Gov:Constitution of Harlon

The Constitution of Harlon is the current constitution of the State of Harlon as of November 1st, 2021. This document was created by the Constituent Assembly of Harlon, and was enacted by the referendum held during the October 31st election of 2021. = The Constitution =

Preamble
WHEREAS the people of Harlon have lived united for a common purpose, WHEREAS the people of Harlon have expressed their desire for peace, democracy, and freedom, WHEREAS the people of Harlon have expressed the need for a Supreme Law of governance, WHEREAS, on the 28th day of October, in the year two-thousand and twenty-one, the representatives of the Constituent Assembly of Harlon, on behalf of the people of Harlon have approved this Constitution, WHEREAS, on the 31st day of October, in the year two-thousand and twenty-one, the people of Harlon have approved this Constitution through a national referendum, NOW, THEREFORE, THE CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY, on the 1st day of November in the year two-thousand and twenty-one, HEREBY PROCLAIMS this Constitution to serve as a guide for the people of Harlon, now and in the future, to achieve their aspirations, and to establish a permanent and united State on the continent of Harlon.

Article I - The State
1) The State of Harlon is a unitary State, consisting of the entire continent of Harlon and all outlying islands. 2) The capital of the State shall be located in the City of Harlon. 3) The unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of the State are inviolable.     a) All territorial waters, inland and sea, shall be under the control of the Government of Harlon. 4) The State shall be a representative democracy, with the will of the people honoured, and the rights of minorities respected. 5) The official language of the State shall be English. Communities shall have the power to establish their own official languages, and the State shall recognise other languages as necessary. 6) Legislative, Administrative, and Judicial powers may be devolved to communities through Statutes of Autonomy.    a) Statutes of Autonomy shall designate the community as autonomous and establish a regional, unicameral Legislative Assembly, Regional Government led by an Executive Council, and regional Courts. b) Statutes of Autonomy shall prescribe the structure, powers, and responsibilities of both the Regional Government and the Government of Harlon.    c) Statutes of Autonomy may be suspended in times of emergency by the Government of Harlon, but may not be repealed without the consent of both the Regional Government and the Government of Harlon. d) Statutes of Autonomy shall supersede Acts of Parliament, both national and regional, but shall be subordinate to the Constitution of Harlon.

Article II - The Government
1) The Government of Harlon shall consist of the Executive Council, which shall be led by the Prime Minister, and contain Ministers appointed by the Prime Minister to administer specific Government ministries.  2) The Prime Minister shall be the Head of the Government. 3) The Prime Minister and all other Members of the Executive Council must be Members of Parliament.  4) The Government shall be charged with the administration of the State. 5) The Government shall maintain the confidence of the Parliament at all times. The Government of Harlon shall continue to function after Parliament is dissolved, and after elections until a new Government is formed.

Article III - The Parliament
The Parliament of Harlon shall consist of the Crown, the Senate, and the House of Assembly. 1) His Majesty Antlucl I Rex and His Majesty Opti I Rex shall serve as the Crown. If both abdicate, the Senate shall appoint a single King or Queen to serve as the Crown.    a) The Crown shall grant Royal Assent. If the Crown consists of more than one Monarch, both of them must grant Royal Assent. 2) The Senate shall be the upper house, and consist of Senators. The appointment of Senators shall be done by the consent of the Crown. 3) The House of Assembly shall be the lower house and the House of Government. At least every six months, it shall be elected by universal suffrage by all residents of Harlon using a closed-list proportional representation system. Constituencies shall be determined by future Acts of Parliament and Statutes of Autonomy. a) The Crown, on the advice of the Prime Minister, shall have the ability to dissolve Parliament at any time and call elections.    b) Parliament shall be dissolved at least three weeks before each election. 4) The Constitution is the most Supreme Law, of which all previous and future laws are bound. Laws, national and regional, that are found to be inconsistent with the Constitution by Courts of Law, shall have no effect. 5) A “Law” is defined as an Act of Parliament, acts of devolved assemblies, and the Constitution itself, in portion or in full. 6) An Act of Parliament, or “Act” shall be described as a bill that has been accepted by a simple majority of both houses of Parliament and obtained Royal Assent. 7) A “Bill” is defined as a proposed law, which has not yet been accepted by the Parliament of Harlon as described by Law. 8) An “Amendment” is defined as a change in Law. There are two types of amendments: amendments to an Act and constitutional amendments.    a) Any change to an Act of Parliament must be approved by a majority of Members in both houses of Parliament, as well as obtain Royal Assent. This includes changing an Act or repealing an Act. b) Any constitutional amendment, or change to the Constitution of Harlon, must be approved by the majority of Members in both houses of Parliament, obtain Royal Assent, and be followed by a referendum, whereby the majority of electors approve the amendment. The Constitution may be amended by:       i) Adding an Article. ii) Changing an Article.      iii) Repealing an Article.

Article IV - The Judiciary
1) The Supreme Court of Harlon shall be composed of three impartial Justices appointed by the Crown on the advice of the Senate.     a) One of the three Justices shall be appointed Chief Justice. b) Justices shall serve at His Majesty’s Pleasure. 2) The Supreme Court of Harlon shall have the power of judicial review, and shall strike down laws inconsistent with this Constitution.