Sylvania State Law

The Sylvania State Law (officially the New Sylvanian State Law) is the official State Law of the state of Sylvania. The first laws of Sylvania were written by Governor King Dimitri I. It was the first Lovian state law to be written and enacted after the signing of the new Constitution. After State laws were abolished in 2010, many political forces within the state began fighting to regain them. Eventually in 2013 State laws were re established and came back into power, the then Governor Lukas Hoffmann declared a reformation for the old Sylvanian State Law Book, and made it void and then instated a new book which were detailed as the New Sylvanian State Law (which contained a Sylvanian Constitution and a Sylvanian State Law).

Preamble

 * In the beliefs of liberty and justice, the ideals of the settlers of this land and in the name of the six peoples who make up this State and the values they uphold, this Constitution for the State of Sylvania is established.

Article 1 - Fundamental declarations

 * 1) Sylvania is a sovereign, federal and indivisible state within the Kingdom of Lovia.
 * 2) Sylvania is a democratic and liberal state, governed by rule of law, in which human dignity, the citizens' rights and freedoms, the free development of human personality, justice and political pluralism represent supreme values, in the spirit of the democratic traditions of the Sylvanian people and shall be guaranteed.
 * 3) Sylvania shall be governed on the basis of separation, checks and balances of power with three branches, legislative, executive and judicial within the framework of a constitutional democracy.
 * 4) Sylvania can, in order with the Lovian Constitution, enact its own laws. The Sylvanian Constitution is the highest law in Sylvania below the Lovian Constitution, the observance of the Sylvanian Constitution and State Law, their supremacy shall be mandatory.
 * 5) The state sovereignty shall reside within the Sylvanian people, that shall exercise it by means of their representative bodies, resulting from free, periodical and fair elections, as well as by referendum. No person or group may therefore exercise sovereignty in their own name.
 * 6) Sylvania is a democracy, ruled by the incumbent Governor and Deputy Governor.
 * 7) The capital of Sylvania is Noble City.
 * 8) The state symbol of Sylvania is the oak leaf.
 * 9) The state colour of Sylvania is navy blue.
 * 10) The state seal of Sylvania is this seal.
 * 11) The state flag of Sylvania is this flag.
 * 12) The state languages of Sylvania are Lovian English, Dutch, French and German.
 * 13) The official motto of Sylvania is: Our roots grow deep.
 * 14) The official nickname of Sylvania is: the Oakwood State.

Article 2 - Legislative branch in Sylvania

 * 1) All state legislative powers are vested in the Sylvanian State Council, which shall consist of a Council of Representatives and a Senate.
 * 2) The Council of Representatives shall be composed of members elected every year by the people of Sylvania.
 * 3) Members must have a residence in Sylvania and must have been a Sylvanian resident for at least two months.
 * 4) Each district shall be allowed one representative and will then have more assigned according to their population, there may be no more than thirty representatives assigned.
 * 5) The Council of Representatives shall elect a speaker, who shall manage the meetings of the Council.
 * 6) The Senate shall be composed of members elected every year by the people of Sylvania.
 * 7) Senators must have a residence in Sylvania and must have been a Sylvanian resident for at least a year.
 * 8) Each district shall be allowed one Senator.
 * 9) The State Council shall meet once a year, in August to evaluate the performance of the Council.
 * 10) The State Council may punish its members for disordily behavouir.
 * 11) Should the behavouir be considered disruptive enough, the member may be expelled with a two-thirds majority.
 * 12) The State Council shall keep a record of their proceedings.
 * 13) A round of the State Council starts when a bill is proposed in the Council of Representatives.
 * 14) When this happens, no other bills may be proposed until the round is over.
 * 15) The round is divided into a week of debate, four days of voting in the Council of Representatives and then three days of voting in the Senate.
 * 16) During the week of debate members may propose amendments to the bill.
 * 17) During the week of voting the bill may not be altered and members may vote on whether to pass the bill.
 * 18) Members have one vote each and may cast it in favour of the bill or against it or not cast it at all.
 * 19) If a bill passes through the Council of Representatives with a one-half majority in the case of the Sylvanian State Law or two-thirds in the case of the Sylvanian Constitution, it may then be voted upon by the Senate.
 * 20) Should the bill fail to pass through, the round shall be ended.
 * 21) If a bill passes through the Senate with a one-half majority in the case of the Sylvanian State Law or two-thirds in the case of the Sylvanian Constitution, it is presented to the Governor for their approval, should he accept it into law the round is ended.
 * 22) No member of the State Council may combine a special position within the legislative with a special position within the executive or judicial branch.

Article 3 - Executive branch in Sylvania

 * 1) All state executive powers are vested in the Government of Sylvania, which shall consist of the Governor, Deputy and any persons they employ in assistance of their roles.
 * 2) The Governor and Deputy shall be, in accordance with the Lovian Constitution, elected every year by the people of Sylvania.
 * 3) The Governor and Deputy must have a residence in Sylvania and must have been a Sylvanian resident for at least a year.
 * 4) The Governor and Deputy must be present at the meeting of the Sylvanian State Council in August.
 * 5) The Governor or Deputy may be removed from the Government of Sylvania should they have committed a crime of serious enough calibre by a one-half majority in the Sylvanian State Council.
 * 6) Neither Governor or Deputy may combine their office within the executive with a special position within the legislative or judicial branch.

Article 4 - Judicial branch in Sylvania

 * 1) All state judicial powers are vested in the Court of Sylvania, which shall consist of a Judge and any persons they employ in assistance of their role.
 * 2) The Judge is appointed by the Governor with the consent of the Deputy.
 * 3) The Judge must have a residence in Sylvania and must have been a Sylvanian resident for at least two months.
 * 4) The Judge may, should they find any law passed by the Sylvanian State Council unconstitutional or in contradiction to other laws, bar it from entering law and restart the current round in the Council.
 * 5) Should a Judge bar a law for any other reason other than a clear constitutional violation or a lawful contradiction then they shall be removed from office.
 * 6) Trials of crimes committed within Sylvania shall take place within Sylvania along with this all trials shall be by jury.
 * 7) This jury must be made up of at least three people.
 * 8) The Judge must be present at the meeting of the Sylvanian State Council in August.
 * 9) The Judge may be removed from office should they have committed a crime of serious enough calibre by a one-half majority in the Sylvanian State Council.
 * 10) The Judge may not combine their office within the judicial with a special position within the legislative or executive branch.

Article 5 - Elections in Sylvania

 * 1) Every year elections shall be held in Sylvania for the Sylvanian State Council and the Sylvanian Government.
 * 2) The term of office for any elected official is a year.
 * 3) During this article the term 'related area' refers to these 6 geographic areas.
 * 4) Noble City District and the Noble City Bay Area District.
 * 5) East Sylvania District.
 * 6) Train Village District and the Train Village Plains District.
 * 7) Clave Rock District and the Sylvanian Highlands District.
 * 8) Charleston District and the Stephen Headlands District.
 * 9) Discovery Island District.
 * 10) Elections for the Sylvanian State Council will take place over the period of two weeks and are held in all ten districts of Sylvania.
 * 11) Elections for the Council of Representatives are held exactly a week after the elections for the Sylvanian Government begin.
 * 12) During a period of one week people may register lists from which representatives will be elected in any of the districts, this begins exactly two weeks before inauguration of the State Council.
 * 13) The owner and candidates on these lists must have a residence in Sylvania and must have been a Sylvanian resident for at least two months.
 * 14) During a period of one week any Lovian Citizen may cast their votes in favour of lists in the elections. Any citizen 17 or older may exercise their right to vote, this begins exactly one week before inauguration of the State Council.
 * 15) There are three different votes, a major vote worth three points, a minor vote worth two and a support vote worth one.
 * 16) Sylvanian Residents may cast a major vote, minor vote and support vote in the related area where their residence resides.
 * 17) Sylvanian Residents may cast a minor vote and support vote in all other related areas.
 * 18) Lovian Citizens may cast a support vote in all related areas.
 * 19) All lists will complete the elections with an amount of votes within each respective district, with the exception of those that have withdrawn.
 * 20) Seats will be distributed via the D'Hondt method of proportional representation within each district, the owner of a list delegated seats in the Council of Representatives will control those seats, they may delegate their seats to all the parties that they wish, but still control the votes of each representative.
 * 21) Elections are held for the Senate exactly a week after the elections for the Sylvanian Government begin.
 * 22) During a period of one week people may register their candidacies in any of the districts, this begins exactly two weeks before inauguration of the State Council.
 * 23) Candidates must have a residence in Sylvania and must have been a Sylvanian resident for at least a year.
 * 24) A political party may register only one candidate in a district.
 * 25) During a period of one week any Lovian Citizen may cast their votes in favour of candidates in the elections. Any citizen 17 or older may exercise their right to vote, this begins exactly one week before inauguration of the State Council.
 * 26) The candidate with the most votes shall be elected in the district they participated in and become a Senator in the Senate.
 * 27) Elections for the Sylvanian Government will take place over the period of a month in accordance with the Lovian Constitution.
 * 28) Candidates must have a residence in Sylvania and must have been a Sylvanian resident for at least a year.

Article 6 - Amending the Constitution in Sylvania

 * 1) All bills must originate within the Council of Representatives.
 * 2) Every bill that has been passed through the Council of Representatives and Senate must be presented the the Governor of Sylvania.
 * 3) Should they approve of the bill, it shall be enshrined in law and implemented.
 * 4) Should they veto the bill, it shall be sent back to the State Council for another round.
 * 5) During this round, should the bills pass through the Council of Representatives and Senate with three-fourths majority, the Governor may not veto the bill and it must be enshrined in law and implemented.

Article 7 - Amending State Law in Sylvania

 * 1) All bills must originate within the Council of Representatives.
 * 2) Every bill that has been passed through the Council of Representatives and Senate must be presented the the Governor of Sylvania.
 * 3) Should they approve of the bill, it shall be enshrined in law and implemented.
 * 4) Should they veto the bill, it shall be sent back to the State Council for another round.
 * 5) During this round, should the bills pass through the Council of Representatives and Senate with two-thirds majority, the Governor may not veto the bill and it must be enshrined in law and implemented.