

5. Membership in the Regional Assembly is granted to all members of the Region who have met requirements and conditions established by Regional legislation.

6. The Regional Assembly will be headed by an Assembly Speaker—a Contingent Member of the Founder’s Council---who will represent the interests of the Regional Assembly in the Regional Chancellery and before the Founder’s Council.

7. The Assembly Speaker is assigned the status of an Officer of the Regional Chancellery and will monitor and manage the activities of the Regional Assembly. The Regional Assembly will provide legislation to outline the duties and responsibilities of the Assembly Speaker.

8. Participation in the Regional Assembly is restricted under the following conditions:

(b) Members who have been banned or under censure as outlined by legislation may be restricted from or provided limited access to Regional Assembly activities.

(c) Only individual registered members may participate in activities of the Regional Assembly. Those entities established as roleplay profiles, puppet states, duplicate profiles, Decastery Agents, or business units cannot post material, participate, or access polls in the Regional Assembly.
[/ul]
9. The Regional Judiciary is responsible for judicial matters and dispute resolution concerning activities of the Continental Union to include [cf. III FCh 1(b)(iii)]:

10. The Regional Judiciary will be headed by a Chief Magistrate who is elected directly by the General Membership and responsible for the following:

11. The Chief Magistrate may serve no more than three consecutive terms in office, except in cases of necessity to prevent disruption of Regional Administration as approved by the Founder’s Council.

---

[z-Count Palatine Agent]

The Founder's Charter of the Continental Union
ARTICLE SEVEN
The Regional Founder and the
Regional Præsidium.

[/color][/b][/center]

---