Law:The What's the Difference Act

37RZ2 — The What's the Difference Act

WHEREAS the legal description of a micronation is an important thing to get right, since we have a bunch of laws concerning the relationship of our government and its citizens with micronations, and

WHEREAS the said legal description is lacking, since citizens of nations recognised by the Kingdom of Talossa (such as Taiwan) may be said to be micronationalists, according to some of our laws, and therefore ineligible for citizenship, and

WHEREAS we think we have a good way to distinguish micronations from non-micronations (the citizens of which are of course always welcome to apply for citizenship in the Kingdom of Talossa), and

WHEREAS one of our laws (23RZ35) indicates that citizenship in a micronation is treason, but then a later law (24RZ11) indicates that such citizenship is not a criminal act, but simply constitutes renunciation of citizenship in the Kingdom, but then this second law would seem to be inorganic, so maybe that means micronational citizenship is still treason, but then yet another of our laws (29RZ10) indicates that treason is currently undefined and therefore unpunishable and establishes a commission to legally define treason, but that commission either never met or never concluded its activity, so as it stands any prosecutions under 23RZ35 would seem to be impossible anyway, and

WHEREAS all of this makes for a big mess, and

WHEREAS big messes should be cleaned up, now

THEREFORE be it resolved that

1. The Dual Citizenships Act (23RZ35) is hereby repealed.
2. The No Dual Citizenships in Fake Countries Act (24RZ11) is hereby repealed.
3. The Micronation Definition Act (25RZ2) is hereby repealed.
4. The Put Up or Shut Up Mark II Act (29RZ10) is hereby repealed.
5. A micronation is hereby legally defined to be any society of persons (whether claiming territorial sovereignty or not) that
   • claims a governmental organization and citizenry and
   • is not a member of the United Nations and
   • is not a member of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization and
   • is not the Kingdom of Talossa or a subdivision thereof, or officially recognised by the Kingdom of Talossa.
6. It is a criminal act for any Talossan citizen to accept or hold citizenship in a micronation. The penalty for committing such a crime shall be the revocation of Talossan citizenship. The Attorney-General, on being informed of any alleged violation of this act, and upon verifying the same to his personal and legal satisfaction, shall immediately notify the accused that the government has determined that valid cause exists for a criminal case to be brought against the citizen in the Uppermost Cort. After providing this notification, the Attorney-General shall allow ten days for the accused to dissolve any and all allegiance to the micronation, or to organize a defence against the charge. If, after this ten day period, the Attorney-General determines that the criminal act yet continues, he shall immediately file criminal charges against the accused with the Uppermost Cort and there shall seek the prescribed penalty for the violation of this act. If after this ten day period, the Attorney-General determines that the criminal activity has permanently ceased, he shall not file the considered charges, and the accused shall continue as a fully privileged citizen of the Kingdom.
7. The Semi-Permeable Wall Act (25RZ50), ending and forbidding governmental relationships with micronations, shall remain unamended. It shall be understood that the word "micronation" as used in that legislation shall be meant to be the legal definition accorded that term by clause 5 of this act, or as modified by subsequent legislation.
8. Any Talossan citizen who desires to belong to an organisation but fears that the organisation falls within the definition of "micronation" contained in clause 5 of this Act may petition to have the organisation listed on a whitelist maintained by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The whitelist shall include organisations which have been the subject of such petitions and participation in which has been determined by the Minister of Foreign Affairs not to be incompatible with Talossan citizenship, in consultation with the Attorney General and with the approval of the Seneschál.
9. The provisions of clause 6 shall not apply to membership in any organisation contained on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs whitelist, and inclusion of any organisation on the whitelist shall not be construed as a recognition of sovereignty or statehood by the Kingdom of Talossa.
10. "Citizenship" in a micronation, as prohibited by clause 6 of this act, shall not include "honourary citizenship," where the honourary citizenship
    • does not entitle the honouree to vote in the micronation's elections,
    • does not entitle the honouree to hold political, governmental, or administrative office in the micronation,
    • does not obligate the honouree, after the grant of honourary citizenship to pay taxes, fees resembling taxes, or membership dues, and
    • does not create any continuing obligation or bond of allegiance to the micronation.
11. Non-citizens who would be in violation of this Act upon becoming Talossan citizens are not eligible for Talossan citizenship, and the Ministry of Immigration may require prospective Talossan citizens to certify that they are not citizens of any micronation. "Honourary citizenship" in a micronation is not a bar to immigration if the prospective Talossan citizen certifies that such honourary citizenship does not involve any obligation or loyalty to, or participation in the activities of, the granting micronation.
12. The Minister of Immigration may bring a petition as described in clause 8 on behalf of prospective citizens, in order to determine their eligibility to immigrate into the Kingdom of Talossa.

Uréu q'estadra så:
Mà Barôn Tepistà (MC, RUMP)

Scribe's Notes

1. This act was amended to take its current form by 37PD2 and 45PD2.
2. This act was repealed by The One More Step Toward (Hopefully) Ending the Bug Wars Act.