Example of 50,000 Words in a Thread

[End]

'3 - Capitol Building

(1) Public spaces within the Capitol are to remain free of political branding and will remain impartial to passing traffic.

4 - The House of Representatives

(1) Upon commencing a new Congressional session, the chamber's first order of business is to amend or reconfirm it's extant standing orders.

5 - The Senate

(1) Upon commencing a new Congressional session, the chamber's first order of business is to amend or reconfirm it's extant standing orders.

6 - Sergeant at Arms

(1) The Sergeant at Arms is a temporary position, that is appointed before each Congressional session or hearing by the relevant Presiding Officer, and is relieved when the meeting is adjourned.

(a) The Sergeant-at-Arms must be a serving Police Officer.

(2) The Police Officer will be responsible for the following while acting in the capacity of Sergeant-at-Arms:

(a) Ensuring the safety and the security of the Capitol Building.

(b) Ensuring the safety and the security of Representatives, Senators, and citizens on Capitol Grounds.

(c) Removing anyone from the Capitol grounds at the request of the relevant Presiding Officer.

7 - The Office of Congressional Affairs

(1) The Office of Congressional Affairs is a statutory body which provides both chambers of congress with administrative support.

(2) The Office of Congressional Affairs is overseen by the Presiding Officers.

(3) The Office of Congressional Affairs is charged with:

(a) Making all necessary changes to documents of law

(b) Assists the Speaker with the administration of the House

(c) Assists the President of the Senate with the administration of the Senate

(d) Communicates with the Press and assists in the formatting and drafting of bills, if requested.

(e) Manages and publishes congressional transparency reports.

(f) Regularly informs the public of motions of significant public interest via government-announcements. Motions of significant public interest include but are not limited to the following:

(i) Nominations/Confirmations

(ii) Impeachments/Removals

(iii) Censures

(iv) New committees or changes to committees

(v) Veto overrides

(4) The roles within this Office will be referred to as 'Congressional Staff’ and will comprise of at least two clerks.

(5) Hiring

(a) The Presiding Officers must receive the approval of the Congress to hire Congressional Staff by way of nomination.

(b) The Congressional Staff position will carry over each term until the Presiding Officer actions Section 8(6.a) of this act.

(c) Congressional Staff may receive a salary decided by law outside of the Constitution.

(6) Dismissal Process

(a) Congressional Staff serve at the Presiding Officers pleasure.

(7) In the Presiding Officer’s absence, or if otherwise delegated, the Deputy Presiding Officer will assume the Presiding Officer's authority over Congressional Staff.

(8) The Office of Congressional Affairs is authorised to adjust the numbering of sections and subsections within acts, provided that such changes do not alter the substantive meaning of the act and are limited to correcting administrative errors in the sequential numbering.

8 - Bills

(1) Representatives have the ability to officially propose bills to Congress. In order to propose a bill, the Representative will follow the congressional process.

(2) A rejected bill or a bill of the same nature will not be proposed for a period of 14 days unless a motion of reconsideration has been approved by Congress.
(a) A motion to reconsider, if passed, permits the proposal of an identical bill to the rejected bill or a bill of the same nature.
(b) Vetoed bills and bills that failed at referendum are considered rejected bills, and are thus subject to the same limitation.
(c) All bills will automatically be reconsidered following the enactment of results of a congressional general election.

(3) If there’s a tie (this is there are the same number of votes in favour and against independently of the number of abstains), the poll will be held again without the abstain option. If there is a tie once more, the bill will automatically be rejected.

(4) The template for bills will be annexed to this act in a separate thread. Any amendments to the Bill format will be an amendment to the Legislative Standards Act.

(5) When assigning a title to a bill it may not contain any personal identifier such as, any names, initials, abbreviations or other such personal identifiers. The bill title should exist to explain the purpose of the bill.

9 - Resolutions

(1) Congress may pass non-binding resolutions to express opinions or make formal requests. These do not require presidential assent.

(2) The template for Resolutions will be annexed to this act in a separate thread. Any amendments to the Resolution format will be an amendment to the Legislative Standards Act.

(3) Resolutions shall follow the same process and rules of Bills as outlined in this Act unless otherwise specified.

(4) Standing orders and other legislation may still make distinctions between Bills and Resolutions.

(5) Sub-subsection 10(5)(a) and Subsection (6) do not apply to Resolutions. After a Resolution passes both chambers of Congress, it shall be moved to the Resolutions forum rather than await assent.

10 - Congressional Process

(1) The Bill is posted to forums by the sponsoring Representative as a Bill: Draft. A link will be posted to #bills by the representative.

(2) After at least 24 hours have passed, the Speaker will then add a poll in which congressional members will be able to change their vote to the bill for a 48 hour voting period and the prefix will be changed to Bill: Voting.

(3) After the 48 hours have passed, there will be 2 situations:

(a) If the Bill is passed, the Presiding Officer will change the Bill status to Bill: Pending and move it to the Senate, notifying the President of the Senate; or

(b) If the Bill is rejected, the Presiding Officer will change the Bill status to Bill: Rejected and move it to the Rejected sub-forum.

(i) Passage shall be considered as a simple majority, unless otherwise provided by law, of ayes out of all non-abstention votes cast, and rejection shall be a failure to reach such a majority.

(4) When debate is finished in the Senate, the Presiding Officer will re-open the poll for 48 hours. The prefix will be changed to Bill: Voting.

(5) After the 48 hours have passed; all votes have been submitted; or a majority is reached, there will be 2 situations:

(a) If the Bill is passed, the Presiding Officer will move the bill to the Congressional forum applying the 'awaiting assent' prefix, notifying the President for their assent; or

(b) If the Bill is rejected, the Presiding Officer will change the Bill status to Bill: Rejected and move it to the Rejected sub-forum with Senate recommendations in the comments.

(i) Passage shall be considered as a simple majority, unless otherwise provided by law, of ayes out of all non-abstention votes cast, and rejection shall be a failure to reach such a majority.

(6) If a bill is passed by Congress, the President will do the following:

(a) The President will sign the Bill and move it to the Acts of Congress forum. The Speaker’s Office will update the relevant Rules and Laws; or

(b) The President will Veto the Bill and move it to the Rejected forum, providing the reason in the comments.

(7) Once the changes have been made, the Speaker's office will announce the changes to the public, assuming the law is of significant public interest. Laws of significant public interest include but are not limited to the following:

(a) Changes to tax or property laws

(b) New restrictions against common or widespread crimes

(c) Laws requiring public referendum

11 - Acts of Congress
(1) When amending a Bill everything being edited or changed to the bill must be highlighted in this way.

(a) Any text being removed from the bill must be in red and made bold.

(b) Any text being added to the bill must be in green and made bold.

(c) Any changes to the wording of the text in a bill must be made yellow and be made bold.

(d) In addition changes made must be clear so the previous bill in its entire before any edits must be posted on the thread so it is clear what is being changed.

(2) Sub Forums

(a) Acts of Congress shall be split into the following categories and Acts will be sorted between them based on their primary function:

(i) Budgets

(ii) Constitutional Law

(iii) Property Law

(iv) Wilderness Law

(v) Economic & Business Law

(vi) Breach of Peace Law

(vii) Administrative Law

(viii) Miscellaneous Laws

(ix) Resolutions

(3) Amendments

(a) When an amendment to a bill passes, it will be added as a reply to the original act’s thread under the Bills in Acts of Congress.

(b) The original act will be edited and updated as new amendments are added to it.

(c) When a bill intends to amend an Act of Congress, a link to the Act of Congress must be present within the reasons section of a bill.

(4) All votes on bill polls on the forums are to be made public to ensure Transparency between the public and the elected representatives.

12 - Congressional Motions

A motion in Congressional channels is a formal request for approval or disapproval by Congress. Unless otherwise provided, all motions are passed or failed on a majority basis. Examples include, but are not limited to:

(1) Motion of No Confidence
(a) Response Requirement. Before voting begins, the officeholder subject to a motion of no confidence must submit a response, which will be posted alongside the vote. If no response is received within 12 hours, the Presiding Officer will proceed without it.
(b) Government Stability. This motion carries serious consequences, as it can destabilize the government. If removal is for an appointment (presiding officer), the subject of the motion will revert to their regular role (Representative or Senator).

(2) Motion to Fund
(a) Allocation of Funds. Congress may allocate funds through a simple majority vote, following budgetary regulations.
This motion may be used for any purpose that supports legislative operations.
(b) Individual Chamber Approval. Either the House of Representatives or the Senate may pass a motion to fund independently.
(c) Spending Limits. No chamber may spend more than 50% of the legislative branch’s allocated funds in a fiscal period without joint approval from both chambers.

(3) Motion of Commendation
(a) Scope of Commendation. The motion must specify whether it seeks a Congressional Commendation (requiring approval from both chambers) or recognition in just one chamber.
(b) Public Acknowledgment. If passed, the Office of the Presiding Officers will issue a public statement of commendation, which may be awarded to any community member.

(4) Motion of Urgent Consideration
(a) Proposal and Voting. A Representative may propose this motion, and it will be voted on by the House of Representatives.
(b) Expedited Process. If passed, the bill must be opened for voting within 12 hours. If approved by the House, it will receive priority when advancing to the Senate.

(5) Motion of Censure
(a) Purpose and Scope. Any Representative or Senator may move a motion of censure against an individual to publicly condemn their actions. Censure does not impose penalties but serves as a formal reprimand.
(b) Restrictions. A motion to censure may only target one individual at a time. Multiple individuals cannot be censured under a single motion; separate motions must be filed. However, government departments or agencies may be censured collectively.

(6) Motion of Replacement
If a Representative or Senator resigns or is removed, their replacement will be appointed according to constitutional procedures.

(7) Motion of Removal
Congress may remove a member in accordance with constitutional processes.
This power should only be exercised under appropriate circumstances, such as repeated censures.

(8) Motion of Nomination
(a) Legislative Nominations. A majority vote in both chambers is required to confirm a nomination to the Legislative Branch.
(b) Judicial Nominations. A majority vote in the Senate alone is required to confirm a nomination to the Judiciary.

(9) Motion to Override
If the President vetoes a bill, Congress may override the veto with a two-thirds majority vote.

(10) Motion to Subpoena
Congress may subpoena personnel or records for the purposes of a hearing or investigation.

(11) Motion to Classify
(a) Motion for Classification. A Representative or Senator may propose a motion to classify a motion and its voting records, preventing public release.
(b) Motion for Declassification. A previously classified motion may be declassified through a separate motion.
(c) Voting Requirements. Classification or declassification requires a simple majority in all chambers where the original motion was passed.
(d) Justification for Classification. A motion should only be classified if its disclosure could harm government stability or the well-being of Redmont.
(e) Voting Restrictions. While a motion to classify is under vote, the motion in question cannot be publicized unless classification fails.

(12) Motion to Amend
(a) Amendments During Voting. A Representative may propose a motion to amend a bill that is currently undergoing voting in the House of Representatives, and a Senator may propose a motion to amend a bill that is currently pending in the Senate or undergoing voting in the Senate. A Motion to Amend a bill cannot be proposed once that bill has passed voting in both chambers.
(b) Required Majority. A Motion to Amend proposed in the House of Representatives requires the same majority required for passage of that bill in only that chamber, and a Motion to Amend proposed in the Senate requires the same majority required for passage of that bill in both chambers.
(c) Procedure. Following the passage of a Motion to Amend a bill, the bill will restart voting for 48 hours in the chamber it was in when the motion to amend was proposed, if that bill was up to vote in that chamber at any point between the motion’s proposal and the motion’s passage.

13 - Voting
(1) Conflict of Interests. If or when there is a motion against or relating specifically to a member of Congress, their vote shall not be included. (e.g. Motion of nomination, no confidence, removal)
(2) Abstentions. An abstention vote must be submitted during voting if the member is not voting for or against the matter before congress. Failure to vote at all will be considered a non-vote and for the purposes of all other acts will be counted as an abstention.

14 - Dereliction

(1) Congressional Members will be considered to have committed dereliction of their duties, if:

(a) they fail to vote on five or more bills/motions which fail due to not meeting quorum.

(b) they do not have enough playtime to vote in elections.

(2) Congressional Members will be exempt from this if they request a leave of absence before committing these acts.

15 - Congressional Hearings

(1) Location
(a) Hearings must take place in a Discord channel visible to the public.
(2) Initiating a Hearing
(a) Through a simple majority vote in a chamber of Congress, that chamber can open a chamber-specific hearing. Through a simple majority vote in both chambers of Congress, Congress can open a joint hearing.
(b) In chamber-specific hearings, only members of Congress from that chamber shall be able to participate. In joint hearings, members of both chambers of Congress shall be able to participate.
(c) A motion to hold a hearing may specify whether it is a chamber-specific hearing or a joint hearing. If unspecified, then it shall automatically be assumed to be a chamber-specific hearing.
(d) A chamber-specific hearing can become a joint hearing through a simple majority vote in both chambers, with such a motion initiating in the chamber that the hearing began in.
(i) If a subpoena is issued in a chamber-specific hearing that later becomes a joint hearing, the subpoena is still valid and in effect.
(e) A motion to hold a hearing may include one or more subpoenas as a part of the motion. Further subpoenas can be issued through passage of a motion in the chamber(s) holding the hearing.
(3) Closing a Hearing
(a) A hearing shall automatically be closed after five (5) days of no:
(i) invitations to testify;
(ii) questions asked by participating members of Congress;
(iii) proposals of motions to subpoena;
(iv) votes on motions to subpoena; and
(v) passage of motions to subpoena.
(b) A hearing may be closed through a consent of a simple majority of the chamber(s) holding the hearing.
(c) No hearing shall close solely as the result of a Congressional election.
(d) The five-day count mentioned in 3(a) of this Section shall pause when:
(i) at least one of the chambers of Congress participating in the hearing has no presiding officer;
(ii) at least one of the chambers of Congress participating in the hearing has not amended or reaffirmed its extant standing orders as required by law; and/or
(iii) the hearing has no chairperson.

(4) Subpoenas

(a) Through a simple majority, the chamber(s) of Congress holding a hearing can subpoena any number of persons or entities to appear before that hearing. Failure to appear within 72 hours of being summoned will result in a Contempt of Congress charge.

(b) The subpoena must state its reason.

(c) Where the subpoena is for a Government or business entity, the subpoenaed entity may offer an alternative representative to attend in their place. However, if any individual (e.g. the President or a Secretary) is specifically summoned, then an alternative representative cannot be offered.

(d) Subpoenaed persons and entities are required to testify in the hearing when questioned by any member of a participating chamber of Congress.

(5) Invitations to Testify
(a) The chairperson of a hearing may offer an invitation to testify to any person or entity. This does not require the consent of any other member of Congress, but may be overridden through a simple majority in the relevant chamber(s). An invitation to testify may still be overridden even if it has been accepted to the invitee, which the invitee shall no longer have permission to testify in the hearing.
(i) If an invitation to testify in a specific hearing is overridden, then another invitation to testify in that hearing cannot be offered to the same person or entity.
(b) Those invited to testify cannot provide false testimony, but they may choose to not answer certain questions as long as they explicitly state that they are opting not to answer.
(c) A person or entity invited to testify may dismiss itself from the hearing at any time, and the chairperson of the hearing may dismiss any invited persons or entities at any time.
(i) If dismissed, the person or entity shall require another invitation to testify or a subpoena to testify in the hearing once more.
(d) Any offered invitations to testify must be disclosed to the chamber(s) of Congress holding the hearing.

(6) Chairperson
(a) The chairperson of a hearing shall be the member of Congress who proposed that hearing.
(b) If the chairperson of a hearing ceases to be a member of a chamber participating in that hearing, the presiding officer of the chamber in which the hearing motion was proposed shall become the new chairperson of that hearing (once elected, if not yet elected).
(c) The chamber(s) holding the hearing may change the chairperson of the hearing to a different member of Congress through a simple majority vote.

(7) Right to Not Self-Incriminate
(a) A person or entity that is subpoenaed and/or invited to testify may invoke their right not to produce self-incriminating evidence during the hearing.

(8) Confirmation Hearings
(a) A Confirmation Hearing shall occur within 24 hours whenever an individual is nominated for a position in which the Senate must vote on the nomination.
(i) Positions may be exempt from this as specified in the Standing Orders of the Senate.
(b) Confirmation Hearings shall be Senate chamber-specific hearings and may not be expanded to include both chambers.
(c) The nominee shall automatically be subpoenaed.
(d) Unless otherwise specified by the Standing Orders of the Senate, the President of the Senate shall be the initial chairperson of a Confirmation Hearing.

(9) Standing Orders
(a) Each chamber of Congress may create further rules for their own chamber-specific hearings in their Standing Orders, as long as such rules do not conflict with any law.
(i) The Senate may create separate rules for Confirmation Hearings and other hearings specific to the Senate.
(b) Further rules for joint hearings must be agreed upon by both chambers of Congress.
(c) Further rules may substitute the provisions for the automatic closure of hearings described in Subsection 3(a) of this Section.

16 - Congressional Subpoenas

(1) Process

(a) Any member of the Congress may propose a motion to subpoena any number of people or entities to testify.

(b) Motions to exercise Congressional Subpoenas are accepted or denied by the chamber that they are proposed. Congressional Committees are also able to accept or deny Congressional Subpoenas.

(c) Should the motion pass, the subject(s) of the motion will be compelled to testify before Congress by the date specified in the motion.

(d) Should the subject of a subpoena fail to appear before Congress without reasonable justification they will be charged 1% of their balance for each day with a minimum of $100.

(e) Subjects of Congressional subpoenas may invoke their right not to incriminate themselves during the hearing.

17 - Congressional Funds

(1) Codified Spending:

(a) The reference to the legislative budget in this bill relates to the respective balance of the 'DCGovernmentLEG' account.

(b) The legislative branch may pass bills to limit or enforce spending on a specific subject.

(c) Spending remains subject to all bills regarding appropriations, including the logging and transparency of such spending.

(2) Facilitation of Funding

(a) The Office of the Presiding Officers is responsible for appropriating the proper funds once a motion is passed, unless otherwise directed in such motion.

(3) Legislative bonuses

(a) Congressional members are barred from appropriating themselves and or accepting bonuses for the purpose of extra remuneration.

(i) Members of the speakers office are the only members exempt from this exclusion.

(b) Representatives may still receive appropriations to assist them in the course of their official duties (e.g. paying a staffer).

(4) Any official gifts made to a Representative or Senator are to be property of the state and should be surrendered to the Speaker's office at the member's first opportunity.

(a) The speaker's office may choose to display or simply retain and archive these gifts.

18 - Contempt of Congress

(1) The House of Representatives, Senate, or any committee may vote to hold a person "in contempt" by a majority vote. The Speaker will then report the incident to the Department of Justice to be actioned.

To refuse to testify, won't provide information requested by the House or the Senate, or obstructs an inquiry by a congressional committee.
First Offence: $1500 fine and 10 minutes of jail time
Second Offence: $2000 fine and 20 minutes of jail time
Third Offence: $4000 fine, 40 minutes of jailtime, and a Censure

19 - Redundancy

(1) A 'Redundant' prefix will be made available to the Speaker's office.

(2) This prefix may be applied to bills by the Speaker's office where a bill no longer has legal relevance. Bills with the redundancy prefix will be moved to the rescinded / vetoed / rejected forum.

(3) Redundant bills will remain law until they are formally rescinded.

20 - Peer Review

(1) A co-sponsor is required on all bills proposed.

(a) This co-sponsor must be a Representative or Senator who is not the poster of the bill and this co-sponsor must be willing in the process of co-sponsorship.

(b) The bill and resolution format will be updated to include a space under section 1 for the co-sponsor to be put.

(c) If a listed co-sponsor claims that legislation was introduced without their consent, it is to be withdrawn from consideration at the discretion of the presiding officer of the House unless evidence of consent is provided. Consent may not be withdrawn once legislation is introduced.

21 - Oath of Office

(1) Any Presiding Officer of a chamber of Congress may choose to hold a swearing-in ceremony for their chamber each term.

(2) All Representatives and Senators in attendance of such a ceremony shall be sworn in by the Clerk with the following oath: 'I, (username), do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Redmont for the people. So help me End and Tech.'

(a) Congressional staff shall be sworn in by a Presiding Officer with the same oath.

(3) Congressional swearing-ins are entirely ceremonial and shall have no legal effect.

22 - Ethical Standards

(1) Members of Congress should recuse themselves from any investigations in which they may have a conflict of interest.

(2) Members of Congress cannot engage in questioning, proposing subpoenas, or any other investigative matter if they have a conflict of interest. This may only be overridden via a supermajority of Congress.

(3) Members of Congress should maintain the same level of activity required for voters in Section 16 of the Electoral Act. If a member of Congress continues to not be active on Discord, Forums, or in-game it may be considered a failure to perform duty and a removable offense.

23 - Amendments

(1) Any changes to this process should take the form of an amendment to the Legislative Standards Act.

24 - Bill & Resolution Format Thread
(1) See Information - Bill & Resolution Formats

4 - Contract Formation
(1) A contract is a legally binding agreement between two or more parties that creates an obligation to do or not do a particular thing.
(2) A valid contract is formed when the following legal test is met:
(a) Offer. An offer is a clear and unequivocal communication expressing a party's willingness to enter into a contract, either explicitly stated or reasonably inferred from the circumstances.
(b) Acceptance. Acceptance is the positive and unambiguous response to an offer communicated to the offeror, mirroring the terms of the offer and conveyed through various means.
(c) Consideration. Consideration, an essential element, involves the exchange of something of value between parties, with sufficiency though not necessarily adequacy. Consideration can be tangible or intanglbie.
(d) Intent. Parties must demonstrate a clear intention to create legal obligations for the contract to be valid.
(e) Capacity. Parties entering into a contract must possess the legal capacity to do so. Players with low playtime may lack the capacity to fairly enter a contract.

5 - Terms
(1) Express Terms. The terms of a contract may be expressly stated or implied based on the intentions of the parties.
(2) Implied Terms. Implied terms may be derived from law, custom, or the conduct of the parties.

6 - Validity
(1) Contracts must meet the requirements outlined in this Act to be valid and enforceable.

7 - Breach of Contract
(1) A breach of contract occurs when a party fails to fulfil its contractual obligations.
(a) Remedies for breach may include damages, specific performance, or other equitable relief.

8- Misrepresentation
(1) Misrepresentation happens when a false statement induces another party to enter into a contract.
(a) Remedies for misrepresentation may include rescission, damages, or other appropriate relief.

12 - Termination of Contract
(1) A contract may be terminated by mutual agreement, successful performance, frustration, or due to a material breach.
(a) The innocent party may terminate the contract in the case of a significant breach.

13 - Severability
(1) Unless otherwise stated in a contract, all parts of a contract are severable.
(2) In the case that a provision of this contract is found to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable the offending provision shall not impact the validity, legality, or enforceability of any other provision of the contract.

14 - Duty of Good Faith and Fair Dealing.
(1) Parties to a contract shall perform their respective duties and exercise their rights under the contract in good faith and in a manner that is fair and just.
(2) There exists an implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing in every contract covered by this Act, whether or not expressly stated. This covenant shall be read into contracts to ensure that the parties act with honesty, integrity, and fairness in all aspects of their contractual relationship.

15 - Force Majeure
(1) Notification and Mitigation. The party affected by a force majeure event must promptly inform the other party and diligently take steps to minimise its impact on the contract.
(2) Temporary Suspension. During a force majeure event, the affected party may temporarily suspend contractual duties to the extent that the situation significantly hinders their ability to fulfill obligations.
(3) Termination Right. Should the force majeure event persist, either party retains the right to terminate the contract without incurring liability.
(4) Bankruptcy and other events where there has been negligence, acceptance of unnecessary risk, or mismanagement are not considered force majeure events.

16 - Definitions
(1) The following definitions apply:
(a) 'Frustration' means the occurrence of an event that makes the performance of a contract impossible or radically different from what was initially contemplated.
(b) 'Rescission' means the cancellation or annulment of a contract.
(c) 'Counteroffer' means a response to an offer with modified terms.
(d) 'Consideration' means something of value exchanged between parties.
(e) 'Specific Performance' is an equitable remedy compelling a party to perform its contractual obligations.
(f) 'Performance' refers to the fulfilment of contractual obligations.
(g) 'Remedies' are legal or equitable measures to address breaches or violations of a contract.
(h) 'Mutual Agreement' is the consent of all parties involved.
(i) 'Material Breach' is a significant failure to fulfil contractual obligations.
(j) 'Offeror' is the party making an offer.
(k) 'Offeree' is the party to whom an offer is made.
(l) 'Invalidity' refers to the state of being legally void or not enforceable.
(m) 'Legal Relations' involve rights and obligations recognised by law.
'Waiver' outlines conditions under which a party may waive its rights.
(o) 'Force majeure' is a legal term that describes unforeseeable circumstances or events beyond the control of contractual parties, making it impossible for them to fulfil their obligations.
(p) 'Promise' refers to a commitment made by one party to another without mutuality (consideration).4 - Powers of the Commerce Department
(1) The Department of Commerce is authorized to monitor financial transactions and may publish generalized reporting on transaction statistics.
(2) The Department of Commerce is afforded access to financial institution accounts on request for the purposes of monitoring them for compliance.
(3) The Department of Commerce is empowered to conduct random spot-checks of gaming machines to ensure compliance with the advertised odds. Failure to comply is considered fraudulent trading.
(4) The Department of Commerce is authorized to disband any companies in game which do not meet the requirements to be a company.
(5) The Department of Commerce is charged with investigating commerce-related white-collar crimes.
(a) Findings are referred to the Department of Justice for prosecution.
(b) Where it is unclear which department should investigate the crime, the matter will be referred to the Department of Justice.

5 - Legal Application
(1) All offences within this law are Indictable Criminal Offences.
(2) Civil damages may be sought against these offences by way of the Legal Damages Act or a succeeding Act of the same nature.



6 - Fraud
(1) The following sections outline the definition of Fraud, its differing forms, and different punishments:

(a) A crime classified under any sub-category of Fraud shall not be charged as Fraud for the same offense.

Fraud
An intentional or reckless misrepresentation or omission of an important fact, especially a material one, to a victim who justifiably relies on that misrepresentation; and the victim party or entity suffered actual, quantifiable injury or damages as a result of the misrepresentation or omission.
Individual Fine: Up to $10,000 + Damages + up to 10 mins Jail

Electoral Fraud
Defined in the Electoral Act

Money Laundering
Any act to conceal funds illegally obtained, through commercial transactions, business deals, or any means otherwise.
Individual Fine: Up to $10,000 + Damages + up to 10 mins Jail

Gambling Fraud
The act of fraudulently misrepresenting how a gambling activity is conducted.
Individual Fine: Up to $20,000 + Damages + up to 10 mins Jail

New Player Fraud
To take advantage of a new player's wealth and or resources for another's profit or advantage.
Individual Fine: Up to $20,000 + Damages + up to 10 mins Jail

False Advertising
(i) Classification: Indictable Criminal Offense
The act of authorizing a false advertisement for publication. Subsequent publications of the same advertisement count as separate offenses.
Minimum Sentencing: $100 Fine
Maximum Sentencing: $5000 Fine

Misleading Advertising
(i) Classification: Indictable Criminal Offense
The act of authorizing a misleading advertisement for publication. Subsequent publications of the same advertisement count as separate offenses.
Minimum Sentencing: $100 Fine
Maximum Sentencing: $5000 Fine

7 - Identity Fraud
The act of fraudulently misrepresenting yourself as someone else or fraudulently claiming you have authority where you don't. There are several types of identity fraud:

Government Impersonation
The Act of fraudulently Impersonating a government official or a government employee for financial or another personal gain(s)
Fine: $1000 + Damages

False Credentials
The Act of fraudulently misrepresenting yourself or someone else as having a certification, commendation or another type of credential for personal gain.
Fine: $1000 + Damages

8 - Securities Fraud
(1) The Act of fraudulent security trade practices. There are several types of securities fraud:

Insider Trading
Buying or selling a stock based on non-public information that would substantially impact a trader’s decision to buy or sell. Any owner of a business that sells stocks of his own company has an obligation to make a reasonable attempt to, disclose this information to the shareholders, failure to do so may be considered evidence in an insider trading case.
Individual Fine: Up to $10,000 + Damages + up to 10 mins Jail

Market Manipulation
The act of fraudulently inflating or deflating the value of a company or asset of which you have a responsibility for. Any public company which values its own total market value over $500,000 is expected to have a publicly available, detailed explanation, of how they reached that evaluation. Failure to do so may be considered evidence in a market manipulation case.
Individual Fine: Up to $10,000 + Damages + up to 10 mins Jail

Third-Party Misrepresentation
The act of intentionally or recklessly aiding and abetting a party or entity in committing market manipulation. This also applies, to a party or entity which is not aware they might be committing market manipulation such as participants in a pump and dump scheme.
Individual Fine: Up to $10,000 + Damages + up to 10 mins Jail

Embezzlement
The act of withholding assets for the purpose of conversion of such assets, by one or more persons to whom the assets were entrusted, for personal gain.” An example of this law is; spending company funds for personal gain of a company of which you do not own 100%.
Individual Fine: Up to $10,000 + Damages + up to 10 mins Jail

9 - Tax Fraud
(1) The fraudulent non-payment or underpayment of actual tax liabilities due. There are several types of tax evasion:

Personal Tax Evasion
The act of intentionally or maliciously transferring, funds to one or more personal balances or company bank accounts with no legitimate purpose, with the result that less tax is paid.
Individual Fine: Up to $10,000 + Damages + up to 10 mins Jail

Property Tax Evasion
The act of intentionally or maliciously transferring property to one or more persons over which they have no legal ownership without a legitimate purpose, with the result that less tax is paid.” To combat, said behaviour, a merged plot needs to be owned by the same person even after it has been merged.
Individual Fine: Up to $10,000 + Damages + up to 10 mins Jail

Auction Levy Evasion:
(i) Classification: Indictable Criminal Offense
Taking actions with the sole intent to avoid paying the auction levy while still receiving the plot or the benefit from it.
First offense: Plot eviction + fine of up to $5,000 or 30% of the winning bid, whichever is higher
Subsequent offenses: Plot eviction + fine of up to $5,000 or up to 30% of the winning bid, whichever is higher + auction ban of up to 2 weeks

Auction Levy Neglect:
(i) Classification: Summary Criminal Offense
Failure to pay the required auction levy after winning an auction.
First offense: Fine of $2,000 or 10% of the winning bid, whichever is higher.
Subsequent offenses: Fine of $5,000 or 30% of the winning bid, whichever is higher.



10 - Competition
(1) Antitrust laws are regulations that encourage competition by limiting the market power of any particular firm. There are several types of anti-trust regulations:

Market Allocation
Any sort of deal wherein two or more businesses agree to allocate 'territory' to one another to prevent regional competition.
Individual Fine: Up to $10,000 + Damages + up to 10 mins Jail

Bid Rigging
Any sort of deal wherein two or more businesses and/or persons agree to not bid against one another to minimize their losses.
Individual Fine: Up to $10,000 + Damages + up to 10 mins Jail

Price Fixing
Any sort of deal wherein two or more businesses agree to keep prices at a certain point to avoid price competition.
Individual Fine: Up to $10,000 + Damages + up to 10 mins Jail

Monopolization
Any sort of deal wherein two or more businesses seek to merge into a single entity or owner-subsidiary relationship that controls a disproportionately large amount of market share in any particular market.
Individual Fine: Up to $10,000 + Damages + up to 10 mins Jail + Divestiture of assets, subsidiaries, or business units to prevent market concentration and promote competition as decided by the courts

Corporate Espionage
Any parties participating in, or accessory to the gathering, infiltration, or compromise of any sensitive company information that has not already been released to the public under the instruction of the company's controlling interest.
Individual Fine: Up to $10,000 + Damages + up to 10 mins Jail

11 - Whistleblowers
(1) A whistleblower is someone with inside knowledge of an organization who reports misconduct or dishonest or illegal activity that may have occurred within that organization. Whistleblower protections are the protections provided to whistleblowers to enable them to come forward to report misconduct without fear of retribution or personal detriment.

Whistleblower Suppression
No employer may discharge, demote, suspend, threaten, harass, or in any other manner discriminate against a covered individual in the terms and conditions of employment of the covered individual because of any lawful act done by the covered individual to report information regarding a violation of a corporate crime.
Individual Fine: Up to $10,000 + Damages + up to 10 mins Jail

12 - Bribery
(1) The act of offering, giving, soliciting, or receiving an item or service of value to influence an individual holding public office or serving in a legal capacity.

Bribery
The act of offering, giving, soliciting, or receiving an item or service of value to influence an individual holding public office or serving in a legal capacity.
Individual Fine: Up to $10,000 + Damages + up to 10 mins Jail + Barred from holding public office for up to 2 months.



13 - Employee Protections
(1) Unfair dismissal - The unjust termination of an employee. In determining if a termination was unjust, the following criteria must rightfully be considered:
(a) if the employee’s termination made financial sense given the regular business activities and necessity to maintain operations of the terminating party (such as in the case of normal company downsizing);
(b) whether or not the employee’s continued employment would have been a detriment to the workflow, reputation, or legal standing of the business;
(c) whether or not the dismissal was made primarily on the basis of any personally identifiable characteristics, including, but not limited to, gender, race, or political affiliation;
(i) Excepted from the provisions in §13.1.c are personally identifiable characteristics that are integral to the function of the terminated party's employment.
(d) other metrics that courts find necessary to consider in accordance with what may be considered unfair dismissal by any reasonable person and is consistent with the previous language and intent of this section. Courts may not construe this section in any way that creates a result that is odd, absurd, or otherwise inconsistent with this section or the intent thereof.
(2) Deferral of Responsibility - a worker cannot be held legally accountable where there is a deficiency in training provided by the employer, where training would reasonably be required.
(2) A worker cannot be sued for their individual actions when they are in accordance with lawful organisational directions and policy.
(a) The employer assumes all legal liability where policy is followed or the policy is unlawful.

14 - Unions
(1) This act defines 'Union' as an organized association of workers formed to protect and advance their rights and interests.
(2) Every employee of the Commonwealth of Redmont has the right to create or apply to register their own union.
(3) Unions do not have to follow a democratic structure, but are encouraged to.
(4) Employers are prohibited from discriminating against an employee for being involved in a union.
(5) Employers are prohibited from involving themselves in the democratic processes of their employee's union.
(6) Employers who take action to disrupt or prevent the formation of a union, and or engage in conduct to dismantle a union, such as, but not limited to, terminating employees who try to start a union, shall be guilty of Union Busting, as defined:

Union Busting
Employers who take action to disrupt or engage in conduct to dismantle a union.
Per Offence: $2000 Fine

15 - Gaming
(1) Gaming institutions are required to display the odds of gaming machines and activities in a visible area adjacent to the machine/activity.



16 - Operations of Securities Exchanges
(1) The Department of Commerce is authorized to monitor the operations of any securities exchange with full access to trading channels and data.
(a) Any Commerce Department employee engaged in the regulation of securities exchanges may not hold a security for less than 30 days.
(2) Securities Exchanges will be prohibited from calculating the market prices of shares in Public Companies using any factors other than the market supply of and demand for said shares. They will be responsible for updating these prices without requiring further input from the companies of which the shares grant ownership in.
(a) Securities Exchanges must provide consistent updates to the market prices of company shares. Each company listed on an exchange must have its stock price updated at least once every 30 days.
(4) The Department of Commerce is authorized to create any additional regulations for the operations of securities exchanges. Such regulations must be for the purpose of preserving the stability of securities exchanges, and must not conflict with any section of this Act.

17 - Extortion
(1) Definition: Extortion is defined as the act of obtaining something of value from someone through threats, force, or coercion, which can involve physical, financial, or other types of pressure.
Classification: Indictable Offense
Per Offense: $10,000 fine
(2) Parties may sue for the thing of value. If the thing of value is a decision, the commonwealth is to sue to reverse that decision.
(3) Exceptions: Extortion does not include lawful business practices, voluntary agreements, or actions taken under legal authority or judicial processes.

18 - Definitions

(1) Financial Institutions
(a) A Financial Institution is a business that deals with deposits, loans, and/or investments.
(b) There are four types of financial institutions: Commercial Banks, Investment Banks, Stock Exchanges, and Credit Unions.

(2) Definition and Characteristics of a Commercial Bank:
(a) A Commercial Bank is a Financial Institution that is owned owner or a group of owners who may make all decisions regarding the bank and its investments, employees, and interest rates, among other business decisions..
(b) Profits of a Commercial Bank are shared among owners/shareholders as decided by its shareholder/operating agreements..
(c) Companies not registered as Commercial Banks may not take interest bearing deposits from customers for bank accounts

(3) Defining Characteristics of a Investment Bank:
(a) An Investment Bank can't take deposits.
(b) An Investment Bank is allowed to brokerage stocks through Stock Exchanges. invest for clients in funds, give out loans, and provide investment advice to clients
(i) Investment Banks may charge for these services
(c) Companies not registered as Investment Banks may not invest for customers or provide investment advice.
(d) Investment Banks may not have tax exemption status and will have to pay taxes on ingame balances.
(i) However, they will not need to pay Financial Institution tax as defined by the Taxation Act

(4) Definition and Characteristics of a Stock Exchange:
(a) A Stock Exchange is the sole Financial Institution able to list Redmont-based securities for public trading.
(b) A Stock Exchange reserves the right to charge clients commissions for each transaction in order to make a profit.

(5) Definition and Characteristics of a Credit Union:
(a) A Credit Union is a Financial Institution that is governed by the members.
(b) A Credit Union must elect a leader through a democratic fashion.
(c) Profits of a Credit Union are distributed to the members of the Credit Union and/or reinvested back into the Credit Union through interests, services, or other costs that benefit all members of the Credit Union.

(6) False Advertisement: A commercial advertisement that contains untrue information, that would deceive the reasonable person. The advertiser must have acted knowingly. If the information is publicly accessible, it may be presumed that the advertiser was aware of it.
(7) Misleading Advertisement: A commercial advertisement that includes information that is true, but is presented in a way that may confuse or mislead the reasonable person. The below actions are considered misleading advertisement:
(a) Omitting information that a reasonable person would consider in their decision making.
(b) Using ambiguous language
(8) Advertising Puffery: Vague, wildly exaggerated claims that no reasonable person would take seriously. For example, “the best restaurant in the world”.
(9) Commercial Advertisement: An advertisement intended to benefit or harm a privately owned or operated business.
(10) Political Advertisement: An advertisement intended to promote a political message, influence public opinion of a social issue, or persuade individuals to support a candidate, party or policy.
(11) “Authorising an advertisement”: An individual or organization approving a commercial advertisement by:
(a) Displaying the advertisement of their own volition.
(b) Agreeing to have another individual or organization display the advertisement on their behalf is considered authorization.

19 - Exemptions
(1) The following are exempt from the definitions of false & misleading advertising.
(a) Advertising Puffery
(b) Political Advertisements4 - Jurisdiction
(1) The Department of Construction and Transportation shall retain jurisdiction to establish regulations outside of this law and to evict properties in accordance with these laws and regulations. These regulations will be listed under Department policy and will be displayed on the relevant rules and laws page node.
(2) The Department of Environment and Recreation shall retain jurisdiction to establish regulations outside of this law and to evict wild regions in accordance with these laws and regulations. These regulations will be listed under Department policy and will be displayed on the relevant rules and laws page node.
(3) Property zoning will be defined by staff according to this law.

5 - Residential Zoning
(1) Plots beginning with ‘R’ are residential plots (e.g. ‘r001’).
(2) Residential plots may only have houses built on them.
(3) Players cannot have houses with more than three visible floors.
(a)As basements and rooftops aren't entirely visible, they are an exception to this rule.

6 - Commercial Zoning
(1) Plots beginning with ‘C’ are commercial plots (e.g. ‘c001’).
(2) Commercial plots may only have businesses, offices, shops, apartment buildings, and other commercial buildings built on them.
(3) Commercial plots are height limited to 60 blocks, unless otherwise approved by the Department of Construction and Transport.

7 - Industrial Zoning
(1) Plots beginning with ‘I’ are industrial plots (e.g. ‘I001’).
(2) Industrial plots may only have factories, warehouses, and production facilities built on them.
(3) Industrial plots are height limited to 60 blocks, unless otherwise regulated by subordinate laws.

8 - Skyscraper Zoning
(1) Plots beginning with ‘s’ are skyscraper plots (e.g. ‘s001’).
(2) Skyscraper plots inherit the zoning laws concerning commercial plots, except the height limitation.
(3) Skyscraper plots are height limited to 200 blocks and must be taller than 60 blocks.

8 - Black Market Zoning
(1) Plots beginning with ‘bm’ are black market plots (e.g. ‘bm001’)
(2) Black market plots are exempt from certain laws, as directed by staff.
(a) such laws include possession, sale, and advertising of illicit items.

9- Government Subsidized Commercial Spaces
(1) Government Subsidized Commercial Spaces includes several types of government-owned rentable areas:
(2) Business Districts. Plots beginning with 'cbd' or 'nbd' are Business Districts.
(3) Market Stalls. Plots beginning with 'revstall' are Market Stalls.
(4) Newsstands. Plots beginning with 'revnews' are Newsstands.
(5) Large Billboards. Plots beginning with 'billboard' are Large Billboards.
(6) Mini Billboards. Plots beginning with 'minibillboard' are Mini Billboards.
(7) Food Trucks. Plots beginning with 'FT' are Food Trucks.
(8) Only the Department of Construction and Transport shall create rentable regions that fall under these naming conventions.

10 - Apartments
(1) There are no naming conventions for apartment regions names.
(2) Apartments must not contain Nether portals and/or chest shops.
(3) Water drops from water source blocks must not drip into other rent regions.
(4) Lava drops from lava source blocks must not drip into other rent regions.

11 - Farmland Zoning
(1) Plots beginning with 'F' or ‘Wl-F’ are farmland plots (e.g. ‘Wl-F001’)
(2) Farmland plots are height limited to 40 blocks, unless otherwise approved by the Department of Construction and Transport.

12 - Urban Agriculture
(1) Agriculture is not permitted on R, Government Subsidized Commercial Spaces, or BM plots.
(2) Agriculture is permitted on I, C, and S plots if it is conducted underground or hidden.
(3) Agriculture is permitted on farmland plots

13 - Sale of Plots
(1) Plots may be sold back to their Landlord for 90% of the plot's in-game price, or be resold to another player, or may be auctioned.
(2) When a plot has been reported for eviction, the report will remain extant until it is resolved or evicted. Transferring ownership of the plot in question will not have a bearing on the date of eviction, unless otherwise provided by the relevant Department.
(3) If plot ownership is transferred while there is an active eviction report on the plot or a violation of the Property Standards Act is present on the plot, the original owner has a duty to disclose the report and/or violation to the buyer or recipient of the plot. Failure to do so will result in the original owner being guilty of failure to disclose.

14 - Duty of Disclosure
(1) Failure to Disclose
Failure of a party to provide the other parties with all legally required information and or documents which are relevant to a property.
Per Offence: Cost of damages incurred by the recipient as a result of the failure to disclose.
(a) A plea of ignorance to a report is not an admissible defence to failure to disclose.

15 - Completed Buildings
A finished plot is defined as a plot with a completed building which is compliant with the building regulations and has a function, or a finished interior.

16 - Historical Building Alterations
Changing the physical appearance of a preserved, historical building without permission or consent.
Minor Alteration: $1000 Fine + Verbal Warning
Major Alteration: $3000 Fine + Plot Eviction
Demolished Building: $5000 Fine + Plot Eviction

17 - Plot Limitations
(1) C Plots. A citizen may not own more than 30 commercial properties.
(2) R Plots. A citizen may not own more than 2 residential properties.
(3) I Plots. A citizen may not own more than 2 industrial properties
(4) S Plots. A citizen may not own more than 6 skyscraper properties
(5) BM Plots. A citizen may not own more than 1 black market property.
(6) Government Subsidized Commercial Spaces. A citizen may not own more than 2 of each type of Government Subsidized Commercial Space.
(7) Realtors. Any citizen with a Realtor job may exceed these limitations by 5 plots each
(a) excluding BM and Government Subsidized Commercial Spaces.
(b) provided the plots exceeding these limitations are for the purpose of reselling the plot within 30 days of purchasing the plot.
(8) Plots located within towns are not subject to the above plot limits. Each town shall retain jurisdiction to create their own plot limits for plots located within their town.

18 - Merged Plots
Any merged plots will not be recognised as one plot, rather they will be counted as the amount of sub-plots which form the whole merged plot.

19 - Plot Releases
The releasing authority must release plots in a fair and equitable fashion that is controlled and factors in time zones.

20 - Breach of Property Standards
Failing to comply with any part of the Property Standards Act will incur a penalty unless otherwise provided within this Act.
Per Offense: $150

21 - Violating Business District Rules
A player renting a Business District without meeting the set requirements as outlined by the DCT.
First Offence: Normal DCT Eviction
Second Offence: $1000 fine per Business District plot rented in violation
Third Offence and after: $2500 fine per Business District plot rented in violation
Fines are enforced by the DCT

22 - Exemptions/Extensions
(1) The Secretary of Construction and Transportation has the power to issue and revoke exemptions and extensions for building regulation and legal compliance when they are satisfied that either of the following criteria is met:
(a) there is a compassionate and compelling reason requiring an exemption/extension
(b) that the exemption/extension does not undermine the intent of the eviction process
(c) that there is significant progress being made to rectify the breach
(d) in the interests of large-scale development
4- Electoral Terms and Limitations

(1) Candidates are to make their official political party affiliations known or if none, opt to run as an independent. Failure to identify a party affiliation will result in the candidate being declared an independent.

(2) Each candidate is to be listed separately on the ballot. If able, with their party in parentheses by their name.

(3) False party affiliations will be excluded at the request of the relevant party leader.

(4) Political parties cannot sponsor a higher number of candidates than seats that are up to vote.

(5) Unless otherwise provided, General Presidential and Congressional Elections will operate on a ten-day cycle during an election month, where:

(a) Declaration Period. Seven-day-long declaration period between the first to the seventh day of the month.

(b) Voting Period. three-day-long declaration period between the seventh to the tenth day of the month.

(c) Announcement Period. Election results are released at the earliest opportunity on the tenth day of the month.

(d) Activity Requirements.
(i) All playtime requirements for candidates seeking election must be checked at the end of the declaration period.
(ii) All playtime requirements requiring active playtime must be considered in the last 30 days directly preceding the end of the declaration period.

5 - Single Transferable Vote (STV)

(1) Voting Process. Voters rank candidates in order of preference

(a) Minimum five preferences or all candidates if less than five.

(2) Vote Threshold for Election.

(a) The threshold (quota) for election is computed by dividing the number of non-empty ballots by the number of seats plus one.

(b) If votes for a candidate surpasses this threshold they are immediately elected.

(c) Vote counts shall always be rounded to five decimals (0.00001).

(3) Surplus Votes. If a candidate receives more votes than needed to meet the threshold, then the surplus votes are transferred to the next preference on the voters' ballots according to the Gregory method of redistribution.

(a) The Gregory Fractional Transfer (GFT) Method is a fractional transfer method where all ballot papers are distributed on the election of a candidate but at a fractional value, the Transfer Value.

(I) All votes for the candidate that has been elected with a surplus are reweighted by multiplying the vote weight by the transfer value.

(II) The reweighted votes are then allocated to the next preference indicated on each ballot.

(III) The Transfer Value is determined by the formula:

(V - T) / (V)

*V is the amount of votes the candidate received.

*T is the threshold of votes needed to be elected.

(IV) Vote counts shall always be rounded to five decimals (0.00001).

(4) Elimination of Low-Scoring Candidates

(a) If seats remain and all candidates have fewer votes than the threshold, the candidate(s) with the fewest votes is eliminated.

(b) Where the number of candidates to be eliminated exceeds the amount required to fill the remaining seats, or there is a tie that otherwise needs to be resolved; the tied candidates will be eliminated sequentially based on the results of the previous round of voting. This process is repeated sequentially through preceding rounds as required.

(c) Where it is not possible to eliminate in an unresolvable tie, then the tied candidates will be eliminated at random through:

(i) a random selection within the eye of the public; and

(ii) through a computer generated choice in a way which a specific response cannot be elicited.

(c) The votes of the eliminated candidate(s) are then transferred to the next preference on the voters' ballots.

(5) Repeat Process. Steps 2(b), 3 and 4 are repeated until all seats are filled.

(6) Winner Determination. The process continues until all seats are filled. The candidate with the most votes after the final round of counting is declared the winner of the final seat.

(a) If the amount of seats remaining is equal to the amount of candidates, the remaining candidates are elected.

(7) Candidates elected in the regular Senate election at the same time as they are running in a regular House of Representatives election shall be regarded in the calculation of the election results of the House of Representatives as if they did not participate. Any votes shall be transferred according to the next preference on the ballot.

6 - Single Non-Transferrable Vote (SNTV)

(1) Voting Process. Voters cast a single vote for a candidate of their choice in a multi-member constituency.

(2) Winner Determination. Candidates with the highest individual vote counts, up to the number of available seats, are declared the winners.

(3) Elimination of Ties. Where it is not possible to eliminate in an unresolvable tie, then the tied candidates will be eliminated at random through:

(i) a random selection within the eye of the public

(ii) through a computer generated choice in a way which a specific response cannot be elicited.

7 - Instant-Runoff Voting (IRV)

(1) Voting Process. Voters rank candidates in order of preference.

(a) Minimum five preferences or all candidates if less than five.

(2) Vote Threshold for Election.

(a) In order to be elected, a candidate must reach a majority.

(4) Elimination of Low-Scoring Candidates

(a) If there is no majority at the end of a voting round, the candidate(s) with the fewest votes is eliminated.

(b) Where the number of candidates to be eliminated eliminates all candidates, or there is a tie that otherwise needs to be resolved; the tied candidates will be eliminated sequentially based on the results of the previous round of voting. This process is repeated sequentially through preceding rounds as required.

(c) Where it is not possible to eliminate in an unresolvable tie, then the tied candidates will be eliminated at random through:

(i) a random selection within the eye of the public

(ii) through a computer generated choice in a way which a specific response cannot be elicited.

(c) The votes of the eliminated candidate(s) are then transferred to the next preference on the voters' ballots.

(4) Repeat Process. Steps 3 and 4 are repeated until one candidate remains.

(5) Winner Determination. The process continues until the office is filled.

8 - Congressional Special Elections

(1) Election Schedule. When a vacancy occurs in the House of Representatives or Senate, a special election for the vacancy will commence within 24 hours of the Department of State being notified, given:

(a) The seat is not up for election in the upcoming Congressional general election, if Congress is in caretaker mode;

(b) There is not a special election for either chamber of Congress ongoing.

(i) In this case, the special election will be scheduled within 24 hours after the conclusion of the ongoing special election(s).

(2) Multiple Seats. If multiple seats in the same chamber of Congress become vacant before a special election for those vacancies has commenced, those vacancies will be combined into one special election, where multiple seats are up for election.

(a) If multiple vacant seats in the Senate of different classes are up for election in the same special election, the lowest polling winning Senators will be assigned to the class that is up for election in the upcoming Congressional general election, while highest polling winning Senators are assigned the opposite class.

(i) In the event of a tie over which Senator is assigned what class, a run-off election consisting of a 24-hour voting period shall be conducted between the tied candidates.

(3) Election Timeline. The special election will follow a timeline: a 48-hour declaration period, followed by a 24-hour campaigning period, followed by a 24-hour voting period.

(4) Voting System. Special elections shall be conducted with the same systems that are used for regularly scheduled elections for the relevant chamber.

(5) Tie Resolution. In the case of a tie, a run-off consisting of a 24-hour voting period shall be conducted between the tied candidates.

(6) Excluded Individuals. In order to run for a seat in a special election, the individual must not currently hold a seat in that chamber in that Class (e.g. a Representative cannot run in a special election for the House of Representatives, but a Class A Senator can run for a Class B Senate seat).

(7) No Caretaker Mode. The enactment of caretaker mode will not result from a special election.

9 - Removal of Members of Congress

(1) If a Representative is no longer fit for office, they can be removed from Congress early by the relevant presiding officer with the consent of four-fifths of their chamber (Excluding the individual in question).

(2) If a Senator is no longer fit for office, they can be removed from Congress early by the relevant presiding officer with the consent of all members of their chamber (Excluding the individual in question).

(3) Removal shall require only a simple majority if the individual in question has committed dereliction of their duties.

10 - Electoral Fraud
Any player caught rigging/meddling with an election through, but not limited to: the use of alternate accounts, bribery, and or threats.
Per Offence: Courts may order up to $25,000 in fines (per alt account if applicable) + issue a temporary or permanent barring from holding public office.

11 - Electoral Fraud Process
Where electoral results are flagged for fraudulent behavior, the Government will be responsible for contesting the votes in Court.
a. During this period, the former Government will remain in Caretaker Government.

12 - Electoral Officers

(1) Electoral Officers are charged with ensuring that elections are carried out in accordance with the wording and spirit of this act.

(2) Electoral Officers are charged with ensuring that elected offices with activity requirements are met and maintained.

(3) Electoral Officers are charged with serving as the stewards of free and fair elections.

13 - Referendum

(1) For all intents and purposes of this Act, a Referendum is regarded as an election.

(2) Referendums take place over a period of 48 hours.

14 - Polling Places

(1) Selection. Polling places are selected by the DOS.

(a) Consideration must be taken to ensure accessibility, convenience, and efficiency for voters (major landmarks, access to /spawns and public transportation).

(b) Polling places must be on public land or in public buildings.

(c) There must be at least one polling place in the Department of State building.

(2) Restrictions. In order to ensure a neutral and focused voting environment, campaign-related advertising (Includes, but is not limited to, physical campaign propaganda and person-to-person campaigning) is prohibited within:

(a) 25 blocks of a ballot box (a block registered as a poll); and

(b) inside a building containing a polling place.

(c) Failure to comply:

Interfering with a Polling Place
Obstructing or Interrupting the conduct of a polling place.
Per Offence: $1000 Fine + 10 minutes jail

Harassment of a Polling Place
Failure to comply with polling place restrictions as defined in the Electoral Act.
Per Offence: $10,000 fine
Three or more offences: Up to $50,000 fine + up to 20 minutes jail + 1 month removal from public office

15 - Redundancy

(1) The Secretary of State has the exclusive power to declare an electoral emergency.

(2) An electoral emergency is called when an in-game election cannot be conducted reliably in-game.

(3) Under an electoral emergency, all elections will conducted according to the law the preceded this act until declared otherwise by the Secretary of State.

16 - Registration

(1) In order to protect the integrity of the electoral system, the Department of State will maintain voter registration.

(a) Voter registration exists to verify the validity of voters, not to limit potential voters from voting. All legitimate citizens are entitled to registration.'

18 - Election Mailing
(1) Definitions:
(a) Election Mailing System. The system outlined in this Act in which individuals receive mail regarding elections.
(b) Election Mail List. The list of individuals who have opted to receive mail regarding elections from the Election Mailing System.

(2) Mailing:
(a) Beginning of Declarations. Individuals enrolled in the Election Mail List shall receive mail when declarations open for any election conducted by the Department of State. Information included in such mail shall, at a minimum, include:
(i) the amount of time that declarations are open for;
(ii) the office(s) up for election;
(iii) the amount of seats open; and
(iv) when polls open and how long they will be open for.
(b) Opening of Polls. Individuals enrolled in the Election Mail List shall receive mail when polls open for any election. Information included in such mail shall, at a minimum, include:
(i) the office(s) up for election; and
(ii) how long polls are open for.
(c) Separate Mailing. Individuals shall receive separate pieces of mail for each election, even if declarations for multiple elections open at the same time. Exceptions to this include:
(i) special elections for the same chamber of Congress that occur at the same time; and
(ii) elections for town council and mayor — for the same town — that occur at the same time.
(d) Election Error or Delay. When there is an error which results in the extension of the polling time, an error that results in people needing to recast their ballot(s), and/or a delay in the opening of polls, everyone who is a registered voter and/or an individual enrolled in the Election Mail List shall be sent mail regarding the consequences of the error and/or delay at the earliest convenience.

(3) Registration:
(a) Automatic Enrollment. When an individual becomes registered to vote, that individual shall become enrolled in the Election Mail List.
(i) Limited Application. This shall only apply to individuals who become registered to vote after the enactment of this Act.
(b) In-game Commands. There shall exist in-game commands to request to be enrolled in the Election Mail List and to request to be unenrolled from the Election Mail List.
(i) Enrollment At-will. Individuals shall be able to enroll in and unenroll from the Election Mail List at will and without discrimination, regardless of whether they meet the requirements to vote.

(4) Information. There shall be information regarding the Election Mail List inside of the primary Department of State building.
(a) This information, at a minimum, shall include:
(i) the name of the in-game command to enroll in the Election Mail List; and
(ii) the name of the in-game command to unenroll from the Election Mail List.

(5) Management. The Election Mailing System and the Election Mail List shall be maintained and managed by the Department of State.
(a) The Department of State shall be responsible for accepting requests to enroll and unenroll from the Election Mail List in a timely manner.3 - Office of the President

(1) The President may appoint executive officers - not bound to any department - to assist in the daily operations of the executive branch.

(2) The appointments serve at the President's pleasure.

(3) These positions include, but are not limited to:

(a) 1x Chief of Staff

(b) 5x Executive Advisor

(c) 1x Press Secretary

(4) Although they are a part of the Cabinet, Executive Officers do not have the ability to participate in the incapacitation process.

4 - Ambassadors

(1) The President may appoint an ambassador to recognised countries and diplomatic organisations.

(2) Ambassadors work within the Department of State.

(3) Ambassador appointments must be approved by the Senate.

(4) Ambassadors may be subject to impeachment and removal from officer by Congress.

(5) The President is limited on the number of principal officers they can nominate, the limitations are as follows:

(a) There may be one ambassador per recognized foreign nation and the United Nations.

5 - Cabinet

(1) An Acting Secretary may serve in that role without Senate confirmation for a period of up to 14 days, starting from when they assume the office of Acting Secretary. After that time period elapses, the Acting Secretary must receive Senate confirmation if they are to continue in that role. After an Acting Secretary's term is up, they may not be Acting Secretary for 14 days.

(2) During a vacancy in the Secretary position, their duties fall to the Deputy Secretary until a new Secretary can be chosen.

(3) Should both the Secretary and Deputy Secretary be vacant, the Secretary’s duties shall temporarily fall to a person appointed by the President.

(4) No person shall hold multiple Secretary (or Acting Secretary) positions at any given time.

(5) No person shall hold an Acting Secretary position simultaneously with Secretary, Representative, Senator, Speaker of the House, Deputy Speaker of the House, President of the Senate, Magistrate, Judge, Justice, or Chief Justice."

6 - Department of State

(1) The Department of State is charged with the following primary responsibilities:

(a) Internal auditing and performance of all Government Departments.

(b) Evaluation and oversight of the Executive.

(c) Compiling a State of the Commonwealth.

(d) Administration, facilitation of, and communication with towns, including notification of any laws that may impact towns.

(e) Foreign relations

(f) Political party registration

(g) Facilitation of Federal elections (and other elections as requested), including debates.

(h) Dedication and establish of national public holidays and any conditions that go with the public holiday.

(i) Mediating intragovernmental disputes.

(j) Managing and responding to complaints and reports against executive departments.

(k) Facilitation of Referendums

(2) Leadership:

(a) Secretary of the Department of State

(b) Deputy Secretary of the Department of State.

(3) Seal:

Seal_DOS.png

7 - Department of Homeland Security

(1) The Department of Homeland Security is charged with the following primary responsibilities:

(a) Maintaining the peace and good order of the nation, through lawfully exercising its power equally to enforce the laws of the Commonwealth of Redmont.

(b) Administration of a Federal impound and providing security to government officials and events.

(c) Maintaining criminal records

(d) Providing criminal records upon request (the requesting individual must be party to the record requested) within 7 days.

(e) Protecting and Defending Redmont and its interests.

(2) The Department is considered an 'emergency services' provider.

(3) Leadership:

(a) Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.

(b) Deputy Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.

(4) Seal:

Seal_DHS.png

8 - Department of Justice

(1) The Department of Justice is charged with the following primary responsibilities:

(a) Defending the national legal interest.

(b) Investigating and prosecuting on behalf of the Federal Government.

(c) Acting ethically and lawfully at the President’s direction.

(d) Managing Freedom of Information requests.

(3) Leadership:

(a) Secretary of the Department of Justice (Attorney General)

(b) Deputy Secretary of the Department of Justice (Solicitor General)

(4) Seal:

Seal_DOJ sml.png

9 - Department of Commerce

(1) The Department of Commerce is charged with the following primary responsibilities:

(a) Maintaining a prosperous national economic state.

(b) Advancing employment opportunities and guidelines for occupations.

(c) Administration of government grants and the registration of companies.

(d) Enforcing compliance with national corporate standards.

(3) Leadership:

(a) Secretary of the Department of Commerce.

(b) Deputy Secretary of the Department of Commerce.

(4) Seal:

Seal_DOC.png

10 - Department of Public Affairs

(1) The Department of Public Affairs is charged with the following primary responsibilities:

(a) Advancing the spirit of community.

(b) Organising and hosting community events.

(c) Administering national social media accounts.

(d) Administration of cabinet meetings

(e) Managing National event calendar (Discord Events Tab).

(f) Managing bookings for Government recreation facilities.

(3) Leadership:

(a) Secretary of the Department of Public Affairs.

(b) Deputy Secretary of the Department of Public Affairs.

(4) Seal:

Seal_DPA.png

11 - Department of Construction & Transportation

(1) The Department of Construction and Transport is charged with the following primary responsibilities:

(a) Creation of Government infrastructure

(b) Maintenance of building regulation compliance.

(c) Management of Public Transport networks.

(3) Leadership:

(a) Secretary of the Department of Construction and Transport.

(b) Deputy Secretary of the Department of Construction and Transport.

(4) Seal:

Seal_DCT.png

12 - Department of Health

(1) The Department of Health is charged with the following primary responsibilities:

(a) Maintenance and upkeep of the national health system.

(2) The Department is considered an 'emergency services' provider.

(3) Leadership:

(a) Secretary of the Department of Health

(b) Deputy Secretary of the Department of Health.

(4) Seal:

Seal_DOH.png

13 - Department of the Interior

(1) The Department of the Interior is charged with the following primary responsibilities:

(a) Maintaining the natural aesthetic of the nation and surrounding lands through repairing and revitalising the natural landscape,
developing natural wonders, and strategically managing and conserving natural resources.

(b) Regulating farming practices and resource collection.

(c) Administration of a animal shelters, zoos, urban parks, and national parks.

(d) Management of a Government Tender program and Supply Depot.

(2) Leadership:

(a) Secretary of the Department of the Interior.

(b) Deputy Secretary of the Department of the Interior.

(3) Seal:

Seal_DOI.png

14 - Department of Education

(1) The Department of Education is charged with the following primary responsibilities:

(a) Advancing the knowledge, skills, and retention of the people of Redmont through arts and education initiatives, and furthering contributions to arts, academia, and culture.

(b) Maintaining a historical national archives to document and preserve national history.

(2) Leadership:

(a) Secretary of the Department of Education.

(b) Deputy Secretary of the Department of Education.

(3) Seal:


1744845007641.png

15 - Emergency Services

(1) Employees of an Emergency Service provider cannot refuse to work or ignore the duties of their job.

(2) Unions or any other organized group cannot engage in conduct that encourages obstruction of an Emergency Service.

(3) The following shall be added to the laws:
Obstruction of an Emergency Service
An entity who has conspired to or engaged in obstructing functions vital to public safety.
Per Offence: Up to $4000 Fine.

16 - Government Payouts

(1) Punitive charges, fines, and any other form of payouts ordered by the Courts will be provided from the Government balance and not the Department(s) in question.'12. Judicial Power
Judicial power is vested in the court.

13. Role‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌Federal‌ ‌Court‌ ‌System‌ ‌of‌ ‌Redmont
The‌ ‌Judicial‌ ‌arm‌ ‌of‌ ‌Government,‌ ‌consisting‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌District‌ ‌Court,‌ ‌Federal Court,‌ ‌and‌ ‌Supreme‌ ‌Court,‌ ‌ interpret‌ ‌the‌ ‌law‌ ‌as‌ ‌written‌ ‌by‌ ‌the‌ ‌legislature‌ ‌and‌ ‌administered‌ ‌by‌ ‌the‌ ‌Executive.‌ Lawsuits‌ ‌can‌ ‌be‌ ‌made to the court as either‌ ‌civil‌ ‌cases‌ ‌(a‌ ‌dispute‌ ‌between‌ ‌two‌ ‌parties,‌ ‌usually‌ ‌seeking‌ ‌compensation)‌ ‌or‌ ‌criminal‌ ‌cases‌ ‌(an‌ ‌appeal‌ ‌to‌ ‌the‌ ‌state‌ ‌against‌ ‌a‌ ‌charge,‌ ‌or‌ ‌a‌ ‌case‌ ‌filed‌ ‌by‌ ‌the‌ ‌state‌ ‌regarding‌ ‌a‌ ‌criminal‌ ‌act. i.e. Citizens cannot prosecute).‌ ‌Where‌ ‌there‌ ‌is‌ ‌a‌ ‌failure‌ ‌to‌ appear,‌ ‌the‌ ‌courts will trial in absentia and ‌will‌ ‌deliver‌ ‌a‌ ‌verdict‌ ‌considering‌ ‌the‌ ‌facts‌ ‌presented‌ ‌to‌ ‌the‌ ‌Court.‌ ‌
‌

DISTRICT COURT

14. Role‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌District‌ ‌Court‌ ‌of‌ ‌Redmont‌ ‌
The‌ ‌District‌ ‌Court‌s of Redmont ‌hear ‌all‌ ‌minor‌ ‌civil‌ ‌and‌ ‌criminal‌ ‌disputes‌ ‌in‌ ‌the‌ ‌first‌ ‌instance.‌ The District Courts are presided over by ‌a‌ ‌single‌ ‌Magistrate‌ ‌under‌ ‌the‌ ‌supervision‌ ‌of‌ ‌a‌ ‌Judge‌ ‌or‌ ‌Justice.‌ ‌Each‌ ‌town‌ ‌or‌ ‌city‌ ‌shall‌ ‌be‌ ‌considered‌ ‌a‌ ‌district‌ ‌and‌ ‌shall‌ ‌have‌ ‌one‌ ‌Magistrate.‌ ‌There‌ ‌shall‌ ‌not‌ ‌be‌ ‌more‌ ‌than‌ ‌one ‌(1)‌ Magistrates ‌on‌ ‌the‌ ‌District Court of‌ ‌Redmont‌ ‌per jurisdiction at‌ ‌any‌ ‌given‌ ‌time.‌

‌ 15. Powers‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌District‌ ‌Court‌ ‌
(a) The‌ ‌District‌ ‌Court‌ ‌of‌ ‌Redmont‌ ‌has original jurisdiction over‌:
(i) arrests
(ii) wrongful‌ ‌seizure
(‌iii)‌ public official misconduct
(iv) minor‌ ‌criminal‌ ‌prosecutions‌ ‌that‌ ‌result‌ ‌in‌ ‌jail‌ ‌not‌ ‌exceeding‌ ‌20‌ ‌minutes‌ ‌or‌ ‌$2500‌ ‌dollars‌ ‌(inclusive) of‌ ‌fines
(v) minor‌ ‌civil‌ ‌cases‌ ‌whose‌ ‌value‌ ‌does‌ ‌not‌ ‌exceed‌ $20,000‌ ‌dollars (inclusive).‌


FEDERAL COURT

16. Role‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌Federal Court‌ ‌of‌ ‌Redmont‌ ‌
The‌ ‌Federal Court‌ ‌of‌ ‌Redmont‌ ‌hears‌ ‌all‌ ‌major‌ ‌civil‌ ‌and‌ ‌criminal‌ ‌disputes‌ ‌in‌ ‌the‌ ‌first‌ ‌instance and is‌ ‌the‌ ‌appellate‌ ‌court‌ ‌for‌ ‌verdicts‌ ‌made‌ ‌by‌ ‌the‌ ‌District‌ ‌Courts‌. The Federal Court is presided over by a single Judge. There‌ ‌shall‌ ‌not‌ ‌be‌ ‌more‌ ‌than‌ ‌three ‌(3)‌ Judges‌ ‌on‌ ‌the‌ ‌Federal Court of‌ ‌Redmont‌ ‌at‌ ‌any‌ ‌given‌ ‌time.‌ ‌ ‌

17. Powers‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌Federal Court
(a) The‌ ‌Federal ‌Court‌ ‌of‌ ‌Redmont‌ ‌has original jurisdiction over‌:
(i) Questions of constitutionality
(ii) Major ‌criminal‌ ‌prosecutions‌ ‌that‌ ‌result‌ ‌in‌ ‌jail‌ ‌exceeding‌ ‌20‌ ‌minutes‌ ‌or‌ ‌$2500‌ ‌dollars‌ ‌of‌ ‌fines
(iii) Major ‌civil‌ ‌cases‌ ‌whose‌ ‌value‌ exceed‌s $20,000‌ ‌dollars.‌ ‌
(iv) Any cases of significance that do not fit within the established bounds of court jurisdictions.

(b) The Federal Court of Redmont is the appellate court for the District Court of Redmont.

(c) Other powers of the Federal Court of Redmont include:
(i) Issuing warrants‌
(ii) Ordering a ‌party before the Federal Court to ‌have‌ ‌a‌ ‌lawyer‌ ‌in‌ ‌order‌ ‌to‌ ‌proceed‌ ‌with‌ ‌their‌ ‌case
(iii) Assuming ‌the‌ ‌responsibilities‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌District‌ ‌Court‌s ‌of‌ ‌Redmont‌ ‌‌when necessary.


SUPREME COURT
18. Role‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌Supreme‌ ‌Court‌ ‌
The‌ ‌Supreme‌ ‌Court‌ ‌of‌ ‌Redmont‌ is the highest court in the nation, hearing all final appeals and challenges to removing a public office holder (see s19a(ii)). The Supreme Court is presided over by three Justices. ‌ The Supreme Court is chaired by a Chief Justice who is ‌nominated‌ ‌by‌ ‌the‌ ‌President‌ ‌and‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌by‌ ‌the‌ ‌Senate‌. There‌ ‌shall‌ ‌not‌ ‌be‌ ‌more‌ ‌than‌ ‌three ‌(3)‌ Justices (Chief Justice included) ‌on‌ ‌the‌ ‌Supreme Court of‌ ‌Redmont‌ ‌at‌ ‌any‌ ‌given‌ ‌time.‌ ‌All available Justices preside over Supreme Court cases and form a majority opinion. Any Justices who do not agree with the majority opinion deliver individual or joint dissenting opinions which are published alongside the majority opinion. A minimum of two (2) Justices in agreement must be met to deliver a verdict on a Supreme Court case, and where there is a disagreement, the Chief Justice's opinion will prevail. The‌ ‌decision‌ ‌of the Supreme Court is‌ ‌final‌ ‌-‌ ‌there‌ ‌are‌ ‌no‌ ‌further‌ ‌appeals‌ ‌once‌ ‌a‌ ‌matter‌ ‌has‌ ‌been‌ ‌decided‌ ‌by‌ ‌the‌ ‌Supreme‌ ‌Court ‌and‌ ‌the‌ ‌decision‌ ‌is‌ ‌binding‌ ‌on‌ ‌all‌ ‌other‌ ‌courts.‌ A party can appeal a Supreme Court decision based on a point of law or if a significant amount of new evidence is made available. The appeal must convince the Court that the Justices that heard the original case made an error of law and that the error was of such significance that the decision should be overturned. Some examples of significant errors of law are that the Judge that heard the original case:
applied an incorrect principle of law; or
made a finding of fact or facts on an important issue which could not be supported by the evidence.
In order to post in the Supreme Court, you must have legal standing (i.e. you are represented by someone who is a lawyer in-game or you are qualified in law in-game yourself) ‌

19. Powers‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌Supreme‌ ‌Court‌ ‌
(a) The‌ ‌Supreme Court‌ ‌of‌ ‌Redmont‌ ‌has original jurisdiction over‌:
(i) Removal of officials from Public Office (Judicial Officers, Members of Congress, Members of Cabinet)
(ii) Resolving‌ ‌disputes‌ ‌between‌ ‌Government‌ ‌Institutions

(b) The Supreme Court of Redmont is the appellate court for the Federal Court of Redmont.

(c) Other powers of the Supreme Court of Redmont include:
(i) Ordering a ‌party before the Supreme Court to ‌have‌ ‌a‌ ‌lawyer‌ ‌in‌ ‌order‌ ‌to‌ ‌proceed‌ ‌with‌ ‌their‌ ‌case
(ii) Assuming ‌the‌ ‌responsibilities‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌District‌ ‌Court‌s ‌of‌ ‌Redmont‌ ‌‌and Federal Court of Redmont when necessary.


20. Judicial Officers
Judicial Officers is the collective name given to Magistrates, Judges, Justices, and the Chief Justice. Judicial Officers are‌ ‌responsible‌ ‌for‌ ‌presiding‌ ‌over‌ ‌and‌ ‌delivering‌ ‌non-biased‌ ‌verdicts‌ ‌on‌ ‌all‌ ‌lawsuits.‌ ‌Judicial Officers can rule on their Court, or on lower courts if required. Judicial Officers cannot preside over an appeal that they have already ruled on previously in a lower court. Magistrates‌ ‌are‌ ‌to‌ ‌be‌ ‌appointed‌ ‌by‌ ‌the‌ ‌Supreme‌ ‌Court‌ ‌to‌ ‌serve‌ ‌on‌ ‌the‌ ‌District‌ ‌Court.‌ Federal Court Judges,‌ ‌Supreme‌ ‌Court‌ ‌Justices,‌ ‌and‌ ‌the‌ ‌Chief‌ ‌Justice‌ ‌are‌ ‌to‌ ‌be‌ ‌nominated‌ ‌by‌ ‌the‌ President‌ ‌and‌ ‌approved‌ ‌by‌ ‌the‌ ‌Senate.‌ ‌Where‌ ‌there‌ ‌is‌ ‌no‌ ‌Chief‌ ‌Justice,‌ ‌the‌ ‌most‌ ‌senior‌ ‌Justice‌ ‌is‌ ‌Chief‌ ‌Justice‌ ‌by‌ ‌default‌ ‌until‌ ‌otherwise‌ ‌provided. Judicial Requirements The following requirements exist in order to be nominated to the bench: Chief Justice - has accrued 150 hours and 12 hours of playtime in the last 30 days Justice - has accrued 125 hours and 12 hours of playtime in the last 30 days Judge - has accrued 72 hours and 12 hours of playtime in the last 30 days ‌ If‌ ‌there‌ ‌are‌ ‌no‌ ‌Justices‌ ‌on‌ ‌the‌ ‌Supreme‌ ‌Court,‌ ‌the‌ ‌President‌ ‌shall‌ ‌have‌ ‌one‌ ‌week‌ ‌to‌ ‌nominate‌ ‌a‌ ‌Justice‌ ‌or‌ ‌Chief‌ ‌Justice.‌

13 - Standards of Proof
(1) The following shall apply:
a. Balance of Probabilities - Required in civil actions.
b. Probable Cause - Required for a warrant.
c. Proof Beyond a Reasonable Doubt - Required in criminal prosecutions.

14 - Burden of Proof
The onus of the burden of proof is on the Prosecution.

15 - State Legal Representation
The Commonwealth may appoint a prosecutor to represent the state in court in lieu of the Attorney General.

16 - Recusal
(1) Judicial disqualification, also referred to as recusal, is the act of abstaining from participation in a case due to a conflict of interest.
(2) A motion to recuse can be filed at any point in a case prior to the verdict. A Judge must consider whether or not to voluntarily recuse themselves.
(3) Where a judge does not voluntarily recuse, a second Judge will respond to the motion and either accept or deny it. In the instance the judge accepts the motion, that judge will then preside over the case.
(4) Conflict of interest may involve:
a. Bias/appearance of bias.
b. Interest.
c. Ex Parte Communications.
d. Breach of Judicial Conduct.
e. Prior Work as a Lawyer for either party.

17 - Warrants
(1) The court may issue warrants - court orders that allow actions that would otherwise be unlawful - for the following:
a. Search - Expresses permission for a Police Officer, Investigator, or Compliance Officer, accompanied or unaccompanied, to enter private property, view private assets, or access digital documents in order to search for evidence or contraband. Staff will be required to assist with searching storage containers if required, however the Officer will not have direct access. Search Warrants must detail exactly what is being requested and judicial officers must include any modifications to the request they have made when approving the warrant. This warrant can be requested by authorized members in the DoJ, DHS, and DoC.
b. Asset Seizure - to seize assets when an individual does not have sufficient monetary funds to pay a court order or unsettled fines. The unpaid fines must have been standing for at least 2 months and can be seen in the DoJ DHS #fines channel. A DHS employee must also /mail the person about their fines at least three days prior to requesting an asset seizure warrant. If a government agency requires an asset to be transferred to itself within its lawful actions (ie: Eminent Domain by the DCT or Seizing Bank assets by the DOC), they may request a warrant or ask the DHS to do so on their behalf to be able to gain possession of said asset. Asset Warrants must detail exactly what is being seized and judicial officers must include any modifications to the request they made when approving the warrant.
c. Arrest Warrant - for entering private property to arrest a wanted individual. This warrant can only be executed by authorized members in the DHS.

d. Investigative - Expresses permission for a Detective, accompanied or unaccompanied, to enter private property in order to search for clues relating to an active case.
(2) The Debtor must be given a 5-day notice by the Department of Homeland security for any debt collection through an asset seizure warrant. The Debtor must be informed that they provide the outstanding money needed to pay off their debt within a period of 5 days or assets will be seized to cover their outstanding debt.

18 - Injunctions
(1) The courts may issue injunctions - orders that compel a party in a case to do something or to refrain from doing something - for the following:
a. Permanent - Permanent injunctions aim to enforce the rights of others.
b. Emergency - Injunctions that are issued before the court has tried a case to prevent harm. If the applicant fails to file a lawsuit within 4 hours of requesting an emergency injunction the order will be null and void.
(2) Abuse of this type of order results in civil liability for seven fold the actual damages.

19 - Writs
(1) The courts may issue writs - a written command in the name of a court to act, or abstain from acting, in a particular way - for the following:
a. Writ of Mandamus - Orders the government or a government agency to do or to refrain from doing something as is their duty under the law.
b. Quo Warranto - Orders the government or a government agency to appear before the court to establish its authority to do something.

20 - Appeals
(1) Once a court case is adjourned, either party may request to appeal the decision by filing an appeal in the court of the next tier. Once a case has been decided by the Supreme Court, it cannot be appealed.
(2) Requirements:--
- Less than one month has elapsed since the court’s decision;
- the appeal follows a format laid out by the courts in a thread that will be authored upon this bill’s passage; and
- the appeal is not made just for the sake of appealing.

21 - Appeal Response
(1) In the event that the appeal request is accepted by the court, a new trial will occur.
(2) In the event that this is an appeal of an appealed decision and there are only two sitting judges, the Speaker of Congress will also preside.

22 - Appeal Outcome
(1) In the event the court’s original decision was overturned, one of two events will occur.
a. If the plaintiff had originally won the case and the defendant was charged with compensatory actions, the defendant will be fully refunded by the plaintiff.
b. If the defendant had originally won the case, the court will decide compensatory actions for the plaintiff to receive.
(2) In the event the court did not overturn their decision, all court orders from the original case remain standing.

23 - Supreme Court Appeals
(1) A party can appeal based on a point of law. The appeal must convince the Court that the Justices that heard the original case made an error of law and that the error was of such significance that the decision should be overturned.
(a) Some examples of significant errors of law are that the Judge that heard the original case:
applied an incorrect principle of law; or
made a finding of fact or facts on an important issue which could not be supported by the evidence.
24 - Sentencing
(1) Where there is a continued threat to player safety or enjoyment due to the commission of crime, the prosecuting authority can impose punishment prior to a trial.
a. Where an individual is found guilty at trial, any punishment already undertaken will be deemed spent.
b. Where an individual is found innocent at trial, they shall be compensated up to $50 per minute spent in jail for offences found unproven, alongside a reimbursement of any fine paid for unproven offences.

25 - Trials
(1) For a criminal trial to take place -
a. The prosecuting authority must be represented by a prosecutor.
i. The defendant may have representation or have declared they are representing themselves.
ii. If the defendant is eligible for a Public Defender, the Court must allow reasonable time for the defendant to source legal counsel.

26 - Court Clerk
(1) The Supreme Court may appoint an unlimited amount of Court Clerks to assist the duties of the courts
(2) These Court Clerks will serve at the pleasure of the Supreme Court and can be removed at any time. In Addition, Congress may at any time remove any Court Clerk via the regular legislative process if they believe such a Court Clerk has interfered with the functions of the branch.
(3) Court Clerk is not considered or classified as Judicial Officers.
(4) Court Clerks may receive a salary decided by law outside of the Constitution.

27 - External Assistance Creation
(1) Any Magistrate, Judge, or Justice, may request and order external assistance from the following Departments:
a. The Department of Justice, to issue fines and assist in the security of any in-game court proceeding.
b. The Department of Public Affairs, to sanction in-game trials as events if necessary.
c. The Department of Health, to assist in the on-site crisis-management of any sort of infectious disease spread during an in-game court proceeding.
d. The Department of Construction and Transport, to issue repairs and or changes that are necessary for the efficient running of the courthouse.
(2) In addition, the following temporary positions may be established during in-game court proceedings:
(a) Bailiff, utilizing a police officer from the Department of Homeland Security
(i) The Chief Justice shall decide the payment for Bailiffs, and this shall be paid from the Judiciary budget.
(b) Stenographer, utilizing a Court Clerk or temporarily appointing any player who is available at that time.
(i) The Chief Justice shall decide the payment for Stenographers, and this shall be paid from the Judiciary budget.
(3) Bailiff and Stenographer pay shall be managed by the Judiciary after the court proceeding.

28 - Duty to Disclose
(1) In the event of any court case, criminal or otherwise, both sides are required to present any exculpatory evidence to the opposing counsel
(2) Failure to do such may be used as a reason for an appeal
(3) A violation of the duty to disclose shall constitute as an offense:
(a) Definition: Failing to disclose exculpatory evidence to an opposing counsel relating to a court case that the violator is either a plaintiff, defendant, or counsel in, that was either personally viewed or received
(b) Classification: Summary Criminal Offense
(c) Per Offense:
(i) First Offense: $2,000 Fine
(ii) Second Offense: $5,000 Fine
(iii) Third Offense and Beyond: $6,000 Fine + 5 Minutes Jail

29 - Ex Parte Communication
(1) Direct or indirect communication about a specific case with the presiding officer that is presiding over that case that the citizen in question is either the plaintiff, defendant, or counsel in without the knowledge of all parties (Plaintiff,defendant, counsel) in the case is forbidden
(2) Failure to do such may be used as a reason for a recusal, and if the case has already been ruled on, an appeal
(3) An Ex Parte Communication shall constitute as an offense:
(a) Definition: Making direct or indirect communication about a specific case with the presiding officer that is presiding over that case that the violator is either a plaintiff, defendant, or counsel in without the knowledge of all parties (Plaintiff, defendant, counsel) in the case
(b) Classification: Summary Criminal Offense
(c) Per Offense:
(i) First Offense: $2,000 Fine
(ii) Second Offense: $5,000 Fine
(iii) Third Offense: $6,000 Fine +5 Minutes Jail

30 - Case Commission
(1) Case commissions shall be managed by the Judiciary and shall be granted at the following rates for the duration of each case they are presiding over:
(2) Justice: $300 per day;
(3) Judge: $250 per day;
(4) Magistrate: $200 per day;
(5) Payments shall be made according to the time zone of the individual dispensing the funds.
(6) Payments shall be made following a case adjournment.

31 - Ruling Transparency
(1) Where there is more than one Judicial Officer presiding over a case, the court must inform all parties as to which judicial officers are presiding on their case.
(2) When rendering verdicts on cases or deciding on motions, individual presiding judicial officer's opinions and rulings must be attributable.
(a) These rulings and opinions can be published collectively (i.e. signing on to a verdict/decision) or individually.1 - Short Title

(1) This Resolution may be cited as the ' Resolution.'

(2) This Resolution has been authored by:

(3) This Resolution has been co-sponsored by:

2 - Reasons

3 - Amendments to Resolution Format

Code:

A
RESOLUTION
To

<Purpose of the Resolution>​

The people of the Commonwealth of Redmont, through their elected Representatives in the Congress, do hereby formally enact this non-binding resolution, as a request to our Government:

1 - Short Title

(1) This Resolution may be cited as the ' Resolution.'

(2) This Resolution has been authored by:

(3) This Resolution has been co-sponsored by:

2 - Reasons

3 - Amendments to Resolution Format

A
BILL
To

<Purpose of the bill i.e. Amend the Legislative Standards Act>

The people of the Commonwealth of Redmont, through their elected Representatives in the Congress and the force of law ordained to that Congress by the people through the constitution, do hereby enact the following provisions into law:

1 - Short Title and Enactment

(1) This Act may be cited as the ' Act.'

(2) This Act shall be enacted immediately upon its signage.

(3) This Act has been authored by <user>.

(4) This Act has been co-sponsored by <user>.

2 - Reasons

(1)

(2)...

3 - Sections as needed...

Code:

A
BILL
To

<Purpose of the bill i.e. Amend the Legislative Standards Act>​

The people of the Commonwealth of Redmont, through their elected Representatives in the Congress and the force of law ordained to that Congress by the people through the constitution, do hereby enact the following provisions into law:

1 - Short Title and Enactment

(1) This Act may be cited as the ' Act.'

(2) This Act shall be enacted immediately upon its signage.

(3) This Act has been authored by <user>.

(4) This Act has been co-sponsored by <user>.

2 - Reasons
(1)
(2)...

3 - Sections as needed...



FORMATTING STANDARDS

PART I - <PART NAME> (if required; stylistic choice)

1 - <Section>

(1) Subsection

(a) Subsubsection

(i) Subsubsubsection3 - Criminal Code
The Miscellaneous Offenses Act will establish the crimes outlined in '4 - Offences' as an extension of the Standardized Criminal Code Act.

4 - Offences
(1) Contempt of Court (Original: pugbandit - Feb 15, 2021)
(i) Classification: Summary Criminal Offense
The disobedience of an order of a court. Conduct tending to obstruct or interfere with the orderly administration of justice also qualifies as contempt of court. A party that fails to perform a specific act, in accordance with a judgment by a court, can be charged with contempt and subsequently penalized.
First Offense: $500 Fine
Second Offense: $1000 Fine + 5 Minutes Jail
Third Offense: Maximum $2500 + up to 10 Minutes Jail.

(2) Involuntary Servitude (Original: Pepecuu - April 11, 2025)
(i) Classification: Indictable Criminal Offense
The act(s) of coercion by an individual, organisation, or entity, so that an individual is forced, or justifiably feels compelled, to perform labour or services against their will. Actions constituting coercion include but are not limited to: manipulation, and the use of explicit or implicit threats or actions of violence or blackmail, towards the person or entity being enslaved.
Minimum Sentencing: $5,000 Fine
Maximum Sentencing: $25,000 Fine + 120 Minutes Jail Time

(3) False Accusation (Original: huney69 - Jul 13, 2021)
(i) Classification: Summary Criminal Offense
The act of falsely accusing someone of a crime and attempting to incur legal punishment when they could reasonably infer that the accused was innocent.
Per Offense: $100 Fine

(4) Illegal Advertising (Original: ElainaThomas29 - Nov 1, 2022)
(i) Classification: Summary Criminal Offense
The act of advertising a business or political campaign to a public chat not designated for advertising, not responding to a question that someone else asked and not said within /ad or a designated channel for advertising.
Per Offense: $100 Fine

(5) Illegal Locking (Original: Dusty_3 - Jun 21, 2020)
(i) Classification: Summary Criminal Offense
The act of locking another citizen's property on their land without permission.
Per Offense: $100 Fine

(6) Resisting Arrest (Original: Dusty_3 - Jun 21, 2020)
(i) Classification: Summary Criminal Offense
The act of disregarding a directive given to you by a member of the Department of Justice while being wanted.
Per Offense: $100 Fine

(7) Incitement (Original: pugbandit - Feb 15, 2021)
(i) Classification: Indictable Criminal Offense
The attempt to coax or encourage someone to break the law.
Minimum Sentencing: $1000 Fine
Maximum Sentencing: $3000 Fine + 15 Minutes Jail Time

(8) Frivolous Court Case (Original: pugbandit - Feb 15, 2021)
(i) Classification: Summary Criminal Offense
Lodging a legal case that has no serious purpose or value.
Per Offense: $100

(9) Obstruction of Justice (Original: pugbandit - Feb 15, 2021)
(i) Classification: Indictable Criminal Offense
Willfully interfering with the process of justice through influencing, threatening, harming, or impeding a witness, potential witness, police officer, detective, or by providing false information.
First Offense: 20 Minutes Jail + $150 Fine
Second Offense: 40 Minutes Jail + $300 Fine
Subsequent Offenses: 60 Minutes Jail + $600 Fine
4 - Taxation Brackets
(1) Taxation brackets shall apply to Corporate and Personal Balance Taxes.
(2) The following bracket amounts are inclusive and shall be taxed at the following rates weekly:
Taxation Bracket Taxation Rate (%)
$0.00 to $49,999.99 0
$50,000.00 to $99,999.99 1
$100,000.00 to $199,999.99 1.2
$200,000.00 - $399,999.99 1.4
$400,000.00+ 1.8
(3) The net time tax rate is calculated over the time between a player’s log-in and their previous log-in. The player’s Corporate and Personal Balance upon log-in is then subject to this tax rate.

5 - Financial Institutions Tax
(1) Deposit-taking financial institutions will be taxed on their monthly reported profit.
(a) This tax will be fined by the Department of Commerce.
(b) Taxation is due by the end of the second week of the following month.
(2) Financial Institution Taxation Rates:

Taxation Type Taxation Rate
Financial Institution Tax 10%
Financial Institution Depositor Insurance Tax 10%
Total 20% of Profits

6 - Financial Institution Taxation Exemptions
(1) Deposit-taking financial institutions will be exempt from all balance taxes, as defined in the Banking Act (or succeeding acts).
(a) Exemption takes effect from the point of acceptance and registration from the Department of Commerce.
(b) Exemption may be repealed by the Commerce Secretary or delegate if the institution does not meet the requirements of this Act.

7 - Financial Records and Reporting
(1) Deposit-taking financial institutions must keep detailed accounts of their investment revenue and obligations to their depositors.
(a) Should deposit-taking financial institutions misrepresent their profits to the Department of Commerce, the entity will be liable for prosecution.
(b) Profits shall be calculated as the earnings the financial institution keeps after all operating costs are paid. Profit shall be calculated from the date of the last report or, in the first report, the first day of trading.
(2) Deposit-taking financial institutions are required to report to the Department of Commerce by the end of the first week of the succeeding month:

FINANCIAL REPORT
(a) Profits.
(b) Total assets and liabilities as of the last day of the preceding month.
(c) Any significant changes in the financial condition or operations of the institution.
(d) A summary of the institution's investment portfolio, including details on securities, loans, and other financial instruments held.
(e) Information on any regulatory actions, legal proceedings, or other material events that may impact the institution's financial stability.
(f) Compliance status with relevant financial regulations and guidelines.

(3) Failure to comply with reporting requirements will result in the financial institution surrendering its taxation exemption status until a report is submitted.

8 - Powers of the Department of Commerce
(1) Historical events have proven that strong regulatory powers are necessary for the adequate protection of the depositors of deposit-taking institutions.
(2) These powers are vested in the Department of Commerce to uphold the integrity of financial institution taxation, ensure compliance with regulations, and protect the interests of depositors and the broader financial system.
(3) The Department of Commerce will have the following non-exhaustive powers in relation to regulating financial institution tax obligations:

(a) Audit and Inspection Authority. The Department shall have the authority to conduct regular audits and inspections of the financial records of deposit-taking financial institutions. This includes verifying the accuracy of reported profits and confirming legal compliance.
(b) Exemption Verification. The Department may verify the eligibility of deposit-taking financial institutions for taxation exemptions as outlined in Section 5. This includes assessing whether institutions meet the necessary requirements and, if necessary, revoking exemptions for non-compliance.
(c) Enforcement of Taxation. The Department is empowered to enforce the taxation provisions outlined in Section 7. This involves assessing, collecting, and overseeing the proper payment of monthly taxes by deposit-taking financial institutions.
(d) Investigation of Misrepresentation. In cases where misrepresentation of profits is suspected, the Department has the authority to conduct thorough investigations into the financial records of deposit-taking financial institutions. If intentional misrepresentation is confirmed, the Department may take legal action, including prosecution.

(3) The Department of Commerce will have the following non-exhaustive general powers in relation to regulating financial institutions:

(a) Registration: The Department of Commerce will have the power to assess an institution's eligibility, financial viability, and compliance with regulatory requirements prior to registration as a financial institution.
(b) Deregistration: The Department of Commerce will have the power to deregister financial institutions. This authority is granted to address instances of persistent non-compliance with regulations and or laws. Investigatory and legal due diligence, the best interests of the depositors, and restraint must be considered and applied in exercising deregistration.
(c) Commandeer: In extraordinary situations, the Department of Commerce has the power to commandeer and take temporary control of a financial institution. This authority is reserved for exceptional circumstances, such as insolvency, near insolvency, financial crises, or situations where the institution's continued operation poses a systemic risk to the financial system or depositors.
(d) Seizure and Sale. The Department of Commerce may consider commercial remedies such as selling a collapsed bank (or parts of a collapsed bank) to other interested financial institutions/parties. This may only take place when it is in the best interests of the depositors. Additionally, the Department may seize the assets of Directors/Owners of the Financial Institutions (with the least required disturbance to their estate) to recover debts.

9 - Deposit Guarantee
(1) The Federal Government will guarantee deposits of up to $50,000 per person, per authorised financial institution.
(2) All registered Financial Institutions are automatically covered under the terms of this deposit guarantee as authorised institutions.
(a) Institutions not compliant with this Act will be deregistered as a financial institution.
(b) Deposits will be covered by the Deposit guarantee for 30 days post-deregistration.
(c) The DOC is able to seize Financial Institution and Director/Owner assets to recover the costs to depositors. This process must be done with the least practicable disruption to the estate targeted.
(3) The Deposit Guarantee is Financial Institution Depositor Insurance (FIDI) and is compulsory for the stability of the financial system.
(4) The contributions of Financial Institutions serve to offset past and future payouts, but does not imply the existence of an exhaustive fund.
(5) Once s9(2)(c) has been exhausted, the DOC is pre-authorised to use unappropriated Government funds to satisfy the payment of the Deposit Guarantee to impacted depositors.

10 - Financial Institution Rights
(1) Information shared with regulatory bodies must satisfy a 'need-to-know' principle. For example:
(a) The Department of Commerce does not always need to know the identity of account holders.
(b) The Department of Commerce needs to have a reasonable justification for accessing the data it is requesting (this justification does not have to be shared with the Financial Institution).
(2) The Department of Commerce can only compel a Financial Institution to produce information in the course of its official duties.
(3) The Department of Commerce must treat the data of Financial Institutions as commercial-in-confidence.

11 - Chestshop Sales Tax
(1) Chestshop Tax percentage: 0%
(2) All Chestshop Tax revenue will be directed to the DCGovernment account.

12 - Pruning Tax
(1) All players who have been inactive for at least 3 consecutive months will have the entirety of their personal balance transferred to the DCGovernment balance.
(2) Upon request, the total of personal funds shall be returned to the citizen if they become active once again.
(a) The Federal Reserve Bank shall be responsible for repaying the citizen these funds.

13 - Property Tax
(1) Where x is the amount of plots a player owns, and y is the amount taxed per day, property taxes shall be calculated as follows: y = 2.5(x^2)-6x
(2) Players shall not be taxed for property tax if they own 3 or fewer plots.
(3) If a plot is registered as an active storefront, that plot shall not be calculated in determining property tax. Only up to 7 plots per person may be excluded from the property tax calculations in this way.
(a) Plots must be manually requested for this exemption through the Department of Construction and Transportation. Requests must demonstrate proof of active storefront presence on the designated plot in order to qualify for tax exemption.
(i) To qualify as an active storefront, a plot must have multiple chest shops that are accessible to the public, and are frequently stocked with goods of value that are sold for profit. Further, the primary function of the plot must be its function as a storefront; i.e., chest shops cannot be added to an office building in order to qualify as a storefront. The Department of Construction and Transportation has discretion over what does and does not qualify for this exemption, and has to enforce the above definition fairly, reasonably, and honestly, without creating absurd outcomes.
(b) If a plot exempted through this method is no longer used as an active storefront, the owner of the plot must inform the Department of Construction and Transportation within 7 days, and the plot shall no longer qualify for exemption. Failure to do so shall be considered Property Tax Evasion, enforced in a summary fashion.
(c) If a plot exempted through this method changes ownership, the previous owner of the plot must inform the Department of Construction and Transportation within 7 days. Failure to do so shall be considered Property Tax Evasion, enforced in a summary fashion. The plot may once again qualify for exemption upon request by the new owner through the method outlined in 13.3.a.
(d) The Department of Construction and Transportation shall be empowered to, and be charged with, conducting regular and unannounced inspections of plots that are listed as active storefronts in order to ensure that they meet the standards of an active storefront as determined by the Department.

Spoiler: Property Tax
Number of Plots Taxation Rate ($ per day) Amount per week ($)
1 0 0
2 0 0
3 0 0
4 16 112
5 32.50 227.50
6 54 378
7 80.50 563.50
8 112 784
9 148.50 1039.50
10 190 1330
11 236.50 1655.50
12 288 2016
13 344.50 2411.50
14 406 2842
15 472.50 3307.50
16 544 3808
17 620.50 4343.50
18 702 4914
19 788.50 5519.50
20 880 6160
21 976.50 6835.5
22 1078 7546
23 1184.50 8291.50
24 1296 9072
25 1412.50 9887.50
26 1534 10738
27 1660.50 11623.50
28 1792 12544
29 1928.50 13499.50
30 2070 14490

14 - Terms of Property Taxation:
(1) Merged plots shall be counted as several plots and will be taxed as such.
(2) Plot taxes apply to all plots, unless otherwise provided by Local Governments where the plot is located.
(a) Only Governments which are recognized by the Commonwealth of Redmont can be considered a Local Government.
(3) Towns may request for the Federal Government to conduct plot taxation, where the Federal Government will then provide the taxed amount to the Town on the first day of every month.
5 - How Firms are Formed
(1) Any person, partnership, association or corporation, singly or jointly with others, may incorporate or organize a Firm, defined as either a Corporation or a Limited Liability Company, under this act by filing with the Department of Commerce a Certificate of Incorporation which shall be executed, acknowledged and filed. Any Firm that wishes to incorporate in the Commonwealth of Redmont must have a registered headquarters in Redmont.
(2) A Firm may be incorporated under this chapter to conduct or promote any lawful business or purposes, except as may otherwise be provided by the Constitution or other laws of Redmont.
(3) In the case that a Firm wishes to amend their Certificate of Incorporation, they shall file a Certificate of Amendment of Certificate of Incorporation with the Department of Commerce.
(4) In the case that a company is created using the /db command system, however, does not submit a certificate of incorporation with the Department of Commerce, the owner of the company will be fully liable for any actions of the company and the company shall be a sole proprietorship.

6 - Management Structure of Firms
(1) Limited Liability Companies (hereinafter called ‘LLCs’) shall have a flexible management structure. They can be member-managed (where all members participate in decision-making) or manager-managed (where designated managers run the operations).
(2) Corporations have a more formal management structure with a board of directors elected by shareholders to oversee major decisions, and officers (e.g., Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer) appointed to manage day-to-day operations.

7 - Ownership and Control
(1) LLCs shall have the following ownership characteristics:
(a) Membership Interests:
(i) Ownership in an LLC is represented by membership interests rather than shares of stock. These interests are defined in the LLC's operating agreement, which outlines the rights and responsibilities of each member.
(b) Flexible Number of Member:
(i) LLCs may have an unlimited number of members.
(c) Types of Members:
(i) LLCs may have natural persons and/or firms as members.
(d) Transferability of Interests:
(i) Transferring ownership interests in an LLC requires the approval of other members and may be subject to restrictions outlined in the operating agreement.

(2) Corporations shall have the following ownership characteristics:
(a) Shares of Stock:
(i) Ownership in a Corporation is represented by shares of stock. Shareholders own these shares, which can be easily bought, sold, or transferred.
(b) Unlimited Shareholders:
(i) Corporations may have an unlimited number of shareholders.
(c) Types of Shareholders:
(i) Corporations may have various types of shareholders, including individuals, other corporations, and foreign entities. There are no restrictions on the nationality or residency of shareholders.
(d) Classes of Stock:
(i) Corporations may issue multiple classes of stock, each with different rights and privileges. This is outlined in their Certificate of Incorporation.

8 - Liability Protection
(1) Limited Liability for Shareholders:
(a) Shareholders' personal assets are protected from the firm's debts and liabilities.
(b) Shareholders are only liable up to the amount they have invested in the firm by purchasing shares.
(2) Firm as Separate Legal Entity:
(a) The firm is treated as a separate legal entity from its owners and managers. This separates the firm’s liabilities from the personal liabilities of shareholders and managers.
(3) Exceptions:
(a) Owners can be held personally liable if they provide personal guarantees for the firm, commit torts/negligence, or fail to maintain the firm's separate identity.
(b) Managers can be liable for their own negligent acts or failure to pay certain taxes on behalf of the firm.

9 - Corporate Governance
(1) Fiduciary Duties:
(a) In corporations there are fiduciary duties of care and loyalty on directors and controlling shareholders towards the corporation and minority shareholders.
(b) For LLCs, there shall be flexibility in the operating agreement to modify or eliminate fiduciary duties, except the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing.
(2) Board of Directors and Officer Roles:
(a) Corporations are required to have a board of directors responsible for overseeing the corporation's management. Officers, appointed by the board, handle day-to-day operations. This separation of roles ensures a system of checks and balances.
(3) Corporate Governance Best Practices:
(a) Corporations must follow corporate governance best practices, encompassing principles such as transparency, accountability, and fair treatment of shareholders. These practices aim to ensure that the corporation's activities are in line with its long-term objectives and the interests of its stakeholders.
(4) Flexibility in Officer Roles:
(a) Officer positions may be flexibly appointed to accommodate the specific needs of corporations. However, clear responsibilities must be established, and accountability maintained, particularly in cases where one individual holds multiple roles.

10 - Operating/Shareholders' Agreements
(1) For LLCs, the operating agreement is a key document that outlines the rights, responsibilities, and decision-making processes for members. This agreement can be tailored to address issues like profit distribution, voting rights, and transfer of interests.
(2) For corporations, shareholders' agreements may specify rights and protections for minority shareholders, such as veto rights over certain actions or board representation.

11 - Entire Fairness Review
(1) If a controlling shareholder/member in a firm engages in a conflicted transaction, courts shall apply the entire fairness review, requiring the controlling shareholder to prove the transaction was entirely fair to the minority. This heightened scrutiny helps protect minority shareholder/member rights in conflicted transactions.

12 - Statutory Rights of Shareholders
(1) Right to Inspect Books and Records:
(a) Shareholders have the right to inspect the corporation's books and records if they state a proper purpose that is reasonably related to their interests as shareholders. This allows shareholders to investigate potential wrongdoing, mismanagement, or to value their shares. The court determines what specific documents are "necessary and essential" for the stated proper purpose.
(2) Right to Vote on Major Corporate Actions:
(a) Shareholders have the right to vote on major corporate actions such as mergers, sales of substantially all assets, amendments to the Certificate of Incorporation, and election of directors.
(3) Right to Bring Derivative Suits:
(a) Shareholders may bring derivative lawsuits on behalf of the corporation against directors or officers for breaches of fiduciary duties.
(4) Appraisal Rights:
(a) Shareholders shall have appraisal rights in merger transactions, allowing them to seek a judicial determination of the fair value of their shares. This provides a remedy for dissenting shareholders who believe the merger consideration is inadequate.
(5) Right to Transfer Shares:
(a) Shares of stock are deemed personal property and are freely transferable, subject to any restrictions in the Certificate of Incorporation and/or Shareholder Agreement.
(6) Right to Dividends:
(a) Shareholders have the right to receive dividends if and when declared by the board of directors.
(7) Right to Elect Directors:
(a) Shareholders have the right to elect directors at annual, quarterly, or monthly meetings, as laid out in the Certificate of Incorporation or By-Laws of the corporation.
(8) If an individual/entity is inactive for more than 3 months, companies can reclaim their stocks by purchasing back all shares owned by them.
(9) This is recorded by the company informing the Department of Commerce of the share repossession, including the individual/entity's username, playtime information, and number of shares.

13 - LLC Operating Agreements
(1) Ownership and Management:
(a) The operating agreement should clearly define the ownership interests of members, voting rights, and management structure (whether member-managed or manager-managed).
(2) Capital Contributions:
(a) The agreement should specify the initial and (if applicable) additional capital contributions required from members and the consequences of failing to meet these requirements.
(3) Profit and Loss Distribution:
(a) The agreement should outline how profits and losses will be distributed among members.
(4) Transfer of Ownership:
(a) The agreement should clarify the process for transferring ownership interests and any restrictions on such transfers.
(5) Dispute Resolution:
(a) Including provisions for resolving disputes, such as mediation or arbitration, shall be included to resolve disputes.

14 - Corporation Shareholder Agreements
(1) All Corporation Shareholder agreements shall be subject to the restrictions and requirements as described within this section;
(a) Ownership and Equity Distribution:
(i) This section delineates the methodology for distributing shares among shareholders, including protocols for issuing new shares, stipulations on share transfer, and the establishment of pre-emptive rights.
(b) Ownership and Equity Distribution:
(i) This section delineates the methodology for distributing shares among shareholders, including protocols for issuing new shares, stipulations on share transfer, and the establishment of pre-emptive rights.
(c) Management and Decision-Making:
(i) This section lines out procedures for appointing directors, delineating voting rights, and managing major decisions within the company are explicitly defined.
(d) Roles and Responsibilities:
(i) This section outlines the respective roles and anticipated contributions of each shareholder within the company's framework.
(e) Transfer of Shares:
(i) Conditions governing the transfer of shares, rights regarding first refusal, and methodologies for valuing share prices are detailed in this section.
(f) Dividends and Distributions:
(i) This section lays down the regulations for declaring and disseminating dividends and profits within the company.
(g) Dispute Resolution:
(i) Mechanisms such as arbitration or mediation for the resolution of shareholder disputes are established and elaborated upon in this section.
(h) Exit Strategies:
(i) Provisions for events such as shareholder demise, incapacitation, or the desire to divest shares, encompassing buy-sell, drag-along, and tag-along rights, are expressly outlined herein.
(i) Confidentiality and Non-Compete:
(i) Safeguarding sensitive information and potential restrictions on competitive activities are enshrined in this section.
(j) Financing Arrangements:
(i) This section addresses the methodologies by which the company secures funding and the consequent implications for existing shareholders.
(k) Parties:
(i) This section identifies the corporation and its shareholders as parties to the agreement.
(l) Board of Directors:
(i) The role, conduct of meetings, process for selection, and replacement of the board are meticulously described within this section.
(m) Reserved Matters:
(i) Issues necessitating unanimous shareholder approval, as opposed to majority approval, are explicitly outlined in this section.
Shareholder Information and Meetings:
(i) Requirements for disseminating updates to shareholders and stipulations regarding the conduct of shareholder meetings are elaborated upon in this section.


15 - Firm Names
(1) Firms shall have at least one of the following words in their name: “association,” “company,” “corporation,” “club,” “foundation,” “fund,” "group," “incorporated,” “institute,” “society,” “union,” “syndicate,” or “limited” (or abbreviations thereof, with or without punctuation).
(2) Firms shall not have the words “bank” or “trust” or similar such words in their name unless they register as a Financial Institution with the Department of Commerce.

16 - Enforcement and Implementation
(1) Registration and Certification:
(a) The Department of Commerce shall be responsible for processing applications for firm incorporation under this Act. This includes verifying submitted documents, issuing incorporation certificates, and maintaining a registry of registered firms.
(2) Compliance Monitoring:
(a) The Department of Commerce has the authority to monitor registered firms' activities to ensure adherence to this Act. This involves conducting periodic audits, inspections, and reviews of firm documents and operations.
(3) Enforcement Actions:
(a) In cases of non-compliance or violations, the Department of Commerce can take various enforcement actions, such as issuing warnings, imposing fines, suspending or revoking incorporation certificates, or initiating legal proceedings. Legal proceedings shall be initiated by the Attorney General, upon request by the Department of Commerce.
(4) Dispute Resolution:
(a) The Department of Commerce may handle disputes arising from interpreting or applying this Act. This may involve mediation, negotiation facilitation, or referral to courts for resolution.
(5) Information Disclosure:
(a) The Department of Commerce ensures transparency by providing public access to information on registered firms, including names, registration status, management structure, and enforcement actions taken.
(6) Educational Outreach:
(a) The Department of Commerce conducts educational initiatives to inform the public, prospective firm owners, and stakeholders about this Act's requirements and benefits. This includes organizing seminars, workshops, or publishing informational materials.
(7) Coordination with Other Agencies:
(a) The Department of Commerce shall collaborate with relevant government agencies and regulatory bodies to ensure coordinated enforcement efforts and information exchange on firms' activities.
(8) Rulemaking Authority:
(a) The Department of Commerce is authorized to create rules and regulations essential for enforcing and managing this Act. These rules will address procedural guidelines, reporting obligations, accounting norms, and compliance standards. Additionally, the Department of Commerce is empowered to form committees dedicated to crafting rules tailored to distinct areas such as accounting and financial reporting.
(9) Customer Service:
(a) The Department of Commerce shall establish a customer service unit to assist individuals and businesses with inquiries, applications, and compliance issues related to this Act. This unit is accessible through Discord consultations in the Department of Commerce Discord Server.

17 - Bankruptcy Code
(1) Intent and Purposes:
(a) References to this section of The Firm Act is to be known as “The Bankruptcy Code”.

(b) For all applications of this law, judicial officers are to apply the law with the golden and mischief rule for the benefit of rights of creditors and debtors as to close gaps within this code in any given case before a court of law.

(c) While the Bankruptcy Code is attached to The Firm Act, its application does apply generally as Redmont’s bankruptcy law, and thus will be written and interpreted inclusively to the law.

(2) Definitions:

(a) Debtor: An individual, corporation, or other entity that owes a debt to another. This includes any person or organization that has a legal obligation to pay money, deliver goods, or perform services to another party.

(b) Creditor: An individual, corporation, or other entity to whom a debt is owed. This encompasses any person or organization that holds a claim against the debtor, whether the claim is secured or unsecured.

(c) Insolvency: The state of being unable to pay debts as they come due. A debtor is considered insolvent when their liabilities exceed the fair value of their assets by 25% (Insolvency at $125 dollars with $100 dollars of assets); or when they are generally not paying their Active Debts as they become due, unless such debts are the subject of a legal dispute.

(d) Bankruptcy Trustee: An officer appointed to administer the debtor's estate. The trustee is responsible for collecting the debtor's assets, liquidating them, and distributing the proceeds to creditors in accordance with the priorities established by this code. The trustee also investigates the financial affairs of the debtor and performs other duties as specified by the court.

(e) Estate: All legal or equitable interests of the debtor in property as of the commencement of the bankruptcy case. This includes tangible and intangible assets, whether located within or outside the jurisdiction, and all proceeds, products, offspring, rents, or profits of or from such property.

(f) Secured Claim: A creditor's claim that is backed by collateral. If the debtor fails to pay the secured debt, the creditor has the right to repossess or sell the collateral to satisfy the debt.

(g) Unsecured Claim: A claim or debt for which a creditor holds no special assurance of payment.

(h) Proof of Claim: Any contract or other legal obligation between the creditor (or creditors) and the debtor that establishes an amount owed.

(i) Discharge: The release of a debtor from liability for certain debts.

(j) Liquidation: A conversion of all or part of the debtor’s assets to convert into cash.

(k) Reorganization Plan: A proposal by the debtor, or sometimes by creditors, or sometimes organized by a court of law; to restructure the debtor's obligations. The plan outlines how debts will be paid over time, how the business will be operated, and how the debtor will return to a sound financial footing.

(l) Bankruptcy: a legal process through which any debtor who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief.

(m) Active Debt: Is any debt that is under an active repayment plan or is a Secured Claim.

Passive Debt: All other debt that is not Active Debt.

(3) Bankruptcy Process

(a) If a debtor is able to demonstrate their ability to pay off a debt to a creditor, they will never be subject to the bankruptcy process or any part of the Bankruptcy Code, unless the debtor is insolvent by way of their debt being greater than their assets.
(i) Accountants can serve as expert witnesses in any court of law regarding any issue in the Bankruptcy Process.

(b) Bankruptcy can be declared in the first instance by the debtor:

(i) The debtor who declares bankruptcy in the first instance has priority and agency in resolving their debt obligations. The Debtor must meet some definition of Insolvency with Proof of Claim as well as proof of being unable to pay their debts.

(ii) The debtor must announce publicly within their own discord (if they have one) and to the DOC Secretary that they are declaring bankruptcy. The DOC Secretary, upon confirmation, that the Debtor’s Insolvency is valid, will post a government announcement informing the public and any prospective creditor of the bankruptcy.

(iii) Creditors are compelled to work with a debtor in this instance to amicably resolve debts in this instance. Debtors will be allowed to submit their own Reorganization Plan to establish repayment of Active Debts and/or to reduce debt beneath 75% of their total assets (if applicable).
All creditors are not allowed to have their debts involuntarily lessened under this instance unless ordered so by a court.
Debtors are allowed to freely choose whether to use Liquidation to pay for debts, provided the asset they are liquidating is not controlled by a secure claim nor otherwise protected nor is the liquidation of said asset is prohibited by law.
Creditors with a Secured Claim can choose to exercise their right to secure the collateral they own and have their debt paid off in that manner.
Only Creditors with an Active Debt with the debtor can exercise their right with proof of claim to be included on the Reorganization Plan.
Debtors must be authorized by the DOC Secretary or a designated employee to pay-off debt by issuing new debt, such as getting a loan to pay for debts or issuing new stock.
Debtors have the right under this instance to apply to a court of law, depending on the value of the case, to place themselves into an Estate and for a Bankruptcy Trustee to manage the Reorganization Plan. If this happens, this will become a Bankruptcy in the third instance.

(iv) A public accounting of the Reorganization Plan must be made by either an Accountant or a member of the DOC if there is no Accountant available. The Reorganization Plan must have a clear path to paying Active Debt to Creditors who are included on the Reorganization Plan.

(v) In order for a Reorganization Plan to be enacted, the Debtor must get all Creditors to agree to the terms. Creditors in this instance are expected to work with the Debtor to compromise on issues that they have with the Reorganization Plan. Creditors may be sued for failure to cooperate with the debtor under this instance of bankruptcy and have their debt discharged. Cases under this situation should be handled by motion for summary judgment as the facts should be agreed on, except for the issue at play keeping that Creditor from agreeing with the Debtor. The finalized Reorganization Plan with the public accounting attached must be submitted to the DOC Secretary for the purposes of keeping a public record.

(c) Bankruptcy can be declared in the second instance by a creditor:

(i) An individual creditor who is owed an Active Debt or Passive Debt by a Debtor, even with Proof of Claim, cannot demand insolvency of that Debtor under normal circumstances.

(ii) Creditors, as a class, may demand Bankruptcy in the second instance when a debtor:
Fails to make bond interest payment.
Fails to pay dividends.
Fails to meet the obligations of a stock buyback.
Fails to allow creditors to withdraw money (outside of any withdrawal limits created by contract) from their bank or stock exchange account.
Fails to pay creditors’ wages.
Defaults on creditor's loans.
Any of the above counts as Insolvency for Bankruptcy in the second instance.

(iii) In order to establish a class for creditors, a creditor who has been harmed by a debtor in one of the situations described in the above subsection (The Firm Act - 17.3(c)(ii)) must seek out competent legal counsel. Once a retainer has been signed between a creditor and legal counsel, the legal counsel must immediately notify the DOC Secretary of their intention to form a class of creditors against a debtor. Only one legal counsel is allowed to form a class against a specific debtor at a time, on a first-come-first-serve basis. The DOC Secretary, upon confirmation that the Debtor’s Insolvency is valid, will post a government announcement informing the public and any prospective creditor of the bankruptcy. Prospective Creditors are to reach out to the legal counsel to become part of the class.

(iv) The Debtor is compelled to work with the Creditors to amicably resolve debts in this instance. Creditors’ counsel will be allowed to submit the Reorganization Plan to establish repayment of Active Debts and resolve the Insolvency.
Creditors may choose to allow the Debtor to Discharge Active Debts that the Debtors have to streamline debt repayment.
In this instance, Creditors are not allowed to demand a Debtor to use Liquidation to pay for Active Debts if said liquidation harms Debtor’s income stream.
Any Liquidation done to any of the Debtor’s assets must not be controlled by a Secured Claim held by a Creditor nor otherwise protected by law nor should the Liquidation be prohibited by law.
Creditors with a Secured Claim can choose to exercise their right to secure the collateral they own and have their debt paid off in that manner.
All Creditors with either an active or passive debt with the Debtor can exercise their right with Proof of Claim to be included on the Reorganization Plan.
Debtors must be authorized by the DOC Secretary or a designated employee to pay-off debt by issuing new debt, such as getting a loan to pay for debts or issuing new stock.
Creditors have the right under this instance to apply to a court of law, depending on the value of the case, to place the debtor into an Estate and for a Bankruptcy Trustee to manage the Reorganization Plan. If this happens, this will become a Bankruptcy in the third instance.

(iv) A public accounting of the Reorganization Plan must be made by either an Accountant or a member of the DOC if there is no Accountant available. The Reorganization Plan must have a clear path for the Debtor to pay the Creditors who are included on the Reorganization Plan.

(v) In order for a Reorganization Plan to be enacted, the Creditors’ counsel must get the debtor to agree with the Reorganization Plan. Debtors in this instance are expected to work with the Creditor’s Counsel to compromise on issues that they have with the Reorganization Plan. Any draft of the Reorganization Plan must be approved by a simple majority of Creditors. Creditors’ voting power regarding the approval of the Reorganization Plan drafted by their counsel shall be distributed based on the percentage of Active Debt and Passive Debt that they own against the Debtor. The finalized Reorganization Plan with the public accounting attached is to be submitted to the DOC Secretary for the purposes of keeping the public informed.

(v) In order for a Reorganization Plan to be enacted, the Debtor must get all Creditors to agree to the terms. Creditors in this instance are expected to work with the Debtor to compromise on issues that they have. Creditors may be sued for failure to cooperate with the debtor under this instance of bankruptcy and have their debt discharged. The finalized Reorganization Plan with the public accounting attached must be submitted to the DOC Secretary for the purposes of keeping a public record.

(d) Insolvency can be declared in the third instance by a court order:

(i) A court of law must have a case of Bankruptcy brought before it from the first or second instance.

The debtor who declares bankruptcy in the first instance has priority and agency in resolving their debt obligations. The Debtor must meet some definition of Insolvency with Proof of Claim as well as proof of being unable to pay their debts.4 - Government Wages
(1) For the purposes of this section of this Act, the term “salary” refers to the amount of money per 15 minutes of active playtime that an individual receives.
(a) “Active playtime” shall be defined by Staff.
(2) Legislative or Judicial salaries cannot be withheld.
(3) Changes to the salaries of Representatives and Senators (including Presiding Officers’ salaries) take effect following the next election for that chamber.
(4) A Judicial Officer’s remuneration cannot be decreased without the unanimous consent of that occupation (e.g., All Justices must agree on pay decreases to the Justice occupation).
(5) Salary Levels
(a) Level 1: $75/15min
(i) President, Vice President, Speaker of the House, President of the Senate, and Chief Justice fall under this Salary Level.
(b) Level 2: $65/15min
(i) Representative, Senator, Federal Reserve Board Member, Secretary, Justice, and Judge fall under this Salary Level.
(c) Level 3: $50/15min
(i) Chief of Staff, Executive Advisor, Press Advisor, Congressional Staff, and Magistrate fall under this Salary Level.
(d) The President may decide the salaries that department positions (excluding Secretaries) receive via Executive Order. These salaries do not have to fall under any Salary Level defined in this Act.
(e) All salaries within these Salary Levels, along with Executive salaries, shall be paid from the DCGovernment balance.
(6) Salary Guide
(a) The Executive will maintain a guide on forums called 'Government Pay' that will list Government Salary Levels and their associated occupations.
(7) There are six levels of salaries provided by the Government.
(a) The Executive has exclusive jurisdiction as to what salary level occupations fall into.

5 - Deported Player Assets
(1) Financial Assets:
(a) All money/funds remaining in a Perm-Deported/Exiled player's balance will be transferred to the government balance via a prune by the Department of Commerce.
(2) Property/Plots:
(a) All buildings/structures on Perm-Deported/Exiled player's plots will be vaulted, and the empty property will be put up for public auction.
(b) Empty plots owned by the Perm-Deported/Exiled player will be automatically put up for public auction.
(c) Plots with Structures of Historical significance are to be put up to public auction with the build, and all historical structure rules will apply to the new plot owner.4 - Definitions
(1) The monthly Federal Budgetary Bill may be referred to as the “Appropriations Bill.”
(2) An “Appropriations Act” is an Appropriations Bill that has been signed into law.
(3) For the purposes of this Act, “federal government institution” shall mean any Redmont federal government Department, any Redmont federal government Branch, any institution established under Redmont federal law, and any institution established by Redmont Executive Order, including Towns.
(a) Institutions under Towns, such as Town departments, are not considered federal government institutions.
(4) A “Fiscal Month” begins on the 1st day of that month at 05:00 UTC and ends on the 1st of the next month at 05:00 UTC (e.g. the Fiscal Month of January would start on January 1st at 05:00 UTC and end of February 1st at 05:00).

5 - Budget Requests
(1) Between the beginning and the final week of a Fiscal Month:
(a) The President should submit to Congress the requested appropriations for each Department, in addition to any Executive Funds and the Presidential Reserve.
(b) The Chief Justice should submit to Congress the requested appropriations for the Judiciary.
(c) The Speaker of the House should submit to Congress the requested appropriations for the Legislative.
(d) The heads of any other federal government institutions may submit to Congress the requested appropriations for their respective institutions.
(2) The requests described above, along with any reasons provided for them, shall be made visible to all of Congress.
(3) If they are submitted, then Congress should consider these requests in the writing of the Appropriations Bill.

6 - Monthly Federal Budgetary Process Outline
(1) A Representative may propose an Appropriations Bill to Congress for approval by a simple majority in both chambers.
(2) Appropriations Bills are not subject to any congressional bill cool-off period and may be proposed at any time.
(a) Bills that seek to amend an Appropriations Act are not exempt from the congressional bill cool-off period.
(3) The Appropriations Bill is automatically urgently considered in the last week of the month, 24 hours after being proposed.
(4) At the start of and during each Fiscal Month, if an Appropriations Bill for that Fiscal Month has been signed into law, all funds shall be returned from each federal government institution’s balance to the DCGovernment balance within 24 hours. Then, each federal government institution shall be distributed funds in accordance with that Fiscal Month’s Appropriations Act.
(a) In the scenario that an Appropriations Bill is not signed into law, then the most recently used Appropriations Act shall be reissued and distributed. These appropriations shall only be made to federal government Departments and federal government branches.
(ii) If the current fiscal month's appropriations are passed after the previous fiscal month's appropriations are reissued, the positive difference in funds will be distributed. No federal government institution shall have their monthly budget retroactively lowered.
(5) Only one Appropriations Act can be used per month. If multiple Appropriations Bills are signed into law in the same Fiscal Month, only the first to be signed shall be used to distribute appropriations in accordance with Subsection 6(4) of this Act.

7 - Budget and Financial Transparency
(1) A #budget channel will be made under the Government category on Discord.
(a) All members of Congress shall be able to read this channel.
(b) The Presiding Officers of Congress, the Deputy Presiding Officers of Congress, the Cabinet, Deputy Secretaries, Executive Officers, Judicial Officers, and heads of any federal government institutions — including, but not limited to, the Federal Reserve Bank — shall be able to view and write in this channel.
(i) Additional positions may be able to view and write in this channel if permitted by the President or Chief Justice.
(c) A transcript of this channel will be made available to the public at the end of each Fiscal Month.
(d) All payments made for any reason by federal government institutions will need to be declared in this channel; all money received by federal government institutions must be reported in this channel.
(i) Federal government institutions without a corresponding Minecraft account are exempt from this. Instead, they must submit a transcript of all transactions in #budget following the end of each Fiscal Month.

8 - Presidential Reserve
(1) The President may have a discretionary fund for the purposes of appropriating to Executive departments as required.
(2) Distributions from the Presidential Reserve must be disclosed in #budget with which department they are distributed to and the reasoning.
(3) The reserve amount will be set in each Appropriations Bill.
(4) Funds in the Presidential Reserve shall not be exempt from the requirement to be returned described in Subsection 6(4) of this Act.

9 - Executive Funds
(1) The President may create Executive Funds by means of Executive Order.
(2) Executive Funds are created for a specific purpose, as described in the Executive Order, and can only be spent for that purpose.
(3) Executive Funds may be appropriated money in the Appropriations Bill.
(4) Funds in Executive Funds shall be exempt from the requirement to be returned described in Subsection 6(4) of this Act.

10 - Miscellaneous
(1) Funds in the following federal government institutions shall be exempt from the requirement to be returned described in Subsection 6(4) of this Act:
(i) Towns;
(ii) federal government institutions established by law outside the Constitution, not including Departments; and
(iii) federal government institutions established by Executive Order.
3 - Criminal Code
The Miscellaneous Offenses Act will establish the crimes outlined in '4 - Offences' as an extension of the Standardized Criminal Code Act.

4 - Offences
(1) Contempt of Court (Original: pugbandit - Feb 15, 2021)
(i) Classification: Summary Criminal Offense
The disobedience of an order of a court. Conduct tending to obstruct or interfere with the orderly administration of justice also qualifies as contempt of court. A party that fails to perform a specific act, in accordance with a judgment by a court, can be charged with contempt and subsequently penalized.
First Offense: $500 Fine
Second Offense: $1000 Fine + 5 Minutes Jail
Third Offense: Maximum $2500 + up to 10 Minutes Jail.

(2) Involuntary Servitude (Original: Pepecuu - April 11, 2025)
(i) Classification: Indictable Criminal Offense
The act(s) of coercion by an individual, organisation, or entity, so that an individual is forced, or justifiably feels compelled, to perform labour or services against their will. Actions constituting coercion include but are not limited to: manipulation, and the use of explicit or implicit threats or actions of violence or blackmail, towards the person or entity being enslaved.
Minimum Sentencing: $5,000 Fine
Maximum Sentencing: $25,000 Fine + 120 Minutes Jail Time

(3) False Accusation (Original: huney69 - Jul 13, 2021)
(i) Classification: Summary Criminal Offense
The act of falsely accusing someone of a crime and attempting to incur legal punishment when they could reasonably infer that the accused was innocent.
Per Offense: $100 Fine

(4) Illegal Advertising (Original: ElainaThomas29 - Nov 1, 2022)
(i) Classification: Summary Criminal Offense
The act of advertising a business or political campaign to a public chat not designated for advertising, not responding to a question that someone else asked and not said within /ad or a designated channel for advertising.
Per Offense: $100 Fine

(5) Illegal Locking (Original: Dusty_3 - Jun 21, 2020)
(i) Classification: Summary Criminal Offense
The act of locking another citizen's property on their land without permission.
Per Offense: $100 Fine

(6) Resisting Arrest (Original: Dusty_3 - Jun 21, 2020)
(i) Classification: Summary Criminal Offense
The act of disregarding a directive given to you by a member of the Department of Justice while being wanted.
Per Offense: $100 Fine

(7) Incitement (Original: pugbandit - Feb 15, 2021)
(i) Classification: Indictable Criminal Offense
The attempt to coax or encourage someone to break the law.
Minimum Sentencing: $1000 Fine
Maximum Sentencing: $3000 Fine + 15 Minutes Jail Time

(8) Frivolous Court Case (Original: pugbandit - Feb 15, 2021)
(i) Classification: Summary Criminal Offense
Lodging a legal case that has no serious purpose or value.
Per Offense: $100

(9) Obstruction of Justice (Original: pugbandit - Feb 15, 2021)
(i) Classification: Indictable Criminal Offense
Willfully interfering with the process of justice through influencing, threatening, harming, or impeding a witness, potential witness, police officer, detective, or by providing false information.
First Offense: 20 Minutes Jail + $150 Fine
Second Offense: 40 Minutes Jail + $300 Fine
Subsequent Offenses: 60 Minutes Jail + $600 Fine
3 - Applicability
(1) These definitions and rules for damages apply to all civil legal matters. Section 9, Legal Fees, shall apply to all legal matters.
(2) Awards are to be given for each type of damage if they are both asked for and meet the definitional criteria.

4 - Compensatory Damages
(1) Definition:
(a) "Compensatory damages" are the damages awarded to a person as compensation; security or protection against a loss or other financial burden; or the restoration of something lost or stolen to its proper owner.
(2) Award:
(a) Compensatory damages will not be awarded without proof of pecuniary loss including compensation for harm to property, harm to earning capacity, and the creation of liabilities; unless they are special damage.
(b) Is limited to either the authorized statute’s limit or actual amount of damages, whichever is lower.
(3) Diminution of Award:
(a) Duty to Mitigate - A party’s obligation to make reasonable efforts to limit the harm they suffer from another party’s actions. In order to prove this damage, a party must prove that the other side did not exhaust measures to protect the other side’s interest. However, this defense does not bar or diminish a plaintiff’s claim if a defendant breached a contract that they had been conforming to; nor must a party exhaust all measures to prove that they did attempt to mitigate .
(b) Contributory Negligence - s conduct on the part of the plaintiff which falls below the standard to which he should conform for their own protection, and which is a legally contributing cause co-operating with the negligence of the defendant in bringing about the plaintiff's harm. In order to prove this defense, a defendant must prove that the percentage of a plaintiff’s overall conduct, no greater than 50%, caused the plaintiff’s harm. Whatever percentage of liability proven for contributory negligence by the defendant shall be deducted from the plaintiff’s compensatory damages award should the plaintiff ultimately prevail in their action.


5 - Punitive Damages
(1) Definition:
(a) “Punitive damages” are damages awarded against a person to punish them for their outrageous conduct and to deter them and others like them from similar conduct in the future, as a counter claim if a party believes the case to be frivolous and outrageous, or as authorized by law. These damages are distinct from 4 - Compensatory Damage as there does not need to be any actual loss to be compensated. A penalty clause in a contract would fall under this definition as well.
(2) Award:
(a) Punitive damages will not be awarded unless they are either authorized by statute or unless the conduct of the other party in causing the party’s harm is outrageous.
(b) In the event that punitive damages are being argued because an authorized statute grants it, the award shall be limited by the amount granted by law.
(3) Diminution of award:
(a) In assessing a punitive damage award, the judicial officer can properly consider the character of the defendant's act, the nature and extent of the harm to the plaintiff that the defendant caused or intended to cause and the wealth of the defendant.
(b) A defense against punitive damages can be made to assess whether or not conduct was “outrageous”.

6 - Nominal Damages
(1) Definition:
(a) “Nominal damages” are a trivial sum of money awarded to a party who has established a cause of action but has not established that they are entitled to any other damages listed in this act.
(2) Award:
(a) Is capped at $7,500.
(3) Diminution of award:
(a) There shall be no diminution of award or defenses to nominal damages.


7 - Consequential Damages
(1) Definition:
(a) “Consequential Damages” An award that a party can collect against an opposing party for damages that are otherwise incalculable. Below is a non-exhaustive list of Consequential Damages:
(I) Humiliation - Situations in which a person has been disgraced, belittled or made to look foolish. Humiliation damages may be proven by witness testimony and reasonable person tests, or any other mechanism the presiding judicial officer considers persuasive.
(II) The Worsening of any Existing Conditions - Situations in which a damage is caused by a party that caused harm to another party that were unforeseen or unrelated to the original harm.
(III) The Loss of Enjoyment in Redmont - Situations in which an injured party loses, or has diminished, their ability to engage in certain activities in the way that the injured party did before the harm. Loss of enjoyment in Redmont damages may be proven by witness testimony and reasonable person tests, or any other mechanism the presiding judicial officer considers persuasive.
(2) Award:
(a) Consequential damages can be argued in conjunction with 4 - Compensatory Damages to negate diminutives of an award for compensatory damage.
(b) Consequential damages shall have no cap if argued in conjunction with 5 - Punitive damages in cases involving “outrageous” conduct caused by the offending party.
(c) The award shall otherwise be capped at $50,000 dollars per individual consequential damage claim.
(3) Diminution of award:
(a) In assessing a consequential damage award, the judicial officer must review the available evidence and deny awards that do not have sufficient proof according to the standard of a balance of probabilities.


8 - Liquidated Damages
(1) Definition:
(a) “Liquidated Damages” is an award whose amount the parties designate during the formation of a contract for the injured party to collect as compensation upon a specific breach. It is an estimate of otherwise intangible or hard-to-define losses to one of the parties.
(2) Award:
(a) These damages are paid out in the case of a breach of contract, and are pre-estimated and spelled out in advance when the contract is signed.
(b) Liquidated damages are meant as a fair representation of losses in situations where actual damages are difficult to ascertain and therefore do not count as 4 - Compensatory Damages nor 5 - Punitive Damages.
(3) Diminution of award:
(a) The courts will require that the parties involved make the most reasonable assessment possible for the damages clause at the time the contract is signed.

9 - Legal Fees
(1) Definition:
(a) Legal fees are most commonly used to describe the fees paid to the attorney for his/her time and effort.
(2) Award:
(a) Legal fees are awarded directly to the legal representative of the party that prevails in a given case, paid by the losing party in the case. Legal fees do not necessitate inclusion in a prayer for relief or a countersuit to be awarded.
(i) Legal representatives may choose not to be awarded legal fees upon success in a case, but this must be communicated to the court in a case filing, response, or plea.
(b) Legal fees shall be awarded to pro se litigants where applicable, who shall be counted as their own legal representative for the purposes of this section.
(c) In cases that reach a verdict, legal fees are awarded to the legal representative of the prevailing party at a rate of 30% of the total value of the case, except in situations outlined in § 9.(3). In cases that do not reach a verdict, legal fees may be awarded at the discretion of the presiding judicial officer, but shall not exceed 30% of the total case value if awarded.
(i) In civil cases, the value of a case shall be assessed as either the award actually granted if the plaintiff prevails, or the award requested by the plaintiff if the defendant prevails. In criminal proceedings, the value of a case shall be the total amount of fines sought by the prosecutor.
(d) Legal fees shall not be awarded to the Commonwealth in civil or criminal proceedings.
(e) Countersuits shall not warrant legal fees unless both the countersuit and original filing receive award.
(3) Diminution of award and minimums:
(a) Legal fees may be diminished at the discretion of the presiding judicial officer based on the conduct and competency shown in the case.
(b) In cases that reach a verdict, legal fees must not be awarded at a rate less than 10% of the value of the case in any court. In cases that do not reach a verdict, there is no minimum.
(c) In Federal and Supreme Court cases where legal fees are awarded, they must not be awarded at a rate of less than $6,000. In District Court cases where legal fees are awarded, they must not be awarded at a rate of less than $2,000.
'3 - Capitol Building

(1) Public spaces within the Capitol are to remain free of political branding and will remain impartial to passing traffic.

4 - The House of Representatives

(1) Upon commencing a new Congressional session, the chamber's first order of business is to amend or reconfirm it's extant standing orders.

5 - The Senate

(1) Upon commencing a new Congressional session, the chamber's first order of business is to amend or reconfirm it's extant standing orders.

6 - Sergeant at Arms

(1) The Sergeant at Arms is a temporary position, that is appointed before each Congressional session or hearing by the relevant Presiding Officer, and is relieved when the meeting is adjourned.

(a) The Sergeant-at-Arms must be a serving Police Officer.

(2) The Police Officer will be responsible for the following while acting in the capacity of Sergeant-at-Arms:

(a) Ensuring the safety and the security of the Capitol Building.

(b) Ensuring the safety and the security of Representatives, Senators, and citizens on Capitol Grounds.

(c) Removing anyone from the Capitol grounds at the request of the relevant Presiding Officer.

7 - The Office of Congressional Affairs

(1) The Office of Congressional Affairs is a statutory body which provides both chambers of congress with administrative support.

(2) The Office of Congressional Affairs is overseen by the Presiding Officers.

(3) The Office of Congressional Affairs is charged with:

(a) Making all necessary changes to documents of law

(b) Assists the Speaker with the administration of the House

(c) Assists the President of the Senate with the administration of the Senate

(d) Communicates with the Press and assists in the formatting and drafting of bills, if requested.

(e) Manages and publishes congressional transparency reports.

(f) Regularly informs the public of motions of significant public interest via government-announcements. Motions of significant public interest include but are not limited to the following:

(i) Nominations/Confirmations

(ii) Impeachments/Removals

(iii) Censures

(iv) New committees or changes to committees

(v) Veto overrides

(4) The roles within this Office will be referred to as 'Congressional Staff’ and will comprise of at least two clerks.

(5) Hiring

(a) The Presiding Officers must receive the approval of the Congress to hire Congressional Staff by way of nomination.

(b) The Congressional Staff position will carry over each term until the Presiding Officer actions Section 8(6.a) of this act.

(c) Congressional Staff may receive a salary decided by law outside of the Constitution.

(6) Dismissal Process

(a) Congressional Staff serve at the Presiding Officers pleasure.

(7) In the Presiding Officer’s absence, or if otherwise delegated, the Deputy Presiding Officer will assume the Presiding Officer's authority over Congressional Staff.

(8) The Office of Congressional Affairs is authorised to adjust the numbering of sections and subsections within acts, provided that such changes do not alter the substantive meaning of the act and are limited to correcting administrative errors in the sequential numbering.

8 - Bills

(1) Representatives have the ability to officially propose bills to Congress. In order to propose a bill, the Representative will follow the congressional process.

(2) A rejected bill or a bill of the same nature will not be proposed for a period of 14 days unless a motion of reconsideration has been approved by Congress.
(a) A motion to reconsider, if passed, permits the proposal of an identical bill to the rejected bill or a bill of the same nature.
(b) Vetoed bills and bills that failed at referendum are considered rejected bills, and are thus subject to the same limitation.
(c) All bills will automatically be reconsidered following the enactment of results of a congressional general election.

(3) If there’s a tie (this is there are the same number of votes in favour and against independently of the number of abstains), the poll will be held again without the abstain option. If there is a tie once more, the bill will automatically be rejected.

(4) The template for bills will be annexed to this act in a separate thread. Any amendments to the Bill format will be an amendment to the Legislative Standards Act.

(5) When assigning a title to a bill it may not contain any personal identifier such as, any names, initials, abbreviations or other such personal identifiers. The bill title should exist to explain the purpose of the bill.

9 - Resolutions

(1) Congress may pass non-binding resolutions to express opinions or make formal requests. These do not require presidential assent.

(2) The template for Resolutions will be annexed to this act in a separate thread. Any amendments to the Resolution format will be an amendment to the Legislative Standards Act.

(3) Resolutions shall follow the same process and rules of Bills as outlined in this Act unless otherwise specified.

(4) Standing orders and other legislation may still make distinctions between Bills and Resolutions.

(5) Sub-subsection 10(5)(a) and Subsection (6) do not apply to Resolutions. After a Resolution passes both chambers of Congress, it shall be moved to the Resolutions forum rather than await assent.

10 - Congressional Process

(1) The Bill is posted to forums by the sponsoring Representative as a Bill: Draft. A link will be posted to #bills by the representative.

(2) After at least 24 hours have passed, the Speaker will then add a poll in which congressional members will be able to change their vote to the bill for a 48 hour voting period and the prefix will be changed to Bill: Voting.

(3) After the 48 hours have passed, there will be 2 situations:

(a) If the Bill is passed, the Presiding Officer will change the Bill status to Bill: Pending and move it to the Senate, notifying the President of the Senate; or

(b) If the Bill is rejected, the Presiding Officer will change the Bill status to Bill: Rejected and move it to the Rejected sub-forum.

(i) Passage shall be considered as a simple majority, unless otherwise provided by law, of ayes out of all non-abstention votes cast, and rejection shall be a failure to reach such a majority.

(4) When debate is finished in the Senate, the Presiding Officer will re-open the poll for 48 hours. The prefix will be changed to Bill: Voting.

(5) After the 48 hours have passed; all votes have been submitted; or a majority is reached, there will be 2 situations:

(a) If the Bill is passed, the Presiding Officer will move the bill to the Congressional forum applying the 'awaiting assent' prefix, notifying the President for their assent; or

(b) If the Bill is rejected, the Presiding Officer will change the Bill status to Bill: Rejected and move it to the Rejected sub-forum with Senate recommendations in the comments.

(i) Passage shall be considered as a simple majority, unless otherwise provided by law, of ayes out of all non-abstention votes cast, and rejection shall be a failure to reach such a majority.

(6) If a bill is passed by Congress, the President will do the following:

(a) The President will sign the Bill and move it to the Acts of Congress forum. The Speaker’s Office will update the relevant Rules and Laws; or

(b) The President will Veto the Bill and move it to the Rejected forum, providing the reason in the comments.

(7) Once the changes have been made, the Speaker's office will announce the changes to the public, assuming the law is of significant public interest. Laws of significant public interest include but are not limited to the following:

(a) Changes to tax or property laws

(b) New restrictions against common or widespread crimes

(c) Laws requiring public referendum

11 - Acts of Congress
(1) When amending a Bill everything being edited or changed to the bill must be highlighted in this way.

(a) Any text being removed from the bill must be in red and made bold.

(b) Any text being added to the bill must be in green and made bold.

(c) Any changes to the wording of the text in a bill must be made yellow and be made bold.

(d) In addition changes made must be clear so the previous bill in its entire before any edits must be posted on the thread so it is clear what is being changed.

(2) Sub Forums

(a) Acts of Congress shall be split into the following categories and Acts will be sorted between them based on their primary function:

(i) Budgets

(ii) Constitutional Law

(iii) Property Law

(iv) Wilderness Law

(v) Economic & Business Law

(vi) Breach of Peace Law

(vii) Administrative Law

(viii) Miscellaneous Laws

(ix) Resolutions

(3) Amendments

(a) When an amendment to a bill passes, it will be added as a reply to the original act’s thread under the Bills in Acts of Congress.

(b) The original act will be edited and updated as new amendments are added to it.

(c) When a bill intends to amend an Act of Congress, a link to the Act of Congress must be present within the reasons section of a bill.

(4) All votes on bill polls on the forums are to be made public to ensure Transparency between the public and the elected representatives.

12 - Congressional Motions

A motion in Congressional channels is a formal request for approval or disapproval by Congress. Unless otherwise provided, all motions are passed or failed on a majority basis. Examples include, but are not limited to:

(1) Motion of No Confidence
(a) Response Requirement. Before voting begins, the officeholder subject to a motion of no confidence must submit a response, which will be posted alongside the vote. If no response is received within 12 hours, the Presiding Officer will proceed without it.
(b) Government Stability. This motion carries serious consequences, as it can destabilize the government. If removal is for an appointment (presiding officer), the subject of the motion will revert to their regular role (Representative or Senator).

(2) Motion to Fund
(a) Allocation of Funds. Congress may allocate funds through a simple majority vote, following budgetary regulations.
This motion may be used for any purpose that supports legislative operations.
(b) Individual Chamber Approval. Either the House of Representatives or the Senate may pass a motion to fund independently.
(c) Spending Limits. No chamber may spend more than 50% of the legislative branch’s allocated funds in a fiscal period without joint approval from both chambers.

(3) Motion of Commendation
(a) Scope of Commendation. The motion must specify whether it seeks a Congressional Commendation (requiring approval from both chambers) or recognition in just one chamber.
(b) Public Acknowledgment. If passed, the Office of the Presiding Officers will issue a public statement of commendation, which may be awarded to any community member.

(4) Motion of Urgent Consideration
(a) Proposal and Voting. A Representative may propose this motion, and it will be voted on by the House of Representatives.
(b) Expedited Process. If passed, the bill must be opened for voting within 12 hours. If approved by the House, it will receive priority when advancing to the Senate.

(5) Motion of Censure
(a) Purpose and Scope. Any Representative or Senator may move a motion of censure against an individual to publicly condemn their actions. Censure does not impose penalties but serves as a formal reprimand.
(b) Restrictions. A motion to censure may only target one individual at a time. Multiple individuals cannot be censured under a single motion; separate motions must be filed. However, government departments or agencies may be censured collectively.

(6) Motion of Replacement
If a Representative or Senator resigns or is removed, their replacement will be appointed according to constitutional procedures.

(7) Motion of Removal
Congress may remove a member in accordance with constitutional processes.
This power should only be exercised under appropriate circumstances, such as repeated censures.

(8) Motion of Nomination
(a) Legislative Nominations. A majority vote in both chambers is required to confirm a nomination to the Legislative Branch.
(b) Judicial Nominations. A majority vote in the Senate alone is required to confirm a nomination to the Judiciary.

(9) Motion to Override
If the President vetoes a bill, Congress may override the veto with a two-thirds majority vote.

(10) Motion to Subpoena
Congress may subpoena personnel or records for the purposes of a hearing or investigation.

(11) Motion to Classify
(a) Motion for Classification. A Representative or Senator may propose a motion to classify a motion and its voting records, preventing public release.
(b) Motion for Declassification. A previously classified motion may be declassified through a separate motion.
(c) Voting Requirements. Classification or declassification requires a simple majority in all chambers where the original motion was passed.
(d) Justification for Classification. A motion should only be classified if its disclosure could harm government stability or the well-being of Redmont.
(e) Voting Restrictions. While a motion to classify is under vote, the motion in question cannot be publicized unless classification fails.

(12) Motion to Amend
(a) Amendments During Voting. A Representative may propose a motion to amend a bill that is currently undergoing voting in the House of Representatives, and a Senator may propose a motion to amend a bill that is currently pending in the Senate or undergoing voting in the Senate. A Motion to Amend a bill cannot be proposed once that bill has passed voting in both chambers.
(b) Required Majority. A Motion to Amend proposed in the House of Representatives requires the same majority required for passage of that bill in only that chamber, and a Motion to Amend proposed in the Senate requires the same majority required for passage of that bill in both chambers.
(c) Procedure. Following the passage of a Motion to Amend a bill, the bill will restart voting for 48 hours in the chamber it was in when the motion to amend was proposed, if that bill was up to vote in that chamber at any point between the motion’s proposal and the motion’s passage.

13 - Voting
(1) Conflict of Interests. If or when there is a motion against or relating specifically to a member of Congress, their vote shall not be included. (e.g. Motion of nomination, no confidence, removal)
(2) Abstentions. An abstention vote must be submitted during voting if the member is not voting for or against the matter before congress. Failure to vote at all will be considered a non-vote and for the purposes of all other acts will be counted as an abstention.

14 - Dereliction

(1) Congressional Members will be considered to have committed dereliction of their duties, if:

(a) they fail to vote on five or more bills/motions which fail due to not meeting quorum.

(b) they do not have enough playtime to vote in elections.

(2) Congressional Members will be exempt from this if they request a leave of absence before committing these acts.

15 - Congressional Hearings

(1) Location
(a) Hearings must take place in a Discord channel visible to the public.
(2) Initiating a Hearing
(a) Through a simple majority vote in a chamber of Congress, that chamber can open a chamber-specific hearing. Through a simple majority vote in both chambers of Congress, Congress can open a joint hearing.
(b) In chamber-specific hearings, only members of Congress from that chamber shall be able to participate. In joint hearings, members of both chambers of Congress shall be able to participate.
(c) A motion to hold a hearing may specify whether it is a chamber-specific hearing or a joint hearing. If unspecified, then it shall automatically be assumed to be a chamber-specific hearing.
(d) A chamber-specific hearing can become a joint hearing through a simple majority vote in both chambers, with such a motion initiating in the chamber that the hearing began in.
(i) If a subpoena is issued in a chamber-specific hearing that later becomes a joint hearing, the subpoena is still valid and in effect.
(e) A motion to hold a hearing may include one or more subpoenas as a part of the motion. Further subpoenas can be issued through passage of a motion in the chamber(s) holding the hearing.
(3) Closing a Hearing
(a) A hearing shall automatically be closed after five (5) days of no:
(i) invitations to testify;
(ii) questions asked by participating members of Congress;
(iii) proposals of motions to subpoena;
(iv) votes on motions to subpoena; and
(v) passage of motions to subpoena.
(b) A hearing may be closed through a consent of a simple majority of the chamber(s) holding the hearing.
(c) No hearing shall close solely as the result of a Congressional election.
(d) The five-day count mentioned in 3(a) of this Section shall pause when:
(i) at least one of the chambers of Congress participating in the hearing has no presiding officer;
(ii) at least one of the chambers of Congress participating in the hearing has not amended or reaffirmed its extant standing orders as required by law; and/or
(iii) the hearing has no chairperson.

(4) Subpoenas

(a) Through a simple majority, the chamber(s) of Congress holding a hearing can subpoena any number of persons or entities to appear before that hearing. Failure to appear within 72 hours of being summoned will result in a Contempt of Congress charge.

(b) The subpoena must state its reason.

(c) Where the subpoena is for a Government or business entity, the subpoenaed entity may offer an alternative representative to attend in their place. However, if any individual (e.g. the President or a Secretary) is specifically summoned, then an alternative representative cannot be offered.

(d) Subpoenaed persons and entities are required to testify in the hearing when questioned by any member of a participating chamber of Congress.

(5) Invitations to Testify
(a) The chairperson of a hearing may offer an invitation to testify to any person or entity. This does not require the consent of any other member of Congress, but may be overridden through a simple majority in the relevant chamber(s). An invitation to testify may still be overridden even if it has been accepted to the invitee, which the invitee shall no longer have permission to testify in the hearing.
(i) If an invitation to testify in a specific hearing is overridden, then another invitation to testify in that hearing cannot be offered to the same person or entity.
(b) Those invited to testify cannot provide false testimony, but they may choose to not answer certain questions as long as they explicitly state that they are opting not to answer.
(c) A person or entity invited to testify may dismiss itself from the hearing at any time, and the chairperson of the hearing may dismiss any invited persons or entities at any time.
(i) If dismissed, the person or entity shall require another invitation to testify or a subpoena to testify in the hearing once more.
(d) Any offered invitations to testify must be disclosed to the chamber(s) of Congress holding the hearing.

(6) Chairperson
(a) The chairperson of a hearing shall be the member of Congress who proposed that hearing.
(b) If the chairperson of a hearing ceases to be a member of a chamber participating in that hearing, the presiding officer of the chamber in which the hearing motion was proposed shall become the new chairperson of that hearing (once elected, if not yet elected).
(c) The chamber(s) holding the hearing may change the chairperson of the hearing to a different member of Congress through a simple majority vote.

(7) Right to Not Self-Incriminate
(a) A person or entity that is subpoenaed and/or invited to testify may invoke their right not to produce self-incriminating evidence during the hearing.

(8) Confirmation Hearings
(a) A Confirmation Hearing shall occur within 24 hours whenever an individual is nominated for a position in which the Senate must vote on the nomination.
(i) Positions may be exempt from this as specified in the Standing Orders of the Senate.
(b) Confirmation Hearings shall be Senate chamber-specific hearings and may not be expanded to include both chambers.
(c) The nominee shall automatically be subpoenaed.
(d) Unless otherwise specified by the Standing Orders of the Senate, the President of the Senate shall be the initial chairperson of a Confirmation Hearing.

(9) Standing Orders
(a) Each chamber of Congress may create further rules for their own chamber-specific hearings in their Standing Orders, as long as such rules do not conflict with any law.
(i) The Senate may create separate rules for Confirmation Hearings and other hearings specific to the Senate.
(b) Further rules for joint hearings must be agreed upon by both chambers of Congress.
(c) Further rules may substitute the provisions for the automatic closure of hearings described in Subsection 3(a) of this Section.

16 - Congressional Subpoenas

(1) Process

(a) Any member of the Congress may propose a motion to subpoena any number of people or entities to testify.

(b) Motions to exercise Congressional Subpoenas are accepted or denied by the chamber that they are proposed. Congressional Committees are also able to accept or deny Congressional Subpoenas.

(c) Should the motion pass, the subject(s) of the motion will be compelled to testify before Congress by the date specified in the motion.

(d) Should the subject of a subpoena fail to appear before Congress without reasonable justification they will be charged 1% of their balance for each day with a minimum of $100.

(e) Subjects of Congressional subpoenas may invoke their right not to incriminate themselves during the hearing.

17 - Congressional Funds

(1) Codified Spending:

(a) The reference to the legislative budget in this bill relates to the respective balance of the 'DCGovernmentLEG' account.

(b) The legislative branch may pass bills to limit or enforce spending on a specific subject.

(c) Spending remains subject to all bills regarding appropriations, including the logging and transparency of such spending.

(2) Facilitation of Funding

(a) The Office of the Presiding Officers is responsible for appropriating the proper funds once a motion is passed, unless otherwise directed in such motion.

(3) Legislative bonuses

(a) Congressional members are barred from appropriating themselves and or accepting bonuses for the purpose of extra remuneration.

(i) Members of the speakers office are the only members exempt from this exclusion.

(b) Representatives may still receive appropriations to assist them in the course of their official duties (e.g. paying a staffer).

(4) Any official gifts made to a Representative or Senator are to be property of the state and should be surrendered to the Speaker's office at the member's first opportunity.

(a) The speaker's office may choose to display or simply retain and archive these gifts.

18 - Contempt of Congress

(1) The House of Representatives, Senate, or any committee may vote to hold a person "in contempt" by a majority vote. The Speaker will then report the incident to the Department of Justice to be actioned.

To refuse to testify, won't provide information requested by the House or the Senate, or obstructs an inquiry by a congressional committee.
First Offence: $1500 fine and 10 minutes of jail time
Second Offence: $2000 fine and 20 minutes of jail time
Third Offence: $4000 fine, 40 minutes of jailtime, and a Censure

19 - Redundancy

(1) A 'Redundant' prefix will be made available to the Speaker's office.

(2) This prefix may be applied to bills by the Speaker's office where a bill no longer has legal relevance. Bills with the redundancy prefix will be moved to the rescinded / vetoed / rejected forum.

(3) Redundant bills will remain law until they are formally rescinded.

20 - Peer Review

(1) A co-sponsor is required on all bills proposed.

(a) This co-sponsor must be a Representative or Senator who is not the poster of the bill and this co-sponsor must be willing in the process of co-sponsorship.

(b) The bill and resolution format will be updated to include a space under section 1 for the co-sponsor to be put.

(c) If a listed co-sponsor claims that legislation was introduced without their consent, it is to be withdrawn from consideration at the discretion of the presiding officer of the House unless evidence of consent is provided. Consent may not be withdrawn once legislation is introduced.

21 - Oath of Office

(1) Any Presiding Officer of a chamber of Congress may choose to hold a swearing-in ceremony for their chamber each term.

(2) All Representatives and Senators in attendance of such a ceremony shall be sworn in by the Clerk with the following oath: 'I, (username), do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Redmont for the people. So help me End and Tech.'

(a) Congressional staff shall be sworn in by a Presiding Officer with the same oath.

(3) Congressional swearing-ins are entirely ceremonial and shall have no legal effect.

22 - Ethical Standards

(1) Members of Congress should recuse themselves from any investigations in which they may have a conflict of interest.

(2) Members of Congress cannot engage in questioning, proposing subpoenas, or any other investigative matter if they have a conflict of interest. This may only be overridden via a supermajority of Congress.

(3) Members of Congress should maintain the same level of activity required for voters in Section 16 of the Electoral Act. If a member of Congress continues to not be active on Discord, Forums, or in-game it may be considered a failure to perform duty and a removable offense.

23 - Amendments

(1) Any changes to this process should take the form of an amendment to the Legislative Standards Act.

24 - Bill & Resolution Format Thread
(1) See Information - Bill & Resolution Formats

4 - Contract Formation
(1) A contract is a legally binding agreement between two or more parties that creates an obligation to do or not do a particular thing.
(2) A valid contract is formed when the following legal test is met:
(a) Offer. An offer is a clear and unequivocal communication expressing a party's willingness to enter into a contract, either explicitly stated or reasonably inferred from the circumstances.
(b) Acceptance. Acceptance is the positive and unambiguous response to an offer communicated to the offeror, mirroring the terms of the offer and conveyed through various means.
(c) Consideration. Consideration, an essential element, involves the exchange of something of value between parties, with sufficiency though not necessarily adequacy. Consideration can be tangible or intanglbie.
(d) Intent. Parties must demonstrate a clear intention to create legal obligations for the contract to be valid.
(e) Capacity. Parties entering into a contract must possess the legal capacity to do so. Players with low playtime may lack the capacity to fairly enter a contract.

5 - Terms
(1) Express Terms. The terms of a contract may be expressly stated or implied based on the intentions of the parties.
(2) Implied Terms. Implied terms may be derived from law, custom, or the conduct of the parties.

6 - Validity
(1) Contracts must meet the requirements outlined in this Act to be valid and enforceable.

7 - Breach of Contract
(1) A breach of contract occurs when a party fails to fulfil its contractual obligations.
(a) Remedies for breach may include damages, specific performance, or other equitable relief.

8- Misrepresentation
(1) Misrepresentation happens when a false statement induces another party to enter into a contract.
(a) Remedies for misrepresentation may include rescission, damages, or other appropriate relief.

12 - Termination of Contract
(1) A contract may be terminated by mutual agreement, successful performance, frustration, or due to a material breach.
(a) The innocent party may terminate the contract in the case of a significant breach.

13 - Severability
(1) Unless otherwise stated in a contract, all parts of a contract are severable.
(2) In the case that a provision of this contract is found to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable the offending provision shall not impact the validity, legality, or enforceability of any other provision of the contract.

14 - Duty of Good Faith and Fair Dealing.
(1) Parties to a contract shall perform their respective duties and exercise their rights under the contract in good faith and in a manner that is fair and just.
(2) There exists an implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing in every contract covered by this Act, whether or not expressly stated. This covenant shall be read into contracts to ensure that the parties act with honesty, integrity, and fairness in all aspects of their contractual relationship.

15 - Force Majeure
(1) Notification and Mitigation. The party affected by a force majeure event must promptly inform the other party and diligently take steps to minimise its impact on the contract.
(2) Temporary Suspension. During a force majeure event, the affected party may temporarily suspend contractual duties to the extent that the situation significantly hinders their ability to fulfill obligations.
(3) Termination Right. Should the force majeure event persist, either party retains the right to terminate the contract without incurring liability.
(4) Bankruptcy and other events where there has been negligence, acceptance of unnecessary risk, or mismanagement are not considered force majeure events.

16 - Definitions
(1) The following definitions apply:
(a) 'Frustration' means the occurrence of an event that makes the performance of a contract impossible or radically different from what was initially contemplated.
(b) 'Rescission' means the cancellation or annulment of a contract.
(c) 'Counteroffer' means a response to an offer with modified terms.
(d) 'Consideration' means something of value exchanged between parties.
(e) 'Specific Performance' is an equitable remedy compelling a party to perform its contractual obligations.
(f) 'Performance' refers to the fulfilment of contractual obligations.
(g) 'Remedies' are legal or equitable measures to address breaches or violations of a contract.
(h) 'Mutual Agreement' is the consent of all parties involved.
(i) 'Material Breach' is a significant failure to fulfil contractual obligations.
(j) 'Offeror' is the party making an offer.
(k) 'Offeree' is the party to whom an offer is made.
(l) 'Invalidity' refers to the state of being legally void or not enforceable.
(m) 'Legal Relations' involve rights and obligations recognised by law.
'Waiver' outlines conditions under which a party may waive its rights.
(o) 'Force majeure' is a legal term that describes unforeseeable circumstances or events beyond the control of contractual parties, making it impossible for them to fulfil their obligations.
(p) 'Promise' refers to a commitment made by one party to another without mutuality (consideration).4 - Powers of the Commerce Department
(1) The Department of Commerce is authorized to monitor financial transactions and may publish generalized reporting on transaction statistics.
(2) The Department of Commerce is afforded access to financial institution accounts on request for the purposes of monitoring them for compliance.
(3) The Department of Commerce is empowered to conduct random spot-checks of gaming machines to ensure compliance with the advertised odds. Failure to comply is considered fraudulent trading.
(4) The Department of Commerce is authorized to disband any companies in game which do not meet the requirements to be a company.
(5) The Department of Commerce is charged with investigating commerce-related white-collar crimes.
(a) Findings are referred to the Department of Justice for prosecution.
(b) Where it is unclear which department should investigate the crime, the matter will be referred to the Department of Justice.

5 - Legal Application
(1) All offences within this law are Indictable Criminal Offences.
(2) Civil damages may be sought against these offences by way of the Legal Damages Act or a succeeding Act of the same nature.



6 - Fraud
(1) The following sections outline the definition of Fraud, its differing forms, and different punishments:

(a) A crime classified under any sub-category of Fraud shall not be charged as Fraud for the same offense.

Fraud
An intentional or reckless misrepresentation or omission of an important fact, especially a material one, to a victim who justifiably relies on that misrepresentation; and the victim party or entity suffered actual, quantifiable injury or damages as a result of the misrepresentation or omission.
Individual Fine: Up to $10,000 + Damages + up to 10 mins Jail

Electoral Fraud
Defined in the Electoral Act

Money Laundering
Any act to conceal funds illegally obtained, through commercial transactions, business deals, or any means otherwise.
Individual Fine: Up to $10,000 + Damages + up to 10 mins Jail

Gambling Fraud
The act of fraudulently misrepresenting how a gambling activity is conducted.
Individual Fine: Up to $20,000 + Damages + up to 10 mins Jail

New Player Fraud
To take advantage of a new player's wealth and or resources for another's profit or advantage.
Individual Fine: Up to $20,000 + Damages + up to 10 mins Jail

False Advertising
(i) Classification: Indictable Criminal Offense
The act of authorizing a false advertisement for publication. Subsequent publications of the same advertisement count as separate offenses.
Minimum Sentencing: $100 Fine
Maximum Sentencing: $5000 Fine

Misleading Advertising
(i) Classification: Indictable Criminal Offense
The act of authorizing a misleading advertisement for publication. Subsequent publications of the same advertisement count as separate offenses.
Minimum Sentencing: $100 Fine
Maximum Sentencing: $5000 Fine

7 - Identity Fraud
The act of fraudulently misrepresenting yourself as someone else or fraudulently claiming you have authority where you don't. There are several types of identity fraud:

Government Impersonation
The Act of fraudulently Impersonating a government official or a government employee for financial or another personal gain(s)
Fine: $1000 + Damages

False Credentials
The Act of fraudulently misrepresenting yourself or someone else as having a certification, commendation or another type of credential for personal gain.
Fine: $1000 + Damages

8 - Securities Fraud
(1) The Act of fraudulent security trade practices. There are several types of securities fraud:

Insider Trading
Buying or selling a stock based on non-public information that would substantially impact a trader’s decision to buy or sell. Any owner of a business that sells stocks of his own company has an obligation to make a reasonable attempt to, disclose this information to the shareholders, failure to do so may be considered evidence in an insider trading case.
Individual Fine: Up to $10,000 + Damages + up to 10 mins Jail

Market Manipulation
The act of fraudulently inflating or deflating the value of a company or asset of which you have a responsibility for. Any public company which values its own total market value over $500,000 is expected to have a publicly available, detailed explanation, of how they reached that evaluation. Failure to do so may be considered evidence in a market manipulation case.
Individual Fine: Up to $10,000 + Damages + up to 10 mins Jail

Third-Party Misrepresentation
The act of intentionally or recklessly aiding and abetting a party or entity in committing market manipulation. This also applies, to a party or entity which is not aware they might be committing market manipulation such as participants in a pump and dump scheme.
Individual Fine: Up to $10,000 + Damages + up to 10 mins Jail

Embezzlement
The act of withholding assets for the purpose of conversion of such assets, by one or more persons to whom the assets were entrusted, for personal gain.” An example of this law is; spending company funds for personal gain of a company of which you do not own 100%.
Individual Fine: Up to $10,000 + Damages + up to 10 mins Jail

9 - Tax Fraud
(1) The fraudulent non-payment or underpayment of actual tax liabilities due. There are several types of tax evasion:

Personal Tax Evasion
The act of intentionally or maliciously transferring, funds to one or more personal balances or company bank accounts with no legitimate purpose, with the result that less tax is paid.
Individual Fine: Up to $10,000 + Damages + up to 10 mins Jail

Property Tax Evasion
The act of intentionally or maliciously transferring property to one or more persons over which they have no legal ownership without a legitimate purpose, with the result that less tax is paid.” To combat, said behaviour, a merged plot needs to be owned by the same person even after it has been merged.
Individual Fine: Up to $10,000 + Damages + up to 10 mins Jail

Auction Levy Evasion:
(i) Classification: Indictable Criminal Offense
Taking actions with the sole intent to avoid paying the auction levy while still receiving the plot or the benefit from it.
First offense: Plot eviction + fine of up to $5,000 or 30% of the winning bid, whichever is higher
Subsequent offenses: Plot eviction + fine of up to $5,000 or up to 30% of the winning bid, whichever is higher + auction ban of up to 2 weeks

Auction Levy Neglect:
(i) Classification: Summary Criminal Offense
Failure to pay the required auction levy after winning an auction.
First offense: Fine of $2,000 or 10% of the winning bid, whichever is higher.
Subsequent offenses: Fine of $5,000 or 30% of the winning bid, whichever is higher.



10 - Competition
(1) Antitrust laws are regulations that encourage competition by limiting the market power of any particular firm. There are several types of anti-trust regulations:

Market Allocation
Any sort of deal wherein two or more businesses agree to allocate 'territory' to one another to prevent regional competition.
Individual Fine: Up to $10,000 + Damages + up to 10 mins Jail

Bid Rigging
Any sort of deal wherein two or more businesses and/or persons agree to not bid against one another to minimize their losses.
Individual Fine: Up to $10,000 + Damages + up to 10 mins Jail

Price Fixing
Any sort of deal wherein two or more businesses agree to keep prices at a certain point to avoid price competition.
Individual Fine: Up to $10,000 + Damages + up to 10 mins Jail

Monopolization
Any sort of deal wherein two or more businesses seek to merge into a single entity or owner-subsidiary relationship that controls a disproportionately large amount of market share in any particular market.
Individual Fine: Up to $10,000 + Damages + up to 10 mins Jail + Divestiture of assets, subsidiaries, or business units to prevent market concentration and promote competition as decided by the courts

Corporate Espionage
Any parties participating in, or accessory to the gathering, infiltration, or compromise of any sensitive company information that has not already been released to the public under the instruction of the company's controlling interest.
Individual Fine: Up to $10,000 + Damages + up to 10 mins Jail

11 - Whistleblowers
(1) A whistleblower is someone with inside knowledge of an organization who reports misconduct or dishonest or illegal activity that may have occurred within that organization. Whistleblower protections are the protections provided to whistleblowers to enable them to come forward to report misconduct without fear of retribution or personal detriment.

Whistleblower Suppression
No employer may discharge, demote, suspend, threaten, harass, or in any other manner discriminate against a covered individual in the terms and conditions of employment of the covered individual because of any lawful act done by the covered individual to report information regarding a violation of a corporate crime.
Individual Fine: Up to $10,000 + Damages + up to 10 mins Jail

12 - Bribery
(1) The act of offering, giving, soliciting, or receiving an item or service of value to influence an individual holding public office or serving in a legal capacity.

Bribery
The act of offering, giving, soliciting, or receiving an item or service of value to influence an individual holding public office or serving in a legal capacity.
Individual Fine: Up to $10,000 + Damages + up to 10 mins Jail + Barred from holding public office for up to 2 months.



13 - Employee Protections
(1) Unfair dismissal - The unjust termination of an employee. In determining if a termination was unjust, the following criteria must rightfully be considered:
(a) if the employee’s termination made financial sense given the regular business activities and necessity to maintain operations of the terminating party (such as in the case of normal company downsizing);
(b) whether or not the employee’s continued employment would have been a detriment to the workflow, reputation, or legal standing of the business;
(c) whether or not the dismissal was made primarily on the basis of any personally identifiable characteristics, including, but not limited to, gender, race, or political affiliation;
(i) Excepted from the provisions in §13.1.c are personally identifiable characteristics that are integral to the function of the terminated party's employment.
(d) other metrics that courts find necessary to consider in accordance with what may be considered unfair dismissal by any reasonable person and is consistent with the previous language and intent of this section. Courts may not construe this section in any way that creates a result that is odd, absurd, or otherwise inconsistent with this section or the intent thereof.
(2) Deferral of Responsibility - a worker cannot be held legally accountable where there is a deficiency in training provided by the employer, where training would reasonably be required.
(2) A worker cannot be sued for their individual actions when they are in accordance with lawful organisational directions and policy.
(a) The employer assumes all legal liability where policy is followed or the policy is unlawful.

14 - Unions
(1) This act defines 'Union' as an organized association of workers formed to protect and advance their rights and interests.
(2) Every employee of the Commonwealth of Redmont has the right to create or apply to register their own union.
(3) Unions do not have to follow a democratic structure, but are encouraged to.
(4) Employers are prohibited from discriminating against an employee for being involved in a union.
(5) Employers are prohibited from involving themselves in the democratic processes of their employee's union.
(6) Employers who take action to disrupt or prevent the formation of a union, and or engage in conduct to dismantle a union, such as, but not limited to, terminating employees who try to start a union, shall be guilty of Union Busting, as defined:

Union Busting
Employers who take action to disrupt or engage in conduct to dismantle a union.
Per Offence: $2000 Fine

15 - Gaming
(1) Gaming institutions are required to display the odds of gaming machines and activities in a visible area adjacent to the machine/activity.



16 - Operations of Securities Exchanges
(1) The Department of Commerce is authorized to monitor the operations of any securities exchange with full access to trading channels and data.
(a) Any Commerce Department employee engaged in the regulation of securities exchanges may not hold a security for less than 30 days.
(2) Securities Exchanges will be prohibited from calculating the market prices of shares in Public Companies using any factors other than the market supply of and demand for said shares. They will be responsible for updating these prices without requiring further input from the companies of which the shares grant ownership in.
(a) Securities Exchanges must provide consistent updates to the market prices of company shares. Each company listed on an exchange must have its stock price updated at least once every 30 days.
(4) The Department of Commerce is authorized to create any additional regulations for the operations of securities exchanges. Such regulations must be for the purpose of preserving the stability of securities exchanges, and must not conflict with any section of this Act.

17 - Extortion
(1) Definition: Extortion is defined as the act of obtaining something of value from someone through threats, force, or coercion, which can involve physical, financial, or other types of pressure.
Classification: Indictable Offense
Per Offense: $10,000 fine
(2) Parties may sue for the thing of value. If the thing of value is a decision, the commonwealth is to sue to reverse that decision.
(3) Exceptions: Extortion does not include lawful business practices, voluntary agreements, or actions taken under legal authority or judicial processes.

18 - Definitions

(1) Financial Institutions
(a) A Financial Institution is a business that deals with deposits, loans, and/or investments.
(b) There are four types of financial institutions: Commercial Banks, Investment Banks, Stock Exchanges, and Credit Unions.

(2) Definition and Characteristics of a Commercial Bank:
(a) A Commercial Bank is a Financial Institution that is owned owner or a group of owners who may make all decisions regarding the bank and its investments, employees, and interest rates, among other business decisions..
(b) Profits of a Commercial Bank are shared among owners/shareholders as decided by its shareholder/operating agreements..
(c) Companies not registered as Commercial Banks may not take interest bearing deposits from customers for bank accounts

(3) Defining Characteristics of a Investment Bank:
(a) An Investment Bank can't take deposits.
(b) An Investment Bank is allowed to brokerage stocks through Stock Exchanges. invest for clients in funds, give out loans, and provide investment advice to clients
(i) Investment Banks may charge for these services
(c) Companies not registered as Investment Banks may not invest for customers or provide investment advice.
(d) Investment Banks may not have tax exemption status and will have to pay taxes on ingame balances.
(i) However, they will not need to pay Financial Institution tax as defined by the Taxation Act

(4) Definition and Characteristics of a Stock Exchange:
(a) A Stock Exchange is the sole Financial Institution able to list Redmont-based securities for public trading.
(b) A Stock Exchange reserves the right to charge clients commissions for each transaction in order to make a profit.

(5) Definition and Characteristics of a Credit Union:
(a) A Credit Union is a Financial Institution that is governed by the members.
(b) A Credit Union must elect a leader through a democratic fashion.
(c) Profits of a Credit Union are distributed to the members of the Credit Union and/or reinvested back into the Credit Union through interests, services, or other costs that benefit all members of the Credit Union.

(6) False Advertisement: A commercial advertisement that contains untrue information, that would deceive the reasonable person. The advertiser must have acted knowingly. If the information is publicly accessible, it may be presumed that the advertiser was aware of it.
(7) Misleading Advertisement: A commercial advertisement that includes information that is true, but is presented in a way that may confuse or mislead the reasonable person. The below actions are considered misleading advertisement:
(a) Omitting information that a reasonable person would consider in their decision making.
(b) Using ambiguous language
(8) Advertising Puffery: Vague, wildly exaggerated claims that no reasonable person would take seriously. For example, “the best restaurant in the world”.
(9) Commercial Advertisement: An advertisement intended to benefit or harm a privately owned or operated business.
(10) Political Advertisement: An advertisement intended to promote a political message, influence public opinion of a social issue, or persuade individuals to support a candidate, party or policy.
(11) “Authorising an advertisement”: An individual or organization approving a commercial advertisement by:
(a) Displaying the advertisement of their own volition.
(b) Agreeing to have another individual or organization display the advertisement on their behalf is considered authorization.

19 - Exemptions
(1) The following are exempt from the definitions of false & misleading advertising.
(a) Advertising Puffery
(b) Political Advertisements4 - Jurisdiction
(1) The Department of Construction and Transportation shall retain jurisdiction to establish regulations outside of this law and to evict properties in accordance with these laws and regulations. These regulations will be listed under Department policy and will be displayed on the relevant rules and laws page node.
(2) The Department of Environment and Recreation shall retain jurisdiction to establish regulations outside of this law and to evict wild regions in accordance with these laws and regulations. These regulations will be listed under Department policy and will be displayed on the relevant rules and laws page node.
(3) Property zoning will be defined by staff according to this law.

5 - Residential Zoning
(1) Plots beginning with ‘R’ are residential plots (e.g. ‘r001’).
(2) Residential plots may only have houses built on them.
(3) Players cannot have houses with more than three visible floors.
(a)As basements and rooftops aren't entirely visible, they are an exception to this rule.

6 - Commercial Zoning
(1) Plots beginning with ‘C’ are commercial plots (e.g. ‘c001’).
(2) Commercial plots may only have businesses, offices, shops, apartment buildings, and other commercial buildings built on them.
(3) Commercial plots are height limited to 60 blocks, unless otherwise approved by the Department of Construction and Transport.

7 - Industrial Zoning
(1) Plots beginning with ‘I’ are industrial plots (e.g. ‘I001’).
(2) Industrial plots may only have factories, warehouses, and production facilities built on them.
(3) Industrial plots are height limited to 60 blocks, unless otherwise regulated by subordinate laws.

8 - Skyscraper Zoning
(1) Plots beginning with ‘s’ are skyscraper plots (e.g. ‘s001’).
(2) Skyscraper plots inherit the zoning laws concerning commercial plots, except the height limitation.
(3) Skyscraper plots are height limited to 200 blocks and must be taller than 60 blocks.

8 - Black Market Zoning
(1) Plots beginning with ‘bm’ are black market plots (e.g. ‘bm001’)
(2) Black market plots are exempt from certain laws, as directed by staff.
(a) such laws include possession, sale, and advertising of illicit items.

9- Government Subsidized Commercial Spaces
(1) Government Subsidized Commercial Spaces includes several types of government-owned rentable areas:
(2) Business Districts. Plots beginning with 'cbd' or 'nbd' are Business Districts.
(3) Market Stalls. Plots beginning with 'revstall' are Market Stalls.
(4) Newsstands. Plots beginning with 'revnews' are Newsstands.
(5) Large Billboards. Plots beginning with 'billboard' are Large Billboards.
(6) Mini Billboards. Plots beginning with 'minibillboard' are Mini Billboards.
(7) Food Trucks. Plots beginning with 'FT' are Food Trucks.
(8) Only the Department of Construction and Transport shall create rentable regions that fall under these naming conventions.

10 - Apartments
(1) There are no naming conventions for apartment regions names.
(2) Apartments must not contain Nether portals and/or chest shops.
(3) Water drops from water source blocks must not drip into other rent regions.
(4) Lava drops from lava source blocks must not drip into other rent regions.

11 - Farmland Zoning
(1) Plots beginning with 'F' or ‘Wl-F’ are farmland plots (e.g. ‘Wl-F001’)
(2) Farmland plots are height limited to 40 blocks, unless otherwise approved by the Department of Construction and Transport.

12 - Urban Agriculture
(1) Agriculture is not permitted on R, Government Subsidized Commercial Spaces, or BM plots.
(2) Agriculture is permitted on I, C, and S plots if it is conducted underground or hidden.
(3) Agriculture is permitted on farmland plots

13 - Sale of Plots
(1) Plots may be sold back to their Landlord for 90% of the plot's in-game price, or be resold to another player, or may be auctioned.
(2) When a plot has been reported for eviction, the report will remain extant until it is resolved or evicted. Transferring ownership of the plot in question will not have a bearing on the date of eviction, unless otherwise provided by the relevant Department.
(3) If plot ownership is transferred while there is an active eviction report on the plot or a violation of the Property Standards Act is present on the plot, the original owner has a duty to disclose the report and/or violation to the buyer or recipient of the plot. Failure to do so will result in the original owner being guilty of failure to disclose.

14 - Duty of Disclosure
(1) Failure to Disclose
Failure of a party to provide the other parties with all legally required information and or documents which are relevant to a property.
Per Offence: Cost of damages incurred by the recipient as a result of the failure to disclose.
(a) A plea of ignorance to a report is not an admissible defence to failure to disclose.

15 - Completed Buildings
A finished plot is defined as a plot with a completed building which is compliant with the building regulations and has a function, or a finished interior.

16 - Historical Building Alterations
Changing the physical appearance of a preserved, historical building without permission or consent.
Minor Alteration: $1000 Fine + Verbal Warning
Major Alteration: $3000 Fine + Plot Eviction
Demolished Building: $5000 Fine + Plot Eviction

17 - Plot Limitations
(1) C Plots. A citizen may not own more than 30 commercial properties.
(2) R Plots. A citizen may not own more than 2 residential properties.
(3) I Plots. A citizen may not own more than 2 industrial properties
(4) S Plots. A citizen may not own more than 6 skyscraper properties
(5) BM Plots. A citizen may not own more than 1 black market property.
(6) Government Subsidized Commercial Spaces. A citizen may not own more than 2 of each type of Government Subsidized Commercial Space.
(7) Realtors. Any citizen with a Realtor job may exceed these limitations by 5 plots each
(a) excluding BM and Government Subsidized Commercial Spaces.
(b) provided the plots exceeding these limitations are for the purpose of reselling the plot within 30 days of purchasing the plot.
(8) Plots located within towns are not subject to the above plot limits. Each town shall retain jurisdiction to create their own plot limits for plots located within their town.

18 - Merged Plots
Any merged plots will not be recognised as one plot, rather they will be counted as the amount of sub-plots which form the whole merged plot.

19 - Plot Releases
The releasing authority must release plots in a fair and equitable fashion that is controlled and factors in time zones.

20 - Breach of Property Standards
Failing to comply with any part of the Property Standards Act will incur a penalty unless otherwise provided within this Act.
Per Offense: $150

21 - Violating Business District Rules
A player renting a Business District without meeting the set requirements as outlined by the DCT.
First Offence: Normal DCT Eviction
Second Offence: $1000 fine per Business District plot rented in violation
Third Offence and after: $2500 fine per Business District plot rented in violation
Fines are enforced by the DCT

22 - Exemptions/Extensions
(1) The Secretary of Construction and Transportation has the power to issue and revoke exemptions and extensions for building regulation and legal compliance when they are satisfied that either of the following criteria is met:
(a) there is a compassionate and compelling reason requiring an exemption/extension
(b) that the exemption/extension does not undermine the intent of the eviction process
(c) that there is significant progress being made to rectify the breach
(d) in the interests of large-scale development
4- Electoral Terms and Limitations

(1) Candidates are to make their official political party affiliations known or if none, opt to run as an independent. Failure to identify a party affiliation will result in the candidate being declared an independent.

(2) Each candidate is to be listed separately on the ballot. If able, with their party in parentheses by their name.

(3) False party affiliations will be excluded at the request of the relevant party leader.

(4) Political parties cannot sponsor a higher number of candidates than seats that are up to vote.

(5) Unless otherwise provided, General Presidential and Congressional Elections will operate on a ten-day cycle during an election month, where:

(a) Declaration Period. Seven-day-long declaration period between the first to the seventh day of the month.

(b) Voting Period. three-day-long declaration period between the seventh to the tenth day of the month.

(c) Announcement Period. Election results are released at the earliest opportunity on the tenth day of the month.

(d) Activity Requirements.
(i) All playtime requirements for candidates seeking election must be checked at the end of the declaration period.
(ii) All playtime requirements requiring active playtime must be considered in the last 30 days directly preceding the end of the declaration period.

5 - Single Transferable Vote (STV)

(1) Voting Process. Voters rank candidates in order of preference

(a) Minimum five preferences or all candidates if less than five.

(2) Vote Threshold for Election.

(a) The threshold (quota) for election is computed by dividing the number of non-empty ballots by the number of seats plus one.

(b) If votes for a candidate surpasses this threshold they are immediately elected.

(c) Vote counts shall always be rounded to five decimals (0.00001).

(3) Surplus Votes. If a candidate receives more votes than needed to meet the threshold, then the surplus votes are transferred to the next preference on the voters' ballots according to the Gregory method of redistribution.

(a) The Gregory Fractional Transfer (GFT) Method is a fractional transfer method where all ballot papers are distributed on the election of a candidate but at a fractional value, the Transfer Value.

(I) All votes for the candidate that has been elected with a surplus are reweighted by multiplying the vote weight by the transfer value.

(II) The reweighted votes are then allocated to the next preference indicated on each ballot.

(III) The Transfer Value is determined by the formula:

(V - T) / (V)

*V is the amount of votes the candidate received.

*T is the threshold of votes needed to be elected.

(IV) Vote counts shall always be rounded to five decimals (0.00001).

(4) Elimination of Low-Scoring Candidates

(a) If seats remain and all candidates have fewer votes than the threshold, the candidate(s) with the fewest votes is eliminated.

(b) Where the number of candidates to be eliminated exceeds the amount required to fill the remaining seats, or there is a tie that otherwise needs to be resolved; the tied candidates will be eliminated sequentially based on the results of the previous round of voting. This process is repeated sequentially through preceding rounds as required.

(c) Where it is not possible to eliminate in an unresolvable tie, then the tied candidates will be eliminated at random through:

(i) a random selection within the eye of the public; and

(ii) through a computer generated choice in a way which a specific response cannot be elicited.

(c) The votes of the eliminated candidate(s) are then transferred to the next preference on the voters' ballots.

(5) Repeat Process. Steps 2(b), 3 and 4 are repeated until all seats are filled.

(6) Winner Determination. The process continues until all seats are filled. The candidate with the most votes after the final round of counting is declared the winner of the final seat.

(a) If the amount of seats remaining is equal to the amount of candidates, the remaining candidates are elected.

(7) Candidates elected in the regular Senate election at the same time as they are running in a regular House of Representatives election shall be regarded in the calculation of the election results of the House of Representatives as if they did not participate. Any votes shall be transferred according to the next preference on the ballot.

6 - Single Non-Transferrable Vote (SNTV)

(1) Voting Process. Voters cast a single vote for a candidate of their choice in a multi-member constituency.

(2) Winner Determination. Candidates with the highest individual vote counts, up to the number of available seats, are declared the winners.

(3) Elimination of Ties. Where it is not possible to eliminate in an unresolvable tie, then the tied candidates will be eliminated at random through:

(i) a random selection within the eye of the public

(ii) through a computer generated choice in a way which a specific response cannot be elicited.

7 - Instant-Runoff Voting (IRV)

(1) Voting Process. Voters rank candidates in order of preference.

(a) Minimum five preferences or all candidates if less than five.

(2) Vote Threshold for Election.

(a) In order to be elected, a candidate must reach a majority.

(4) Elimination of Low-Scoring Candidates

(a) If there is no majority at the end of a voting round, the candidate(s) with the fewest votes is eliminated.

(b) Where the number of candidates to be eliminated eliminates all candidates, or there is a tie that otherwise needs to be resolved; the tied candidates will be eliminated sequentially based on the results of the previous round of voting. This process is repeated sequentially through preceding rounds as required.

(c) Where it is not possible to eliminate in an unresolvable tie, then the tied candidates will be eliminated at random through:

(i) a random selection within the eye of the public

(ii) through a computer generated choice in a way which a specific response cannot be elicited.

(c) The votes of the eliminated candidate(s) are then transferred to the next preference on the voters' ballots.

(4) Repeat Process. Steps 3 and 4 are repeated until one candidate remains.

(5) Winner Determination. The process continues until the office is filled.

8 - Congressional Special Elections

(1) Election Schedule. When a vacancy occurs in the House of Representatives or Senate, a special election for the vacancy will commence within 24 hours of the Department of State being notified, given:

(a) The seat is not up for election in the upcoming Congressional general election, if Congress is in caretaker mode;

(b) There is not a special election for either chamber of Congress ongoing.

(i) In this case, the special election will be scheduled within 24 hours after the conclusion of the ongoing special election(s).

(2) Multiple Seats. If multiple seats in the same chamber of Congress become vacant before a special election for those vacancies has commenced, those vacancies will be combined into one special election, where multiple seats are up for election.

(a) If multiple vacant seats in the Senate of different classes are up for election in the same special election, the lowest polling winning Senators will be assigned to the class that is up for election in the upcoming Congressional general election, while highest polling winning Senators are assigned the opposite class.

(i) In the event of a tie over which Senator is assigned what class, a run-off election consisting of a 24-hour voting period shall be conducted between the tied candidates.

(3) Election Timeline. The special election will follow a timeline: a 48-hour declaration period, followed by a 24-hour campaigning period, followed by a 24-hour voting period.

(4) Voting System. Special elections shall be conducted with the same systems that are used for regularly scheduled elections for the relevant chamber.

(5) Tie Resolution. In the case of a tie, a run-off consisting of a 24-hour voting period shall be conducted between the tied candidates.

(6) Excluded Individuals. In order to run for a seat in a special election, the individual must not currently hold a seat in that chamber in that Class (e.g. a Representative cannot run in a special election for the House of Representatives, but a Class A Senator can run for a Class B Senate seat).

(7) No Caretaker Mode. The enactment of caretaker mode will not result from a special election.

9 - Removal of Members of Congress

(1) If a Representative is no longer fit for office, they can be removed from Congress early by the relevant presiding officer with the consent of four-fifths of their chamber (Excluding the individual in question).

(2) If a Senator is no longer fit for office, they can be removed from Congress early by the relevant presiding officer with the consent of all members of their chamber (Excluding the individual in question).

(3) Removal shall require only a simple majority if the individual in question has committed dereliction of their duties.

10 - Electoral Fraud
Any player caught rigging/meddling with an election through, but not limited to: the use of alternate accounts, bribery, and or threats.
Per Offence: Courts may order up to $25,000 in fines (per alt account if applicable) + issue a temporary or permanent barring from holding public office.

11 - Electoral Fraud Process
Where electoral results are flagged for fraudulent behavior, the Government will be responsible for contesting the votes in Court.
a. During this period, the former Government will remain in Caretaker Government.

12 - Electoral Officers

(1) Electoral Officers are charged with ensuring that elections are carried out in accordance with the wording and spirit of this act.

(2) Electoral Officers are charged with ensuring that elected offices with activity requirements are met and maintained.

(3) Electoral Officers are charged with serving as the stewards of free and fair elections.

13 - Referendum

(1) For all intents and purposes of this Act, a Referendum is regarded as an election.

(2) Referendums take place over a period of 48 hours.

14 - Polling Places

(1) Selection. Polling places are selected by the DOS.

(a) Consideration must be taken to ensure accessibility, convenience, and efficiency for voters (major landmarks, access to /spawns and public transportation).

(b) Polling places must be on public land or in public buildings.

(c) There must be at least one polling place in the Department of State building.

(2) Restrictions. In order to ensure a neutral and focused voting environment, campaign-related advertising (Includes, but is not limited to, physical campaign propaganda and person-to-person campaigning) is prohibited within:

(a) 25 blocks of a ballot box (a block registered as a poll); and

(b) inside a building containing a polling place.

(c) Failure to comply:

Interfering with a Polling Place
Obstructing or Interrupting the conduct of a polling place.
Per Offence: $1000 Fine + 10 minutes jail

Harassment of a Polling Place
Failure to comply with polling place restrictions as defined in the Electoral Act.
Per Offence: $10,000 fine
Three or more offences: Up to $50,000 fine + up to 20 minutes jail + 1 month removal from public office

15 - Redundancy

(1) The Secretary of State has the exclusive power to declare an electoral emergency.

(2) An electoral emergency is called when an in-game election cannot be conducted reliably in-game.

(3) Under an electoral emergency, all elections will conducted according to the law the preceded this act until declared otherwise by the Secretary of State.

16 - Registration

(1) In order to protect the integrity of the electoral system, the Department of State will maintain voter registration.

(a) Voter registration exists to verify the validity of voters, not to limit potential voters from voting. All legitimate citizens are entitled to registration.'

18 - Election Mailing
(1) Definitions:
(a) Election Mailing System. The system outlined in this Act in which individuals receive mail regarding elections.
(b) Election Mail List. The list of individuals who have opted to receive mail regarding elections from the Election Mailing System.

(2) Mailing:
(a) Beginning of Declarations. Individuals enrolled in the Election Mail List shall receive mail when declarations open for any election conducted by the Department of State. Information included in such mail shall, at a minimum, include:
(i) the amount of time that declarations are open for;
(ii) the office(s) up for election;
(iii) the amount of seats open; and
(iv) when polls open and how long they will be open for.
(b) Opening of Polls. Individuals enrolled in the Election Mail List shall receive mail when polls open for any election. Information included in such mail shall, at a minimum, include:
(i) the office(s) up for election; and
(ii) how long polls are open for.
(c) Separate Mailing. Individuals shall receive separate pieces of mail for each election, even if declarations for multiple elections open at the same time. Exceptions to this include:
(i) special elections for the same chamber of Congress that occur at the same time; and
(ii) elections for town council and mayor — for the same town — that occur at the same time.
(d) Election Error or Delay. When there is an error which results in the extension of the polling time, an error that results in people needing to recast their ballot(s), and/or a delay in the opening of polls, everyone who is a registered voter and/or an individual enrolled in the Election Mail List shall be sent mail regarding the consequences of the error and/or delay at the earliest convenience.

(3) Registration:
(a) Automatic Enrollment. When an individual becomes registered to vote, that individual shall become enrolled in the Election Mail List.
(i) Limited Application. This shall only apply to individuals who become registered to vote after the enactment of this Act.
(b) In-game Commands. There shall exist in-game commands to request to be enrolled in the Election Mail List and to request to be unenrolled from the Election Mail List.
(i) Enrollment At-will. Individuals shall be able to enroll in and unenroll from the Election Mail List at will and without discrimination, regardless of whether they meet the requirements to vote.

(4) Information. There shall be information regarding the Election Mail List inside of the primary Department of State building.
(a) This information, at a minimum, shall include:
(i) the name of the in-game command to enroll in the Election Mail List; and
(ii) the name of the in-game command to unenroll from the Election Mail List.

(5) Management. The Election Mailing System and the Election Mail List shall be maintained and managed by the Department of State.
(a) The Department of State shall be responsible for accepting requests to enroll and unenroll from the Election Mail List in a timely manner.3 - Office of the President

(1) The President may appoint executive officers - not bound to any department - to assist in the daily operations of the executive branch.

(2) The appointments serve at the President's pleasure.

(3) These positions include, but are not limited to:

(a) 1x Chief of Staff

(b) 5x Executive Advisor

(c) 1x Press Secretary

(4) Although they are a part of the Cabinet, Executive Officers do not have the ability to participate in the incapacitation process.

4 - Ambassadors

(1) The President may appoint an ambassador to recognised countries and diplomatic organisations.

(2) Ambassadors work within the Department of State.

(3) Ambassador appointments must be approved by the Senate.

(4) Ambassadors may be subject to impeachment and removal from officer by Congress.

(5) The President is limited on the number of principal officers they can nominate, the limitations are as follows:

(a) There may be one ambassador per recognized foreign nation and the United Nations.

5 - Cabinet

(1) An Acting Secretary may serve in that role without Senate confirmation for a period of up to 14 days, starting from when they assume the office of Acting Secretary. After that time period elapses, the Acting Secretary must receive Senate confirmation if they are to continue in that role. After an Acting Secretary's term is up, they may not be Acting Secretary for 14 days.

(2) During a vacancy in the Secretary position, their duties fall to the Deputy Secretary until a new Secretary can be chosen.

(3) Should both the Secretary and Deputy Secretary be vacant, the Secretary’s duties shall temporarily fall to a person appointed by the President.

(4) No person shall hold multiple Secretary (or Acting Secretary) positions at any given time.

(5) No person shall hold an Acting Secretary position simultaneously with Secretary, Representative, Senator, Speaker of the House, Deputy Speaker of the House, President of the Senate, Magistrate, Judge, Justice, or Chief Justice."

6 - Department of State

(1) The Department of State is charged with the following primary responsibilities:

(a) Internal auditing and performance of all Government Departments.

(b) Evaluation and oversight of the Executive.

(c) Compiling a State of the Commonwealth.

(d) Administration, facilitation of, and communication with towns, including notification of any laws that may impact towns.

(e) Foreign relations

(f) Political party registration

(g) Facilitation of Federal elections (and other elections as requested), including debates.

(h) Dedication and establish of national public holidays and any conditions that go with the public holiday.

(i) Mediating intragovernmental disputes.

(j) Managing and responding to complaints and reports against executive departments.

(k) Facilitation of Referendums

(2) Leadership:

(a) Secretary of the Department of State

(b) Deputy Secretary of the Department of State.

(3) Seal:

Seal_DOS.png

7 - Department of Homeland Security

(1) The Department of Homeland Security is charged with the following primary responsibilities:

(a) Maintaining the peace and good order of the nation, through lawfully exercising its power equally to enforce the laws of the Commonwealth of Redmont.

(b) Administration of a Federal impound and providing security to government officials and events.

(c) Maintaining criminal records

(d) Providing criminal records upon request (the requesting individual must be party to the record requested) within 7 days.

(e) Protecting and Defending Redmont and its interests.

(2) The Department is considered an 'emergency services' provider.

(3) Leadership:

(a) Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.

(b) Deputy Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.

(4) Seal:

Seal_DHS.png

8 - Department of Justice

(1) The Department of Justice is charged with the following primary responsibilities:

(a) Defending the national legal interest.

(b) Investigating and prosecuting on behalf of the Federal Government.

(c) Acting ethically and lawfully at the President’s direction.

(d) Managing Freedom of Information requests.

(3) Leadership:

(a) Secretary of the Department of Justice (Attorney General)

(b) Deputy Secretary of the Department of Justice (Solicitor General)

(4) Seal:

Seal_DOJ sml.png

9 - Department of Commerce

(1) The Department of Commerce is charged with the following primary responsibilities:

(a) Maintaining a prosperous national economic state.

(b) Advancing employment opportunities and guidelines for occupations.

(c) Administration of government grants and the registration of companies.

(d) Enforcing compliance with national corporate standards.

(3) Leadership:

(a) Secretary of the Department of Commerce.

(b) Deputy Secretary of the Department of Commerce.

(4) Seal:

Seal_DOC.png

10 - Department of Public Affairs

(1) The Department of Public Affairs is charged with the following primary responsibilities:

(a) Advancing the spirit of community.

(b) Organising and hosting community events.

(c) Administering national social media accounts.

(d) Administration of cabinet meetings

(e) Managing National event calendar (Discord Events Tab).

(f) Managing bookings for Government recreation facilities.

(3) Leadership:

(a) Secretary of the Department of Public Affairs.

(b) Deputy Secretary of the Department of Public Affairs.

(4) Seal:

Seal_DPA.png

11 - Department of Construction & Transportation

(1) The Department of Construction and Transport is charged with the following primary responsibilities:

(a) Creation of Government infrastructure

(b) Maintenance of building regulation compliance.

(c) Management of Public Transport networks.

(3) Leadership:

(a) Secretary of the Department of Construction and Transport.

(b) Deputy Secretary of the Department of Construction and Transport.

(4) Seal:

Seal_DCT.png

12 - Department of Health

(1) The Department of Health is charged with the following primary responsibilities:

(a) Maintenance and upkeep of the national health system.

(2) The Department is considered an 'emergency services' provider.

(3) Leadership:

(a) Secretary of the Department of Health

(b) Deputy Secretary of the Department of Health.

(4) Seal:

Seal_DOH.png

13 - Department of the Interior

(1) The Department of the Interior is charged with the following primary responsibilities:

(a) Maintaining the natural aesthetic of the nation and surrounding lands through repairing and revitalising the natural landscape,
developing natural wonders, and strategically managing and conserving natural resources.

(b) Regulating farming practices and resource collection.

(c) Administration of a animal shelters, zoos, urban parks, and national parks.

(d) Management of a Government Tender program and Supply Depot.

(2) Leadership:

(a) Secretary of the Department of the Interior.

(b) Deputy Secretary of the Department of the Interior.

(3) Seal:

Seal_DOI.png

14 - Department of Education

(1) The Department of Education is charged with the following primary responsibilities:

(a) Advancing the knowledge, skills, and retention of the people of Redmont through arts and education initiatives, and furthering contributions to arts, academia, and culture.

(b) Maintaining a historical national archives to document and preserve national history.

(2) Leadership:

(a) Secretary of the Department of Education.

(b) Deputy Secretary of the Department of Education.

(3) Seal:


1744845007641.png

15 - Emergency Services

(1) Employees of an Emergency Service provider cannot refuse to work or ignore the duties of their job.

(2) Unions or any other organized group cannot engage in conduct that encourages obstruction of an Emergency Service.

(3) The following shall be added to the laws:
Obstruction of an Emergency Service
An entity who has conspired to or engaged in obstructing functions vital to public safety.
Per Offence: Up to $4000 Fine.

16 - Government Payouts

(1) Punitive charges, fines, and any other form of payouts ordered by the Courts will be provided from the Government balance and not the Department(s) in question.'12. Judicial Power
Judicial power is vested in the court.

13. Role‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌Federal‌ ‌Court‌ ‌System‌ ‌of‌ ‌Redmont
The‌ ‌Judicial‌ ‌arm‌ ‌of‌ ‌Government,‌ ‌consisting‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌District‌ ‌Court,‌ ‌Federal Court,‌ ‌and‌ ‌Supreme‌ ‌Court,‌ ‌ interpret‌ ‌the‌ ‌law‌ ‌as‌ ‌written‌ ‌by‌ ‌the‌ ‌legislature‌ ‌and‌ ‌administered‌ ‌by‌ ‌the‌ ‌Executive.‌ Lawsuits‌ ‌can‌ ‌be‌ ‌made to the court as either‌ ‌civil‌ ‌cases‌ ‌(a‌ ‌dispute‌ ‌between‌ ‌two‌ ‌parties,‌ ‌usually‌ ‌seeking‌ ‌compensation)‌ ‌or‌ ‌criminal‌ ‌cases‌ ‌(an‌ ‌appeal‌ ‌to‌ ‌the‌ ‌state‌ ‌against‌ ‌a‌ ‌charge,‌ ‌or‌ ‌a‌ ‌case‌ ‌filed‌ ‌by‌ ‌the‌ ‌state‌ ‌regarding‌ ‌a‌ ‌criminal‌ ‌act. i.e. Citizens cannot prosecute).‌ ‌Where‌ ‌there‌ ‌is‌ ‌a‌ ‌failure‌ ‌to‌ appear,‌ ‌the‌ ‌courts will trial in absentia and ‌will‌ ‌deliver‌ ‌a‌ ‌verdict‌ ‌considering‌ ‌the‌ ‌facts‌ ‌presented‌ ‌to‌ ‌the‌ ‌Court.‌ ‌
‌

DISTRICT COURT

14. Role‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌District‌ ‌Court‌ ‌of‌ ‌Redmont‌ ‌
The‌ ‌District‌ ‌Court‌s of Redmont ‌hear ‌all‌ ‌minor‌ ‌civil‌ ‌and‌ ‌criminal‌ ‌disputes‌ ‌in‌ ‌the‌ ‌first‌ ‌instance.‌ The District Courts are presided over by ‌a‌ ‌single‌ ‌Magistrate‌ ‌under‌ ‌the‌ ‌supervision‌ ‌of‌ ‌a‌ ‌Judge‌ ‌or‌ ‌Justice.‌ ‌Each‌ ‌town‌ ‌or‌ ‌city‌ ‌shall‌ ‌be‌ ‌considered‌ ‌a‌ ‌district‌ ‌and‌ ‌shall‌ ‌have‌ ‌one‌ ‌Magistrate.‌ ‌There‌ ‌shall‌ ‌not‌ ‌be‌ ‌more‌ ‌than‌ ‌one ‌(1)‌ Magistrates ‌on‌ ‌the‌ ‌District Court of‌ ‌Redmont‌ ‌per jurisdiction at‌ ‌any‌ ‌given‌ ‌time.‌

‌ 15. Powers‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌District‌ ‌Court‌ ‌
(a) The‌ ‌District‌ ‌Court‌ ‌of‌ ‌Redmont‌ ‌has original jurisdiction over‌:
(i) arrests
(ii) wrongful‌ ‌seizure
(‌iii)‌ public official misconduct
(iv) minor‌ ‌criminal‌ ‌prosecutions‌ ‌that‌ ‌result‌ ‌in‌ ‌jail‌ ‌not‌ ‌exceeding‌ ‌20‌ ‌minutes‌ ‌or‌ ‌$2500‌ ‌dollars‌ ‌(inclusive) of‌ ‌fines
(v) minor‌ ‌civil‌ ‌cases‌ ‌whose‌ ‌value‌ ‌does‌ ‌not‌ ‌exceed‌ $20,000‌ ‌dollars (inclusive).‌


FEDERAL COURT

16. Role‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌Federal Court‌ ‌of‌ ‌Redmont‌ ‌
The‌ ‌Federal Court‌ ‌of‌ ‌Redmont‌ ‌hears‌ ‌all‌ ‌major‌ ‌civil‌ ‌and‌ ‌criminal‌ ‌disputes‌ ‌in‌ ‌the‌ ‌first‌ ‌instance and is‌ ‌the‌ ‌appellate‌ ‌court‌ ‌for‌ ‌verdicts‌ ‌made‌ ‌by‌ ‌the‌ ‌District‌ ‌Courts‌. The Federal Court is presided over by a single Judge. There‌ ‌shall‌ ‌not‌ ‌be‌ ‌more‌ ‌than‌ ‌three ‌(3)‌ Judges‌ ‌on‌ ‌the‌ ‌Federal Court of‌ ‌Redmont‌ ‌at‌ ‌any‌ ‌given‌ ‌time.‌ ‌ ‌

17. Powers‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌Federal Court
(a) The‌ ‌Federal ‌Court‌ ‌of‌ ‌Redmont‌ ‌has original jurisdiction over‌:
(i) Questions of constitutionality
(ii) Major ‌criminal‌ ‌prosecutions‌ ‌that‌ ‌result‌ ‌in‌ ‌jail‌ ‌exceeding‌ ‌20‌ ‌minutes‌ ‌or‌ ‌$2500‌ ‌dollars‌ ‌of‌ ‌fines
(iii) Major ‌civil‌ ‌cases‌ ‌whose‌ ‌value‌ exceed‌s $20,000‌ ‌dollars.‌ ‌
(iv) Any cases of significance that do not fit within the established bounds of court jurisdictions.

(b) The Federal Court of Redmont is the appellate court for the District Court of Redmont.

(c) Other powers of the Federal Court of Redmont include:
(i) Issuing warrants‌
(ii) Ordering a ‌party before the Federal Court to ‌have‌ ‌a‌ ‌lawyer‌ ‌in‌ ‌order‌ ‌to‌ ‌proceed‌ ‌with‌ ‌their‌ ‌case
(iii) Assuming ‌the‌ ‌responsibilities‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌District‌ ‌Court‌s ‌of‌ ‌Redmont‌ ‌‌when necessary.


SUPREME COURT
18. Role‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌Supreme‌ ‌Court‌ ‌
The‌ ‌Supreme‌ ‌Court‌ ‌of‌ ‌Redmont‌ is the highest court in the nation, hearing all final appeals and challenges to removing a public office holder (see s19a(ii)). The Supreme Court is presided over by three Justices. ‌ The Supreme Court is chaired by a Chief Justice who is ‌nominated‌ ‌by‌ ‌the‌ ‌President‌ ‌and‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌by‌ ‌the‌ ‌Senate‌. There‌ ‌shall‌ ‌not‌ ‌be‌ ‌more‌ ‌than‌ ‌three ‌(3)‌ Justices (Chief Justice included) ‌on‌ ‌the‌ ‌Supreme Court of‌ ‌Redmont‌ ‌at‌ ‌any‌ ‌given‌ ‌time.‌ ‌All available Justices preside over Supreme Court cases and form a majority opinion. Any Justices who do not agree with the majority opinion deliver individual or joint dissenting opinions which are published alongside the majority opinion. A minimum of two (2) Justices in agreement must be met to deliver a verdict on a Supreme Court case, and where there is a disagreement, the Chief Justice's opinion will prevail. The‌ ‌decision‌ ‌of the Supreme Court is‌ ‌final‌ ‌-‌ ‌there‌ ‌are‌ ‌no‌ ‌further‌ ‌appeals‌ ‌once‌ ‌a‌ ‌matter‌ ‌has‌ ‌been‌ ‌decided‌ ‌by‌ ‌the‌ ‌Supreme‌ ‌Court ‌and‌ ‌the‌ ‌decision‌ ‌is‌ ‌binding‌ ‌on‌ ‌all‌ ‌other‌ ‌courts.‌ A party can appeal a Supreme Court decision based on a point of law or if a significant amount of new evidence is made available. The appeal must convince the Court that the Justices that heard the original case made an error of law and that the error was of such significance that the decision should be overturned. Some examples of significant errors of law are that the Judge that heard the original case:
applied an incorrect principle of law; or
made a finding of fact or facts on an important issue which could not be supported by the evidence.
In order to post in the Supreme Court, you must have legal standing (i.e. you are represented by someone who is a lawyer in-game or you are qualified in law in-game yourself) ‌

19. Powers‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌Supreme‌ ‌Court‌ ‌
(a) The‌ ‌Supreme Court‌ ‌of‌ ‌Redmont‌ ‌has original jurisdiction over‌:
(i) Removal of officials from Public Office (Judicial Officers, Members of Congress, Members of Cabinet)
(ii) Resolving‌ ‌disputes‌ ‌between‌ ‌Government‌ ‌Institutions

(b) The Supreme Court of Redmont is the appellate court for the Federal Court of Redmont.

(c) Other powers of the Supreme Court of Redmont include:
(i) Ordering a ‌party before the Supreme Court to ‌have‌ ‌a‌ ‌lawyer‌ ‌in‌ ‌order‌ ‌to‌ ‌proceed‌ ‌with‌ ‌their‌ ‌case
(ii) Assuming ‌the‌ ‌responsibilities‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌District‌ ‌Court‌s ‌of‌ ‌Redmont‌ ‌‌and Federal Court of Redmont when necessary.


20. Judicial Officers
Judicial Officers is the collective name given to Magistrates, Judges, Justices, and the Chief Justice. Judicial Officers are‌ ‌responsible‌ ‌for‌ ‌presiding‌ ‌over‌ ‌and‌ ‌delivering‌ ‌non-biased‌ ‌verdicts‌ ‌on‌ ‌all‌ ‌lawsuits.‌ ‌Judicial Officers can rule on their Court, or on lower courts if required. Judicial Officers cannot preside over an appeal that they have already ruled on previously in a lower court. Magistrates‌ ‌are‌ ‌to‌ ‌be‌ ‌appointed‌ ‌by‌ ‌the‌ ‌Supreme‌ ‌Court‌ ‌to‌ ‌serve‌ ‌on‌ ‌the‌ ‌District‌ ‌Court.‌ Federal Court Judges,‌ ‌Supreme‌ ‌Court‌ ‌Justices,‌ ‌and‌ ‌the‌ ‌Chief‌ ‌Justice‌ ‌are‌ ‌to‌ ‌be‌ ‌nominated‌ ‌by‌ ‌the‌ President‌ ‌and‌ ‌approved‌ ‌by‌ ‌the‌ ‌Senate.‌ ‌Where‌ ‌there‌ ‌is‌ ‌no‌ ‌Chief‌ ‌Justice,‌ ‌the‌ ‌most‌ ‌senior‌ ‌Justice‌ ‌is‌ ‌Chief‌ ‌Justice‌ ‌by‌ ‌default‌ ‌until‌ ‌otherwise‌ ‌provided. Judicial Requirements The following requirements exist in order to be nominated to the bench: Chief Justice - has accrued 150 hours and 12 hours of playtime in the last 30 days Justice - has accrued 125 hours and 12 hours of playtime in the last 30 days Judge - has accrued 72 hours and 12 hours of playtime in the last 30 days ‌ If‌ ‌there‌ ‌are‌ ‌no‌ ‌Justices‌ ‌on‌ ‌the‌ ‌Supreme‌ ‌Court,‌ ‌the‌ ‌President‌ ‌shall‌ ‌have‌ ‌one‌ ‌week‌ ‌to‌ ‌nominate‌ ‌a‌ ‌Justice‌ ‌or‌ ‌Chief‌ ‌Justice.‌

13 - Standards of Proof
(1) The following shall apply:
a. Balance of Probabilities - Required in civil actions.
b. Probable Cause - Required for a warrant.
c. Proof Beyond a Reasonable Doubt - Required in criminal prosecutions.

14 - Burden of Proof
The onus of the burden of proof is on the Prosecution.

15 - State Legal Representation
The Commonwealth may appoint a prosecutor to represent the state in court in lieu of the Attorney General.

16 - Recusal
(1) Judicial disqualification, also referred to as recusal, is the act of abstaining from participation in a case due to a conflict of interest.
(2) A motion to recuse can be filed at any point in a case prior to the verdict. A Judge must consider whether or not to voluntarily recuse themselves.
(3) Where a judge does not voluntarily recuse, a second Judge will respond to the motion and either accept or deny it. In the instance the judge accepts the motion, that judge will then preside over the case.
(4) Conflict of interest may involve:
a. Bias/appearance of bias.
b. Interest.
c. Ex Parte Communications.
d. Breach of Judicial Conduct.
e. Prior Work as a Lawyer for either party.

17 - Warrants
(1) The court may issue warrants - court orders that allow actions that would otherwise be unlawful - for the following:
a. Search - Expresses permission for a Police Officer, Investigator, or Compliance Officer, accompanied or unaccompanied, to enter private property, view private assets, or access digital documents in order to search for evidence or contraband. Staff will be required to assist with searching storage containers if required, however the Officer will not have direct access. Search Warrants must detail exactly what is being requested and judicial officers must include any modifications to the request they have made when approving the warrant. This warrant can be requested by authorized members in the DoJ, DHS, and DoC.
b. Asset Seizure - to seize assets when an individual does not have sufficient monetary funds to pay a court order or unsettled fines. The unpaid fines must have been standing for at least 2 months and can be seen in the DoJ DHS #fines channel. A DHS employee must also /mail the person about their fines at least three days prior to requesting an asset seizure warrant. If a government agency requires an asset to be transferred to itself within its lawful actions (ie: Eminent Domain by the DCT or Seizing Bank assets by the DOC), they may request a warrant or ask the DHS to do so on their behalf to be able to gain possession of said asset. Asset Warrants must detail exactly what is being seized and judicial officers must include any modifications to the request they made when approving the warrant.
c. Arrest Warrant - for entering private property to arrest a wanted individual. This warrant can only be executed by authorized members in the DHS.

d. Investigative - Expresses permission for a Detective, accompanied or unaccompanied, to enter private property in order to search for clues relating to an active case.
(2) The Debtor must be given a 5-day notice by the Department of Homeland security for any debt collection through an asset seizure warrant. The Debtor must be informed that they provide the outstanding money needed to pay off their debt within a period of 5 days or assets will be seized to cover their outstanding debt.

18 - Injunctions
(1) The courts may issue injunctions - orders that compel a party in a case to do something or to refrain from doing something - for the following:
a. Permanent - Permanent injunctions aim to enforce the rights of others.
b. Emergency - Injunctions that are issued before the court has tried a case to prevent harm. If the applicant fails to file a lawsuit within 4 hours of requesting an emergency injunction the order will be null and void.
(2) Abuse of this type of order results in civil liability for seven fold the actual damages.

19 - Writs
(1) The courts may issue writs - a written command in the name of a court to act, or abstain from acting, in a particular way - for the following:
a. Writ of Mandamus - Orders the government or a government agency to do or to refrain from doing something as is their duty under the law.
b. Quo Warranto - Orders the government or a government agency to appear before the court to establish its authority to do something.

20 - Appeals
(1) Once a court case is adjourned, either party may request to appeal the decision by filing an appeal in the court of the next tier. Once a case has been decided by the Supreme Court, it cannot be appealed.
(2) Requirements:--
- Less than one month has elapsed since the court’s decision;
- the appeal follows a format laid out by the courts in a thread that will be authored upon this bill’s passage; and
- the appeal is not made just for the sake of appealing.

21 - Appeal Response
(1) In the event that the appeal request is accepted by the court, a new trial will occur.
(2) In the event that this is an appeal of an appealed decision and there are only two sitting judges, the Speaker of Congress will also preside.

22 - Appeal Outcome
(1) In the event the court’s original decision was overturned, one of two events will occur.
a. If the plaintiff had originally won the case and the defendant was charged with compensatory actions, the defendant will be fully refunded by the plaintiff.
b. If the defendant had originally won the case, the court will decide compensatory actions for the plaintiff to receive.
(2) In the event the court did not overturn their decision, all court orders from the original case remain standing.

23 - Supreme Court Appeals
(1) A party can appeal based on a point of law. The appeal must convince the Court that the Justices that heard the original case made an error of law and that the error was of such significance that the decision should be overturned.
(a) Some examples of significant errors of law are that the Judge that heard the original case:
applied an incorrect principle of law; or
made a finding of fact or facts on an important issue which could not be supported by the evidence.
24 - Sentencing
(1) Where there is a continued threat to player safety or enjoyment due to the commission of crime, the prosecuting authority can impose punishment prior to a trial.
a. Where an individual is found guilty at trial, any punishment already undertaken will be deemed spent.
b. Where an individual is found innocent at trial, they shall be compensated up to $50 per minute spent in jail for offences found unproven, alongside a reimbursement of any fine paid for unproven offences.

25 - Trials
(1) For a criminal trial to take place -
a. The prosecuting authority must be represented by a prosecutor.
i. The defendant may have representation or have declared they are representing themselves.
ii. If the defendant is eligible for a Public Defender, the Court must allow reasonable time for the defendant to source legal counsel.

26 - Court Clerk
(1) The Supreme Court may appoint an unlimited amount of Court Clerks to assist the duties of the courts
(2) These Court Clerks will serve at the pleasure of the Supreme Court and can be removed at any time. In Addition, Congress may at any time remove any Court Clerk via the regular legislative process if they believe such a Court Clerk has interfered with the functions of the branch.
(3) Court Clerk is not considered or classified as Judicial Officers.
(4) Court Clerks may receive a salary decided by law outside of the Constitution.

27 - External Assistance Creation
(1) Any Magistrate, Judge, or Justice, may request and order external assistance from the following Departments:
a. The Department of Justice, to issue fines and assist in the security of any in-game court proceeding.
b. The Department of Public Affairs, to sanction in-game trials as events if necessary.
c. The Department of Health, to assist in the on-site crisis-management of any sort of infectious disease spread during an in-game court proceeding.
d. The Department of Construction and Transport, to issue repairs and or changes that are necessary for the efficient running of the courthouse.
(2) In addition, the following temporary positions may be established during in-game court proceedings:
(a) Bailiff, utilizing a police officer from the Department of Homeland Security
(i) The Chief Justice shall decide the payment for Bailiffs, and this shall be paid from the Judiciary budget.
(b) Stenographer, utilizing a Court Clerk or temporarily appointing any player who is available at that time.
(i) The Chief Justice shall decide the payment for Stenographers, and this shall be paid from the Judiciary budget.
(3) Bailiff and Stenographer pay shall be managed by the Judiciary after the court proceeding.

28 - Duty to Disclose
(1) In the event of any court case, criminal or otherwise, both sides are required to present any exculpatory evidence to the opposing counsel
(2) Failure to do such may be used as a reason for an appeal
(3) A violation of the duty to disclose shall constitute as an offense:
(a) Definition: Failing to disclose exculpatory evidence to an opposing counsel relating to a court case that the violator is either a plaintiff, defendant, or counsel in, that was either personally viewed or received
(b) Classification: Summary Criminal Offense
(c) Per Offense:
(i) First Offense: $2,000 Fine
(ii) Second Offense: $5,000 Fine
(iii) Third Offense and Beyond: $6,000 Fine + 5 Minutes Jail

29 - Ex Parte Communication
(1) Direct or indirect communication about a specific case with the presiding officer that is presiding over that case that the citizen in question is either the plaintiff, defendant, or counsel in without the knowledge of all parties (Plaintiff,defendant, counsel) in the case is forbidden
(2) Failure to do such may be used as a reason for a recusal, and if the case has already been ruled on, an appeal
(3) An Ex Parte Communication shall constitute as an offense:
(a) Definition: Making direct or indirect communication about a specific case with the presiding officer that is presiding over that case that the violator is either a plaintiff, defendant, or counsel in without the knowledge of all parties (Plaintiff, defendant, counsel) in the case
(b) Classification: Summary Criminal Offense
(c) Per Offense:
(i) First Offense: $2,000 Fine
(ii) Second Offense: $5,000 Fine
(iii) Third Offense: $6,000 Fine +5 Minutes Jail

30 - Case Commission
(1) Case commissions shall be managed by the Judiciary and shall be granted at the following rates for the duration of each case they are presiding over:
(2) Justice: $300 per day;
(3) Judge: $250 per day;
(4) Magistrate: $200 per day;
(5) Payments shall be made according to the time zone of the individual dispensing the funds.
(6) Payments shall be made following a case adjournment.

31 - Ruling Transparency
(1) Where there is more than one Judicial Officer presiding over a case, the court must inform all parties as to which judicial officers are presiding on their case.
(2) When rendering verdicts on cases or deciding on motions, individual presiding judicial officer's opinions and rulings must be attributable.
(a) These rulings and opinions can be published collectively (i.e. signing on to a verdict/decision) or individually.1 - Short Title

(1) This Resolution may be cited as the ' Resolution.'

(2) This Resolution has been authored by:

(3) This Resolution has been co-sponsored by:

2 - Reasons

3 - Amendments to Resolution Format

Code:

A
RESOLUTION
To

<Purpose of the Resolution>​

The people of the Commonwealth of Redmont, through their elected Representatives in the Congress, do hereby formally enact this non-binding resolution, as a request to our Government:

1 - Short Title

(1) This Resolution may be cited as the ' Resolution.'

(2) This Resolution has been authored by:

(3) This Resolution has been co-sponsored by:

2 - Reasons

3 - Amendments to Resolution Format

A
BILL
To

<Purpose of the bill i.e. Amend the Legislative Standards Act>

The people of the Commonwealth of Redmont, through their elected Representatives in the Congress and the force of law ordained to that Congress by the people through the constitution, do hereby enact the following provisions into law:

1 - Short Title and Enactment

(1) This Act may be cited as the ' Act.'

(2) This Act shall be enacted immediately upon its signage.

(3) This Act has been authored by <user>.

(4) This Act has been co-sponsored by <user>.

2 - Reasons

(1)

(2)...

3 - Sections as needed...

Code:

A
BILL
To

<Purpose of the bill i.e. Amend the Legislative Standards Act>​

The people of the Commonwealth of Redmont, through their elected Representatives in the Congress and the force of law ordained to that Congress by the people through the constitution, do hereby enact the following provisions into law:

1 - Short Title and Enactment

(1) This Act may be cited as the ' Act.'

(2) This Act shall be enacted immediately upon its signage.

(3) This Act has been authored by <user>.

(4) This Act has been co-sponsored by <user>.

2 - Reasons
(1)
(2)...

3 - Sections as needed...



FORMATTING STANDARDS

PART I - <PART NAME> (if required; stylistic choice)

1 - <Section>

(1) Subsection

(a) Subsubsection

(i) Subsubsubsection3 - Criminal Code
The Miscellaneous Offenses Act will establish the crimes outlined in '4 - Offences' as an extension of the Standardized Criminal Code Act.

4 - Offences
(1) Contempt of Court (Original: pugbandit - Feb 15, 2021)
(i) Classification: Summary Criminal Offense
The disobedience of an order of a court. Conduct tending to obstruct or interfere with the orderly administration of justice also qualifies as contempt of court. A party that fails to perform a specific act, in accordance with a judgment by a court, can be charged with contempt and subsequently penalized.
First Offense: $500 Fine
Second Offense: $1000 Fine + 5 Minutes Jail
Third Offense: Maximum $2500 + up to 10 Minutes Jail.

(2) Involuntary Servitude (Original: Pepecuu - April 11, 2025)
(i) Classification: Indictable Criminal Offense
The act(s) of coercion by an individual, organisation, or entity, so that an individual is forced, or justifiably feels compelled, to perform labour or services against their will. Actions constituting coercion include but are not limited to: manipulation, and the use of explicit or implicit threats or actions of violence or blackmail, towards the person or entity being enslaved.
Minimum Sentencing: $5,000 Fine
Maximum Sentencing: $25,000 Fine + 120 Minutes Jail Time

(3) False Accusation (Original: huney69 - Jul 13, 2021)
(i) Classification: Summary Criminal Offense
The act of falsely accusing someone of a crime and attempting to incur legal punishment when they could reasonably infer that the accused was innocent.
Per Offense: $100 Fine

(4) Illegal Advertising (Original: ElainaThomas29 - Nov 1, 2022)
(i) Classification: Summary Criminal Offense
The act of advertising a business or political campaign to a public chat not designated for advertising, not responding to a question that someone else asked and not said within /ad or a designated channel for advertising.
Per Offense: $100 Fine

(5) Illegal Locking (Original: Dusty_3 - Jun 21, 2020)
(i) Classification: Summary Criminal Offense
The act of locking another citizen's property on their land without permission.
Per Offense: $100 Fine

(6) Resisting Arrest (Original: Dusty_3 - Jun 21, 2020)
(i) Classification: Summary Criminal Offense
The act of disregarding a directive given to you by a member of the Department of Justice while being wanted.
Per Offense: $100 Fine

(7) Incitement (Original: pugbandit - Feb 15, 2021)
(i) Classification: Indictable Criminal Offense
The attempt to coax or encourage someone to break the law.
Minimum Sentencing: $1000 Fine
Maximum Sentencing: $3000 Fine + 15 Minutes Jail Time

(8) Frivolous Court Case (Original: pugbandit - Feb 15, 2021)
(i) Classification: Summary Criminal Offense
Lodging a legal case that has no serious purpose or value.
Per Offense: $100

(9) Obstruction of Justice (Original: pugbandit - Feb 15, 2021)
(i) Classification: Indictable Criminal Offense
Willfully interfering with the process of justice through influencing, threatening, harming, or impeding a witness, potential witness, police officer, detective, or by providing false information.
First Offense: 20 Minutes Jail + $150 Fine
Second Offense: 40 Minutes Jail + $300 Fine
Subsequent Offenses: 60 Minutes Jail + $600 Fine
4 - Taxation Brackets
(1) Taxation brackets shall apply to Corporate and Personal Balance Taxes.
(2) The following bracket amounts are inclusive and shall be taxed at the following rates weekly:
Taxation Bracket Taxation Rate (%)
$0.00 to $49,999.99 0
$50,000.00 to $99,999.99 1
$100,000.00 to $199,999.99 1.2
$200,000.00 - $399,999.99 1.4
$400,000.00+ 1.8
(3) The net time tax rate is calculated over the time between a player’s log-in and their previous log-in. The player’s Corporate and Personal Balance upon log-in is then subject to this tax rate.

5 - Financial Institutions Tax
(1) Deposit-taking financial institutions will be taxed on their monthly reported profit.
(a) This tax will be fined by the Department of Commerce.
(b) Taxation is due by the end of the second week of the following month.
(2) Financial Institution Taxation Rates:

Taxation Type Taxation Rate
Financial Institution Tax 10%
Financial Institution Depositor Insurance Tax 10%
Total 20% of Profits

6 - Financial Institution Taxation Exemptions
(1) Deposit-taking financial institutions will be exempt from all balance taxes, as defined in the Banking Act (or succeeding acts).
(a) Exemption takes effect from the point of acceptance and registration from the Department of Commerce.
(b) Exemption may be repealed by the Commerce Secretary or delegate if the institution does not meet the requirements of this Act.

7 - Financial Records and Reporting
(1) Deposit-taking financial institutions must keep detailed accounts of their investment revenue and obligations to their depositors.
(a) Should deposit-taking financial institutions misrepresent their profits to the Department of Commerce, the entity will be liable for prosecution.
(b) Profits shall be calculated as the earnings the financial institution keeps after all operating costs are paid. Profit shall be calculated from the date of the last report or, in the first report, the first day of trading.
(2) Deposit-taking financial institutions are required to report to the Department of Commerce by the end of the first week of the succeeding month:

FINANCIAL REPORT
(a) Profits.
(b) Total assets and liabilities as of the last day of the preceding month.
(c) Any significant changes in the financial condition or operations of the institution.
(d) A summary of the institution's investment portfolio, including details on securities, loans, and other financial instruments held.
(e) Information on any regulatory actions, legal proceedings, or other material events that may impact the institution's financial stability.
(f) Compliance status with relevant financial regulations and guidelines.

(3) Failure to comply with reporting requirements will result in the financial institution surrendering its taxation exemption status until a report is submitted.

8 - Powers of the Department of Commerce
(1) Historical events have proven that strong regulatory powers are necessary for the adequate protection of the depositors of deposit-taking institutions.
(2) These powers are vested in the Department of Commerce to uphold the integrity of financial institution taxation, ensure compliance with regulations, and protect the interests of depositors and the broader financial system.
(3) The Department of Commerce will have the following non-exhaustive powers in relation to regulating financial institution tax obligations:

(a) Audit and Inspection Authority. The Department shall have the authority to conduct regular audits and inspections of the financial records of deposit-taking financial institutions. This includes verifying the accuracy of reported profits and confirming legal compliance.
(b) Exemption Verification. The Department may verify the eligibility of deposit-taking financial institutions for taxation exemptions as outlined in Section 5. This includes assessing whether institutions meet the necessary requirements and, if necessary, revoking exemptions for non-compliance.
(c) Enforcement of Taxation. The Department is empowered to enforce the taxation provisions outlined in Section 7. This involves assessing, collecting, and overseeing the proper payment of monthly taxes by deposit-taking financial institutions.
(d) Investigation of Misrepresentation. In cases where misrepresentation of profits is suspected, the Department has the authority to conduct thorough investigations into the financial records of deposit-taking financial institutions. If intentional misrepresentation is confirmed, the Department may take legal action, including prosecution.

(3) The Department of Commerce will have the following non-exhaustive general powers in relation to regulating financial institutions:

(a) Registration: The Department of Commerce will have the power to assess an institution's eligibility, financial viability, and compliance with regulatory requirements prior to registration as a financial institution.
(b) Deregistration: The Department of Commerce will have the power to deregister financial institutions. This authority is granted to address instances of persistent non-compliance with regulations and or laws. Investigatory and legal due diligence, the best interests of the depositors, and restraint must be considered and applied in exercising deregistration.
(c) Commandeer: In extraordinary situations, the Department of Commerce has the power to commandeer and take temporary control of a financial institution. This authority is reserved for exceptional circumstances, such as insolvency, near insolvency, financial crises, or situations where the institution's continued operation poses a systemic risk to the financial system or depositors.
(d) Seizure and Sale. The Department of Commerce may consider commercial remedies such as selling a collapsed bank (or parts of a collapsed bank) to other interested financial institutions/parties. This may only take place when it is in the best interests of the depositors. Additionally, the Department may seize the assets of Directors/Owners of the Financial Institutions (with the least required disturbance to their estate) to recover debts.

9 - Deposit Guarantee
(1) The Federal Government will guarantee deposits of up to $50,000 per person, per authorised financial institution.
(2) All registered Financial Institutions are automatically covered under the terms of this deposit guarantee as authorised institutions.
(a) Institutions not compliant with this Act will be deregistered as a financial institution.
(b) Deposits will be covered by the Deposit guarantee for 30 days post-deregistration.
(c) The DOC is able to seize Financial Institution and Director/Owner assets to recover the costs to depositors. This process must be done with the least practicable disruption to the estate targeted.
(3) The Deposit Guarantee is Financial Institution Depositor Insurance (FIDI) and is compulsory for the stability of the financial system.
(4) The contributions of Financial Institutions serve to offset past and future payouts, but does not imply the existence of an exhaustive fund.
(5) Once s9(2)(c) has been exhausted, the DOC is pre-authorised to use unappropriated Government funds to satisfy the payment of the Deposit Guarantee to impacted depositors.

10 - Financial Institution Rights
(1) Information shared with regulatory bodies must satisfy a 'need-to-know' principle. For example:
(a) The Department of Commerce does not always need to know the identity of account holders.
(b) The Department of Commerce needs to have a reasonable justification for accessing the data it is requesting (this justification does not have to be shared with the Financial Institution).
(2) The Department of Commerce can only compel a Financial Institution to produce information in the course of its official duties.
(3) The Department of Commerce must treat the data of Financial Institutions as commercial-in-confidence.

11 - Chestshop Sales Tax
(1) Chestshop Tax percentage: 0%
(2) All Chestshop Tax revenue will be directed to the DCGovernment account.

12 - Pruning Tax
(1) All players who have been inactive for at least 3 consecutive months will have the entirety of their personal balance transferred to the DCGovernment balance.
(2) Upon request, the total of personal funds shall be returned to the citizen if they become active once again.
(a) The Federal Reserve Bank shall be responsible for repaying the citizen these funds.

13 - Property Tax
(1) Where x is the amount of plots a player owns, and y is the amount taxed per day, property taxes shall be calculated as follows: y = 2.5(x^2)-6x
(2) Players shall not be taxed for property tax if they own 3 or fewer plots.
(3) If a plot is registered as an active storefront, that plot shall not be calculated in determining property tax. Only up to 7 plots per person may be excluded from the property tax calculations in this way.
(a) Plots must be manually requested for this exemption through the Department of Construction and Transportation. Requests must demonstrate proof of active storefront presence on the designated plot in order to qualify for tax exemption.
(i) To qualify as an active storefront, a plot must have multiple chest shops that are accessible to the public, and are frequently stocked with goods of value that are sold for profit. Further, the primary function of the plot must be its function as a storefront; i.e., chest shops cannot be added to an office building in order to qualify as a storefront. The Department of Construction and Transportation has discretion over what does and does not qualify for this exemption, and has to enforce the above definition fairly, reasonably, and honestly, without creating absurd outcomes.
(b) If a plot exempted through this method is no longer used as an active storefront, the owner of the plot must inform the Department of Construction and Transportation within 7 days, and the plot shall no longer qualify for exemption. Failure to do so shall be considered Property Tax Evasion, enforced in a summary fashion.
(c) If a plot exempted through this method changes ownership, the previous owner of the plot must inform the Department of Construction and Transportation within 7 days. Failure to do so shall be considered Property Tax Evasion, enforced in a summary fashion. The plot may once again qualify for exemption upon request by the new owner through the method outlined in 13.3.a.
(d) The Department of Construction and Transportation shall be empowered to, and be charged with, conducting regular and unannounced inspections of plots that are listed as active storefronts in order to ensure that they meet the standards of an active storefront as determined by the Department.

Spoiler: Property Tax
Number of Plots Taxation Rate ($ per day) Amount per week ($)
1 0 0
2 0 0
3 0 0
4 16 112
5 32.50 227.50
6 54 378
7 80.50 563.50
8 112 784
9 148.50 1039.50
10 190 1330
11 236.50 1655.50
12 288 2016
13 344.50 2411.50
14 406 2842
15 472.50 3307.50
16 544 3808
17 620.50 4343.50
18 702 4914
19 788.50 5519.50
20 880 6160
21 976.50 6835.5
22 1078 7546
23 1184.50 8291.50
24 1296 9072
25 1412.50 9887.50
26 1534 10738
27 1660.50 11623.50
28 1792 12544
29 1928.50 13499.50
30 2070 14490

14 - Terms of Property Taxation:
(1) Merged plots shall be counted as several plots and will be taxed as such.
(2) Plot taxes apply to all plots, unless otherwise provided by Local Governments where the plot is located.
(a) Only Governments which are recognized by the Commonwealth of Redmont can be considered a Local Government.
(3) Towns may request for the Federal Government to conduct plot taxation, where the Federal Government will then provide the taxed amount to the Town on the first day of every month.
5 - How Firms are Formed
(1) Any person, partnership, association or corporation, singly or jointly with others, may incorporate or organize a Firm, defined as either a Corporation or a Limited Liability Company, under this act by filing with the Department of Commerce a Certificate of Incorporation which shall be executed, acknowledged and filed. Any Firm that wishes to incorporate in the Commonwealth of Redmont must have a registered headquarters in Redmont.
(2) A Firm may be incorporated under this chapter to conduct or promote any lawful business or purposes, except as may otherwise be provided by the Constitution or other laws of Redmont.
(3) In the case that a Firm wishes to amend their Certificate of Incorporation, they shall file a Certificate of Amendment of Certificate of Incorporation with the Department of Commerce.
(4) In the case that a company is created using the /db command system, however, does not submit a certificate of incorporation with the Department of Commerce, the owner of the company will be fully liable for any actions of the company and the company shall be a sole proprietorship.

6 - Management Structure of Firms
(1) Limited Liability Companies (hereinafter called ‘LLCs’) shall have a flexible management structure. They can be member-managed (where all members participate in decision-making) or manager-managed (where designated managers run the operations).
(2) Corporations have a more formal management structure with a board of directors elected by shareholders to oversee major decisions, and officers (e.g., Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer) appointed to manage day-to-day operations.

7 - Ownership and Control
(1) LLCs shall have the following ownership characteristics:
(a) Membership Interests:
(i) Ownership in an LLC is represented by membership interests rather than shares of stock. These interests are defined in the LLC's operating agreement, which outlines the rights and responsibilities of each member.
(b) Flexible Number of Member:
(i) LLCs may have an unlimited number of members.
(c) Types of Members:
(i) LLCs may have natural persons and/or firms as members.
(d) Transferability of Interests:
(i) Transferring ownership interests in an LLC requires the approval of other members and may be subject to restrictions outlined in the operating agreement.

(2) Corporations shall have the following ownership characteristics:
(a) Shares of Stock:
(i) Ownership in a Corporation is represented by shares of stock. Shareholders own these shares, which can be easily bought, sold, or transferred.
(b) Unlimited Shareholders:
(i) Corporations may have an unlimited number of shareholders.
(c) Types of Shareholders:
(i) Corporations may have various types of shareholders, including individuals, other corporations, and foreign entities. There are no restrictions on the nationality or residency of shareholders.
(d) Classes of Stock:
(i) Corporations may issue multiple classes of stock, each with different rights and privileges. This is outlined in their Certificate of Incorporation.

8 - Liability Protection
(1) Limited Liability for Shareholders:
(a) Shareholders' personal assets are protected from the firm's debts and liabilities.
(b) Shareholders are only liable up to the amount they have invested in the firm by purchasing shares.
(2) Firm as Separate Legal Entity:
(a) The firm is treated as a separate legal entity from its owners and managers. This separates the firm’s liabilities from the personal liabilities of shareholders and managers.
(3) Exceptions:
(a) Owners can be held personally liable if they provide personal guarantees for the firm, commit torts/negligence, or fail to maintain the firm's separate identity.
(b) Managers can be liable for their own negligent acts or failure to pay certain taxes on behalf of the firm.

9 - Corporate Governance
(1) Fiduciary Duties:
(a) In corporations there are fiduciary duties of care and loyalty on directors and controlling shareholders towards the corporation and minority shareholders.
(b) For LLCs, there shall be flexibility in the operating agreement to modify or eliminate fiduciary duties, except the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing.
(2) Board of Directors and Officer Roles:
(a) Corporations are required to have a board of directors responsible for overseeing the corporation's management. Officers, appointed by the board, handle day-to-day operations. This separation of roles ensures a system of checks and balances.
(3) Corporate Governance Best Practices:
(a) Corporations must follow corporate governance best practices, encompassing principles such as transparency, accountability, and fair treatment of shareholders. These practices aim to ensure that the corporation's activities are in line with its long-term objectives and the interests of its stakeholders.
(4) Flexibility in Officer Roles:
(a) Officer positions may be flexibly appointed to accommodate the specific needs of corporations. However, clear responsibilities must be established, and accountability maintained, particularly in cases where one individual holds multiple roles.

10 - Operating/Shareholders' Agreements
(1) For LLCs, the operating agreement is a key document that outlines the rights, responsibilities, and decision-making processes for members. This agreement can be tailored to address issues like profit distribution, voting rights, and transfer of interests.
(2) For corporations, shareholders' agreements may specify rights and protections for minority shareholders, such as veto rights over certain actions or board representation.

11 - Entire Fairness Review
(1) If a controlling shareholder/member in a firm engages in a conflicted transaction, courts shall apply the entire fairness review, requiring the controlling shareholder to prove the transaction was entirely fair to the minority. This heightened scrutiny helps protect minority shareholder/member rights in conflicted transactions.

12 - Statutory Rights of Shareholders
(1) Right to Inspect Books and Records:
(a) Shareholders have the right to inspect the corporation's books and records if they state a proper purpose that is reasonably related to their interests as shareholders. This allows shareholders to investigate potential wrongdoing, mismanagement, or to value their shares. The court determines what specific documents are "necessary and essential" for the stated proper purpose.
(2) Right to Vote on Major Corporate Actions:
(a) Shareholders have the right to vote on major corporate actions such as mergers, sales of substantially all assets, amendments to the Certificate of Incorporation, and election of directors.
(3) Right to Bring Derivative Suits:
(a) Shareholders may bring derivative lawsuits on behalf of the corporation against directors or officers for breaches of fiduciary duties.
(4) Appraisal Rights:
(a) Shareholders shall have appraisal rights in merger transactions, allowing them to seek a judicial determination of the fair value of their shares. This provides a remedy for dissenting shareholders who believe the merger consideration is inadequate.
(5) Right to Transfer Shares:
(a) Shares of stock are deemed personal property and are freely transferable, subject to any restrictions in the Certificate of Incorporation and/or Shareholder Agreement.
(6) Right to Dividends:
(a) Shareholders have the right to receive dividends if and when declared by the board of directors.
(7) Right to Elect Directors:
(a) Shareholders have the right to elect directors at annual, quarterly, or monthly meetings, as laid out in the Certificate of Incorporation or By-Laws of the corporation.
(8) If an individual/entity is inactive for more than 3 months, companies can reclaim their stocks by purchasing back all shares owned by them.
(9) This is recorded by the company informing the Department of Commerce of the share repossession, including the individual/entity's username, playtime information, and number of shares.

13 - LLC Operating Agreements
(1) Ownership and Management:
(a) The operating agreement should clearly define the ownership interests of members, voting rights, and management structure (whether member-managed or manager-managed).
(2) Capital Contributions:
(a) The agreement should specify the initial and (if applicable) additional capital contributions required from members and the consequences of failing to meet these requirements.
(3) Profit and Loss Distribution:
(a) The agreement should outline how profits and losses will be distributed among members.
(4) Transfer of Ownership:
(a) The agreement should clarify the process for transferring ownership interests and any restrictions on such transfers.
(5) Dispute Resolution:
(a) Including provisions for resolving disputes, such as mediation or arbitration, shall be included to resolve disputes.

14 - Corporation Shareholder Agreements
(1) All Corporation Shareholder agreements shall be subject to the restrictions and requirements as described within this section;
(a) Ownership and Equity Distribution:
(i) This section delineates the methodology for distributing shares among shareholders, including protocols for issuing new shares, stipulations on share transfer, and the establishment of pre-emptive rights.
(b) Ownership and Equity Distribution:
(i) This section delineates the methodology for distributing shares among shareholders, including protocols for issuing new shares, stipulations on share transfer, and the establishment of pre-emptive rights.
(c) Management and Decision-Making:
(i) This section lines out procedures for appointing directors, delineating voting rights, and managing major decisions within the company are explicitly defined.
(d) Roles and Responsibilities:
(i) This section outlines the respective roles and anticipated contributions of each shareholder within the company's framework.
(e) Transfer of Shares:
(i) Conditions governing the transfer of shares, rights regarding first refusal, and methodologies for valuing share prices are detailed in this section.
(f) Dividends and Distributions:
(i) This section lays down the regulations for declaring and disseminating dividends and profits within the company.
(g) Dispute Resolution:
(i) Mechanisms such as arbitration or mediation for the resolution of shareholder disputes are established and elaborated upon in this section.
(h) Exit Strategies:
(i) Provisions for events such as shareholder demise, incapacitation, or the desire to divest shares, encompassing buy-sell, drag-along, and tag-along rights, are expressly outlined herein.
(i) Confidentiality and Non-Compete:
(i) Safeguarding sensitive information and potential restrictions on competitive activities are enshrined in this section.
(j) Financing Arrangements:
(i) This section addresses the methodologies by which the company secures funding and the consequent implications for existing shareholders.
(k) Parties:
(i) This section identifies the corporation and its shareholders as parties to the agreement.
(l) Board of Directors:
(i) The role, conduct of meetings, process for selection, and replacement of the board are meticulously described within this section.
(m) Reserved Matters:
(i) Issues necessitating unanimous shareholder approval, as opposed to majority approval, are explicitly outlined in this section.
Shareholder Information and Meetings:
(i) Requirements for disseminating updates to shareholders and stipulations regarding the conduct of shareholder meetings are elaborated upon in this section.


15 - Firm Names
(1) Firms shall have at least one of the following words in their name: “association,” “company,” “corporation,” “club,” “foundation,” “fund,” "group," “incorporated,” “institute,” “society,” “union,” “syndicate,” or “limited” (or abbreviations thereof, with or without punctuation).
(2) Firms shall not have the words “bank” or “trust” or similar such words in their name unless they register as a Financial Institution with the Department of Commerce.

16 - Enforcement and Implementation
(1) Registration and Certification:
(a) The Department of Commerce shall be responsible for processing applications for firm incorporation under this Act. This includes verifying submitted documents, issuing incorporation certificates, and maintaining a registry of registered firms.
(2) Compliance Monitoring:
(a) The Department of Commerce has the authority to monitor registered firms' activities to ensure adherence to this Act. This involves conducting periodic audits, inspections, and reviews of firm documents and operations.
(3) Enforcement Actions:
(a) In cases of non-compliance or violations, the Department of Commerce can take various enforcement actions, such as issuing warnings, imposing fines, suspending or revoking incorporation certificates, or initiating legal proceedings. Legal proceedings shall be initiated by the Attorney General, upon request by the Department of Commerce.
(4) Dispute Resolution:
(a) The Department of Commerce may handle disputes arising from interpreting or applying this Act. This may involve mediation, negotiation facilitation, or referral to courts for resolution.
(5) Information Disclosure:
(a) The Department of Commerce ensures transparency by providing public access to information on registered firms, including names, registration status, management structure, and enforcement actions taken.
(6) Educational Outreach:
(a) The Department of Commerce conducts educational initiatives to inform the public, prospective firm owners, and stakeholders about this Act's requirements and benefits. This includes organizing seminars, workshops, or publishing informational materials.
(7) Coordination with Other Agencies:
(a) The Department of Commerce shall collaborate with relevant government agencies and regulatory bodies to ensure coordinated enforcement efforts and information exchange on firms' activities.
(8) Rulemaking Authority:
(a) The Department of Commerce is authorized to create rules and regulations essential for enforcing and managing this Act. These rules will address procedural guidelines, reporting obligations, accounting norms, and compliance standards. Additionally, the Department of Commerce is empowered to form committees dedicated to crafting rules tailored to distinct areas such as accounting and financial reporting.
(9) Customer Service:
(a) The Department of Commerce shall establish a customer service unit to assist individuals and businesses with inquiries, applications, and compliance issues related to this Act. This unit is accessible through Discord consultations in the Department of Commerce Discord Server.

17 - Bankruptcy Code
(1) Intent and Purposes:
(a) References to this section of The Firm Act is to be known as “The Bankruptcy Code”.

(b) For all applications of this law, judicial officers are to apply the law with the golden and mischief rule for the benefit of rights of creditors and debtors as to close gaps within this code in any given case before a court of law.

(c) While the Bankruptcy Code is attached to The Firm Act, its application does apply generally as Redmont’s bankruptcy law, and thus will be written and interpreted inclusively to the law.

(2) Definitions:

(a) Debtor: An individual, corporation, or other entity that owes a debt to another. This includes any person or organization that has a legal obligation to pay money, deliver goods, or perform services to another party.

(b) Creditor: An individual, corporation, or other entity to whom a debt is owed. This encompasses any person or organization that holds a claim against the debtor, whether the claim is secured or unsecured.

(c) Insolvency: The state of being unable to pay debts as they come due. A debtor is considered insolvent when their liabilities exceed the fair value of their assets by 25% (Insolvency at $125 dollars with $100 dollars of assets); or when they are generally not paying their Active Debts as they become due, unless such debts are the subject of a legal dispute.

(d) Bankruptcy Trustee: An officer appointed to administer the debtor's estate. The trustee is responsible for collecting the debtor's assets, liquidating them, and distributing the proceeds to creditors in accordance with the priorities established by this code. The trustee also investigates the financial affairs of the debtor and performs other duties as specified by the court.

(e) Estate: All legal or equitable interests of the debtor in property as of the commencement of the bankruptcy case. This includes tangible and intangible assets, whether located within or outside the jurisdiction, and all proceeds, products, offspring, rents, or profits of or from such property.

(f) Secured Claim: A creditor's claim that is backed by collateral. If the debtor fails to pay the secured debt, the creditor has the right to repossess or sell the collateral to satisfy the debt.

(g) Unsecured Claim: A claim or debt for which a creditor holds no special assurance of payment.

(h) Proof of Claim: Any contract or other legal obligation between the creditor (or creditors) and the debtor that establishes an amount owed.

(i) Discharge: The release of a debtor from liability for certain debts.

(j) Liquidation: A conversion of all or part of the debtor’s assets to convert into cash.

(k) Reorganization Plan: A proposal by the debtor, or sometimes by creditors, or sometimes organized by a court of law; to restructure the debtor's obligations. The plan outlines how debts will be paid over time, how the business will be operated, and how the debtor will return to a sound financial footing.

(l) Bankruptcy: a legal process through which any debtor who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief.

(m) Active Debt: Is any debt that is under an active repayment plan or is a Secured Claim.

Passive Debt: All other debt that is not Active Debt.

(3) Bankruptcy Process

(a) If a debtor is able to demonstrate their ability to pay off a debt to a creditor, they will never be subject to the bankruptcy process or any part of the Bankruptcy Code, unless the debtor is insolvent by way of their debt being greater than their assets.
(i) Accountants can serve as expert witnesses in any court of law regarding any issue in the Bankruptcy Process.

(b) Bankruptcy can be declared in the first instance by the debtor:

(i) The debtor who declares bankruptcy in the first instance has priority and agency in resolving their debt obligations. The Debtor must meet some definition of Insolvency with Proof of Claim as well as proof of being unable to pay their debts.

(ii) The debtor must announce publicly within their own discord (if they have one) and to the DOC Secretary that they are declaring bankruptcy. The DOC Secretary, upon confirmation, that the Debtor’s Insolvency is valid, will post a government announcement informing the public and any prospective creditor of the bankruptcy.

(iii) Creditors are compelled to work with a debtor in this instance to amicably resolve debts in this instance. Debtors will be allowed to submit their own Reorganization Plan to establish repayment of Active Debts and/or to reduce debt beneath 75% of their total assets (if applicable).
All creditors are not allowed to have their debts involuntarily lessened under this instance unless ordered so by a court.
Debtors are allowed to freely choose whether to use Liquidation to pay for debts, provided the asset they are liquidating is not controlled by a secure claim nor otherwise protected nor is the liquidation of said asset is prohibited by law.
Creditors with a Secured Claim can choose to exercise their right to secure the collateral they own and have their debt paid off in that manner.
Only Creditors with an Active Debt with the debtor can exercise their right with proof of claim to be included on the Reorganization Plan.
Debtors must be authorized by the DOC Secretary or a designated employee to pay-off debt by issuing new debt, such as getting a loan to pay for debts or issuing new stock.
Debtors have the right under this instance to apply to a court of law, depending on the value of the case, to place themselves into an Estate and for a Bankruptcy Trustee to manage the Reorganization Plan. If this happens, this will become a Bankruptcy in the third instance.

(iv) A public accounting of the Reorganization Plan must be made by either an Accountant or a member of the DOC if there is no Accountant available. The Reorganization Plan must have a clear path to paying Active Debt to Creditors who are included on the Reorganization Plan.

(v) In order for a Reorganization Plan to be enacted, the Debtor must get all Creditors to agree to the terms. Creditors in this instance are expected to work with the Debtor to compromise on issues that they have with the Reorganization Plan. Creditors may be sued for failure to cooperate with the debtor under this instance of bankruptcy and have their debt discharged. Cases under this situation should be handled by motion for summary judgment as the facts should be agreed on, except for the issue at play keeping that Creditor from agreeing with the Debtor. The finalized Reorganization Plan with the public accounting attached must be submitted to the DOC Secretary for the purposes of keeping a public record.

(c) Bankruptcy can be declared in the second instance by a creditor:

(i) An individual creditor who is owed an Active Debt or Passive Debt by a Debtor, even with Proof of Claim, cannot demand insolvency of that Debtor under normal circumstances.

(ii) Creditors, as a class, may demand Bankruptcy in the second instance when a debtor:
Fails to make bond interest payment.
Fails to pay dividends.
Fails to meet the obligations of a stock buyback.
Fails to allow creditors to withdraw money (outside of any withdrawal limits created by contract) from their bank or stock exchange account.
Fails to pay creditors’ wages.
Defaults on creditor's loans.
Any of the above counts as Insolvency for Bankruptcy in the second instance.

(iii) In order to establish a class for creditors, a creditor who has been harmed by a debtor in one of the situations described in the above subsection (The Firm Act - 17.3(c)(ii)) must seek out competent legal counsel. Once a retainer has been signed between a creditor and legal counsel, the legal counsel must immediately notify the DOC Secretary of their intention to form a class of creditors against a debtor. Only one legal counsel is allowed to form a class against a specific debtor at a time, on a first-come-first-serve basis. The DOC Secretary, upon confirmation that the Debtor’s Insolvency is valid, will post a government announcement informing the public and any prospective creditor of the bankruptcy. Prospective Creditors are to reach out to the legal counsel to become part of the class.

(iv) The Debtor is compelled to work with the Creditors to amicably resolve debts in this instance. Creditors’ counsel will be allowed to submit the Reorganization Plan to establish repayment of Active Debts and resolve the Insolvency.
Creditors may choose to allow the Debtor to Discharge Active Debts that the Debtors have to streamline debt repayment.
In this instance, Creditors are not allowed to demand a Debtor to use Liquidation to pay for Active Debts if said liquidation harms Debtor’s income stream.
Any Liquidation done to any of the Debtor’s assets must not be controlled by a Secured Claim held by a Creditor nor otherwise protected by law nor should the Liquidation be prohibited by law.
Creditors with a Secured Claim can choose to exercise their right to secure the collateral they own and have their debt paid off in that manner.
All Creditors with either an active or passive debt with the Debtor can exercise their right with Proof of Claim to be included on the Reorganization Plan.
Debtors must be authorized by the DOC Secretary or a designated employee to pay-off debt by issuing new debt, such as getting a loan to pay for debts or issuing new stock.
Creditors have the right under this instance to apply to a court of law, depending on the value of the case, to place the debtor into an Estate and for a Bankruptcy Trustee to manage the Reorganization Plan. If this happens, this will become a Bankruptcy in the third instance.

(iv) A public accounting of the Reorganization Plan must be made by either an Accountant or a member of the DOC if there is no Accountant available. The Reorganization Plan must have a clear path for the Debtor to pay the Creditors who are included on the Reorganization Plan.

(v) In order for a Reorganization Plan to be enacted, the Creditors’ counsel must get the debtor to agree with the Reorganization Plan. Debtors in this instance are expected to work with the Creditor’s Counsel to compromise on issues that they have with the Reorganization Plan. Any draft of the Reorganization Plan must be approved by a simple majority of Creditors. Creditors’ voting power regarding the approval of the Reorganization Plan drafted by their counsel shall be distributed based on the percentage of Active Debt and Passive Debt that they own against the Debtor. The finalized Reorganization Plan with the public accounting attached is to be submitted to the DOC Secretary for the purposes of keeping the public informed.

(v) In order for a Reorganization Plan to be enacted, the Debtor must get all Creditors to agree to the terms. Creditors in this instance are expected to work with the Debtor to compromise on issues that they have. Creditors may be sued for failure to cooperate with the debtor under this instance of bankruptcy and have their debt discharged. The finalized Reorganization Plan with the public accounting attached must be submitted to the DOC Secretary for the purposes of keeping a public record.

(d) Insolvency can be declared in the third instance by a court order:

(i) A court of law must have a case of Bankruptcy brought before it from the first or second instance.

The debtor who declares bankruptcy in the first instance has priority and agency in resolving their debt obligations. The Debtor must meet some definition of Insolvency with Proof of Claim as well as proof of being unable to pay their debts.4 - Government Wages
(1) For the purposes of this section of this Act, the term “salary” refers to the amount of money per 15 minutes of active playtime that an individual receives.
(a) “Active playtime” shall be defined by Staff.
(2) Legislative or Judicial salaries cannot be withheld.
(3) Changes to the salaries of Representatives and Senators (including Presiding Officers’ salaries) take effect following the next election for that chamber.
(4) A Judicial Officer’s remuneration cannot be decreased without the unanimous consent of that occupation (e.g., All Justices must agree on pay decreases to the Justice occupation).
(5) Salary Levels
(a) Level 1: $75/15min
(i) President, Vice President, Speaker of the House, President of the Senate, and Chief Justice fall under this Salary Level.
(b) Level 2: $65/15min
(i) Representative, Senator, Federal Reserve Board Member, Secretary, Justice, and Judge fall under this Salary Level.
(c) Level 3: $50/15min
(i) Chief of Staff, Executive Advisor, Press Advisor, Congressional Staff, and Magistrate fall under this Salary Level.
(d) The President may decide the salaries that department positions (excluding Secretaries) receive via Executive Order. These salaries do not have to fall under any Salary Level defined in this Act.
(e) All salaries within these Salary Levels, along with Executive salaries, shall be paid from the DCGovernment balance.
(6) Salary Guide
(a) The Executive will maintain a guide on forums called 'Government Pay' that will list Government Salary Levels and their associated occupations.
(7) There are six levels of salaries provided by the Government.
(a) The Executive has exclusive jurisdiction as to what salary level occupations fall into.

5 - Deported Player Assets
(1) Financial Assets:
(a) All money/funds remaining in a Perm-Deported/Exiled player's balance will be transferred to the government balance via a prune by the Department of Commerce.
(2) Property/Plots:
(a) All buildings/structures on Perm-Deported/Exiled player's plots will be vaulted, and the empty property will be put up for public auction.
(b) Empty plots owned by the Perm-Deported/Exiled player will be automatically put up for public auction.
(c) Plots with Structures of Historical significance are to be put up to public auction with the build, and all historical structure rules will apply to the new plot owner.4 - Definitions
(1) The monthly Federal Budgetary Bill may be referred to as the “Appropriations Bill.”
(2) An “Appropriations Act” is an Appropriations Bill that has been signed into law.
(3) For the purposes of this Act, “federal government institution” shall mean any Redmont federal government Department, any Redmont federal government Branch, any institution established under Redmont federal law, and any institution established by Redmont Executive Order, including Towns.
(a) Institutions under Towns, such as Town departments, are not considered federal government institutions.
(4) A “Fiscal Month” begins on the 1st day of that month at 05:00 UTC and ends on the 1st of the next month at 05:00 UTC (e.g. the Fiscal Month of January would start on January 1st at 05:00 UTC and end of February 1st at 05:00).

5 - Budget Requests
(1) Between the beginning and the final week of a Fiscal Month:
(a) The President should submit to Congress the requested appropriations for each Department, in addition to any Executive Funds and the Presidential Reserve.
(b) The Chief Justice should submit to Congress the requested appropriations for the Judiciary.
(c) The Speaker of the House should submit to Congress the requested appropriations for the Legislative.
(d) The heads of any other federal government institutions may submit to Congress the requested appropriations for their respective institutions.
(2) The requests described above, along with any reasons provided for them, shall be made visible to all of Congress.
(3) If they are submitted, then Congress should consider these requests in the writing of the Appropriations Bill.

6 - Monthly Federal Budgetary Process Outline
(1) A Representative may propose an Appropriations Bill to Congress for approval by a simple majority in both chambers.
(2) Appropriations Bills are not subject to any congressional bill cool-off period and may be proposed at any time.
(a) Bills that seek to amend an Appropriations Act are not exempt from the congressional bill cool-off period.
(3) The Appropriations Bill is automatically urgently considered in the last week of the month, 24 hours after being proposed.
(4) At the start of and during each Fiscal Month, if an Appropriations Bill for that Fiscal Month has been signed into law, all funds shall be returned from each federal government institution’s balance to the DCGovernment balance within 24 hours. Then, each federal government institution shall be distributed funds in accordance with that Fiscal Month’s Appropriations Act.
(a) In the scenario that an Appropriations Bill is not signed into law, then the most recently used Appropriations Act shall be reissued and distributed. These appropriations shall only be made to federal government Departments and federal government branches.
(ii) If the current fiscal month's appropriations are passed after the previous fiscal month's appropriations are reissued, the positive difference in funds will be distributed. No federal government institution shall have their monthly budget retroactively lowered.
(5) Only one Appropriations Act can be used per month. If multiple Appropriations Bills are signed into law in the same Fiscal Month, only the first to be signed shall be used to distribute appropriations in accordance with Subsection 6(4) of this Act.

7 - Budget and Financial Transparency
(1) A #budget channel will be made under the Government category on Discord.
(a) All members of Congress shall be able to read this channel.
(b) The Presiding Officers of Congress, the Deputy Presiding Officers of Congress, the Cabinet, Deputy Secretaries, Executive Officers, Judicial Officers, and heads of any federal government institutions — including, but not limited to, the Federal Reserve Bank — shall be able to view and write in this channel.
(i) Additional positions may be able to view and write in this channel if permitted by the President or Chief Justice.
(c) A transcript of this channel will be made available to the public at the end of each Fiscal Month.
(d) All payments made for any reason by federal government institutions will need to be declared in this channel; all money received by federal government institutions must be reported in this channel.
(i) Federal government institutions without a corresponding Minecraft account are exempt from this. Instead, they must submit a transcript of all transactions in #budget following the end of each Fiscal Month.

8 - Presidential Reserve
(1) The President may have a discretionary fund for the purposes of appropriating to Executive departments as required.
(2) Distributions from the Presidential Reserve must be disclosed in #budget with which department they are distributed to and the reasoning.
(3) The reserve amount will be set in each Appropriations Bill.
(4) Funds in the Presidential Reserve shall not be exempt from the requirement to be returned described in Subsection 6(4) of this Act.

9 - Executive Funds
(1) The President may create Executive Funds by means of Executive Order.
(2) Executive Funds are created for a specific purpose, as described in the Executive Order, and can only be spent for that purpose.
(3) Executive Funds may be appropriated money in the Appropriations Bill.
(4) Funds in Executive Funds shall be exempt from the requirement to be returned described in Subsection 6(4) of this Act.

10 - Miscellaneous
(1) Funds in the following federal government institutions shall be exempt from the requirement to be returned described in Subsection 6(4) of this Act:
(i) Towns;
(ii) federal government institutions established by law outside the Constitution, not including Departments; and
(iii) federal government institutions established by Executive Order.
3 - Criminal Code
The Miscellaneous Offenses Act will establish the crimes outlined in '4 - Offences' as an extension of the Standardized Criminal Code Act.

4 - Offences
(1) Contempt of Court (Original: pugbandit - Feb 15, 2021)
(i) Classification: Summary Criminal Offense
The disobedience of an order of a court. Conduct tending to obstruct or interfere with the orderly administration of justice also qualifies as contempt of court. A party that fails to perform a specific act, in accordance with a judgment by a court, can be charged with contempt and subsequently penalized.
First Offense: $500 Fine
Second Offense: $1000 Fine + 5 Minutes Jail
Third Offense: Maximum $2500 + up to 10 Minutes Jail.

(2) Involuntary Servitude (Original: Pepecuu - April 11, 2025)
(i) Classification: Indictable Criminal Offense
The act(s) of coercion by an individual, organisation, or entity, so that an individual is forced, or justifiably feels compelled, to perform labour or services against their will. Actions constituting coercion include but are not limited to: manipulation, and the use of explicit or implicit threats or actions of violence or blackmail, towards the person or entity being enslaved.
Minimum Sentencing: $5,000 Fine
Maximum Sentencing: $25,000 Fine + 120 Minutes Jail Time

(3) False Accusation (Original: huney69 - Jul 13, 2021)
(i) Classification: Summary Criminal Offense
The act of falsely accusing someone of a crime and attempting to incur legal punishment when they could reasonably infer that the accused was innocent.
Per Offense: $100 Fine

(4) Illegal Advertising (Original: ElainaThomas29 - Nov 1, 2022)
(i) Classification: Summary Criminal Offense
The act of advertising a business or political campaign to a public chat not designated for advertising, not responding to a question that someone else asked and not said within /ad or a designated channel for advertising.
Per Offense: $100 Fine

(5) Illegal Locking (Original: Dusty_3 - Jun 21, 2020)
(i) Classification: Summary Criminal Offense
The act of locking another citizen's property on their land without permission.
Per Offense: $100 Fine

(6) Resisting Arrest (Original: Dusty_3 - Jun 21, 2020)
(i) Classification: Summary Criminal Offense
The act of disregarding a directive given to you by a member of the Department of Justice while being wanted.
Per Offense: $100 Fine

(7) Incitement (Original: pugbandit - Feb 15, 2021)
(i) Classification: Indictable Criminal Offense
The attempt to coax or encourage someone to break the law.
Minimum Sentencing: $1000 Fine
Maximum Sentencing: $3000 Fine + 15 Minutes Jail Time

(8) Frivolous Court Case (Original: pugbandit - Feb 15, 2021)
(i) Classification: Summary Criminal Offense
Lodging a legal case that has no serious purpose or value.
Per Offense: $100

(9) Obstruction of Justice (Original: pugbandit - Feb 15, 2021)
(i) Classification: Indictable Criminal Offense
Willfully interfering with the process of justice through influencing, threatening, harming, or impeding a witness, potential witness, police officer, detective, or by providing false information.
First Offense: 20 Minutes Jail + $150 Fine
Second Offense: 40 Minutes Jail + $300 Fine
Subsequent Offenses: 60 Minutes Jail + $600 Fine
3 - Applicability
(1) These definitions and rules for damages apply to all civil legal matters. Section 9, Legal Fees, shall apply to all legal matters.
(2) Awards are to be given for each type of damage if they are both asked for and meet the definitional criteria.

4 - Compensatory Damages
(1) Definition:
(a) "Compensatory damages" are the damages awarded to a person as compensation; security or protection against a loss or other financial burden; or the restoration of something lost or stolen to its proper owner.
(2) Award:
(a) Compensatory damages will not be awarded without proof of pecuniary loss including compensation for harm to property, harm to earning capacity, and the creation of liabilities; unless they are special damage.
(b) Is limited to either the authorized statute’s limit or actual amount of damages, whichever is lower.
(3) Diminution of Award:
(a) Duty to Mitigate - A party’s obligation to make reasonable efforts to limit the harm they suffer from another party’s actions. In order to prove this damage, a party must prove that the other side did not exhaust measures to protect the other side’s interest. However, this defense does not bar or diminish a plaintiff’s claim if a defendant breached a contract that they had been conforming to; nor must a party exhaust all measures to prove that they did attempt to mitigate .
(b) Contributory Negligence - s conduct on the part of the plaintiff which falls below the standard to which he should conform for their own protection, and which is a legally contributing cause co-operating with the negligence of the defendant in bringing about the plaintiff's harm. In order to prove this defense, a defendant must prove that the percentage of a plaintiff’s overall conduct, no greater than 50%, caused the plaintiff’s harm. Whatever percentage of liability proven for contributory negligence by the defendant shall be deducted from the plaintiff’s compensatory damages award should the plaintiff ultimately prevail in their action.


5 - Punitive Damages
(1) Definition:
(a) “Punitive damages” are damages awarded against a person to punish them for their outrageous conduct and to deter them and others like them from similar conduct in the future, as a counter claim if a party believes the case to be frivolous and outrageous, or as authorized by law. These damages are distinct from 4 - Compensatory Damage as there does not need to be any actual loss to be compensated. A penalty clause in a contract would fall under this definition as well.
(2) Award:
(a) Punitive damages will not be awarded unless they are either authorized by statute or unless the conduct of the other party in causing the party’s harm is outrageous.
(b) In the event that punitive damages are being argued because an authorized statute grants it, the award shall be limited by the amount granted by law.
(3) Diminution of award:
(a) In assessing a punitive damage award, the judicial officer can properly consider the character of the defendant's act, the nature and extent of the harm to the plaintiff that the defendant caused or intended to cause and the wealth of the defendant.
(b) A defense against punitive damages can be made to assess whether or not conduct was “outrageous”.

6 - Nominal Damages
(1) Definition:
(a) “Nominal damages” are a trivial sum of money awarded to a party who has established a cause of action but has not established that they are entitled to any other damages listed in this act.
(2) Award:
(a) Is capped at $7,500.
(3) Diminution of award:
(a) There shall be no diminution of award or defenses to nominal damages.


7 - Consequential Damages
(1) Definition:
(a) “Consequential Damages” An award that a party can collect against an opposing party for damages that are otherwise incalculable. Below is a non-exhaustive list of Consequential Damages:
(I) Humiliation - Situations in which a person has been disgraced, belittled or made to look foolish. Humiliation damages may be proven by witness testimony and reasonable person tests, or any other mechanism the presiding judicial officer considers persuasive.
(II) The Worsening of any Existing Conditions - Situations in which a damage is caused by a party that caused harm to another party that were unforeseen or unrelated to the original harm.
(III) The Loss of Enjoyment in Redmont - Situations in which an injured party loses, or has diminished, their ability to engage in certain activities in the way that the injured party did before the harm. Loss of enjoyment in Redmont damages may be proven by witness testimony and reasonable person tests, or any other mechanism the presiding judicial officer considers persuasive.
(2) Award:
(a) Consequential damages can be argued in conjunction with 4 - Compensatory Damages to negate diminutives of an award for compensatory damage.
(b) Consequential damages shall have no cap if argued in conjunction with 5 - Punitive damages in cases involving “outrageous” conduct caused by the offending party.
(c) The award shall otherwise be capped at $50,000 dollars per individual consequential damage claim.
(3) Diminution of award:
(a) In assessing a consequential damage award, the judicial officer must review the available evidence and deny awards that do not have sufficient proof according to the standard of a balance of probabilities.


8 - Liquidated Damages
(1) Definition:
(a) “Liquidated Damages” is an award whose amount the parties designate during the formation of a contract for the injured party to collect as compensation upon a specific breach. It is an estimate of otherwise intangible or hard-to-define losses to one of the parties.
(2) Award:
(a) These damages are paid out in the case of a breach of contract, and are pre-estimated and spelled out in advance when the contract is signed.
(b) Liquidated damages are meant as a fair representation of losses in situations where actual damages are difficult to ascertain and therefore do not count as 4 - Compensatory Damages nor 5 - Punitive Damages.
(3) Diminution of award:
(a) The courts will require that the parties involved make the most reasonable assessment possible for the damages clause at the time the contract is signed.

9 - Legal Fees
(1) Definition:
(a) Legal fees are most commonly used to describe the fees paid to the attorney for his/her time and effort.
(2) Award:
(a) Legal fees are awarded directly to the legal representative of the party that prevails in a given case, paid by the losing party in the case. Legal fees do not necessitate inclusion in a prayer for relief or a countersuit to be awarded.
(i) Legal representatives may choose not to be awarded legal fees upon success in a case, but this must be communicated to the court in a case filing, response, or plea.
(b) Legal fees shall be awarded to pro se litigants where applicable, who shall be counted as their own legal representative for the purposes of this section.
(c) In cases that reach a verdict, legal fees are awarded to the legal representative of the prevailing party at a rate of 30% of the total value of the case, except in situations outlined in § 9.(3). In cases that do not reach a verdict, legal fees may be awarded at the discretion of the presiding judicial officer, but shall not exceed 30% of the total case value if awarded.
(i) In civil cases, the value of a case shall be assessed as either the award actually granted if the plaintiff prevails, or the award requested by the plaintiff if the defendant prevails. In criminal proceedings, the value of a case shall be the total amount of fines sought by the prosecutor.
(d) Legal fees shall not be awarded to the Commonwealth in civil or criminal proceedings.
(e) Countersuits shall not warrant legal fees unless both the countersuit and original filing receive award.
(3) Diminution of award and minimums:
(a) Legal fees may be diminished at the discretion of the presiding judicial officer based on the conduct and competency shown in the case.
(b) In cases that reach a verdict, legal fees must not be awarded at a rate less than 10% of the value of the case in any court. In cases that do not reach a verdict, there is no minimum.
(c) In Federal and Supreme Court cases where legal fees are awarded, they must not be awarded at a rate of less than $6,000. In District Court cases where legal fees are awarded, they must not be awarded at a rate of less than $2,000.