1. The Imperial Charter, Article III, Section B states that the Arbiter may overturn any act or resolution of the Landsraad that is deemed to be in violation of the Charter. This includes amendments to the Landsraad Procedures, since they are a resolution of the Landsraad as well as prohibited from violating the Charter. Therefore, the Imperial Judex accepts jurisdiction in this case.
2. With the passing of Imperial Decree 337 all dukes and duchies are now to be considered as equals amongst themselves. The terms "equal" and "equality" are used, but they are never defined. With this lack of definition, this Court must define the term. For simplicity, I define equality in this case as "the concept that all dukes and duchies are to be awarded the same influence, standing and treatment". I believe that this definition can be widely accepted.
3. The petitioner questions the legality of the Economy Second Half Bill 3279 on the grounds that it violates the Charter, Article IV, Section C. The section reads:
Imperial Charter, IV, C wrote:All Dukes and Duchies are equal under the Kaiser. No Duke or Duchy shall be deprived of it's equality without the consent of the Kaiser, the Duke of the Duchy concerned, and the Landsraad.
The Economy Second Half Bill 3279 in short introduced the current voting system in the Landsraad, where the amount of Erb each Duchy holds directly decides that Duchy's voting power in the Landsraad. The petitioner argues that he does not support the act and it should therefore be repealed. This is, however, not possible. The act was passed in full accordance with the laws active at that time, and cannot therefore be repealed solely because the petitioner, though a duke, disagrees with it now. The passage of an act or resolution cannot be overturned in this way.
4. A different question comes to mind though. Does the Economy Second Half Bill 3279 violate the Charter as it stands now? The Charter allows the Arbiter the power of overturning any act or resolution of the Landsraad that violates the Charter.
5. The Charter states that all dukes and duchies are equal. The current Procedures of the Landsraad states that each Duchy's vote is decided by the amount of Erb that duchy holds at any given time. This could lead to one Duchy have more voting power than all other Duchies together, and does today lead to small differences in the voting power of the duchies. This is in direct violation of the principle of duchy equality set down in the Imperial Charter.
6. Therefore, it is the ruling of the Imperial Judex that the following sections of the Procedures of the Landsraad are in violation of the Imperial Charter, Article IV, Section C, and therefore immediately declared null and void:
3. A. 2
3. A. 3
3. A. 4
3. A. 5
3. B. 1
7. This ruling may be appealed to the Kaiser within seven (7) days, and heard at his pleasure. A Pone to that effect must be posted at the Kaiser's Court.
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