Constitution of Cézembre

The Constitution of Cézembre is the main legal document of the province of Cézembre.

It was adopted May 26th, 2024.

The Constitution in this article was last amended 26 May 2024/XLV.

The Constitution (adopted on 26 May 2024/XLV)

Chapter I - The State

Article 1. The Sovereign Province of Cézembre is an autonomous and self-governing member of the federal Talossan nation and pledges eternal allegiance to His Royal Majesty, and the Regipäts Talossan.

Article 2. The name of the state is la Provinçù Soveran da Cézembre. In English, it is the Sovereign Province of Cézembre.

Article 3. The sacred and irremovable territory of the Sovereign Province of Cézembre shall consist of the cantons of the Zone Autorisée and the Zone Interdite.

Article 4. The capital of the Province is Kingsland, that portion of the Zone Interdite liberated by King Robert I.

Article 5. The sole historic and national language of the entire Talossan people, and therefore of the Cézembrian Province, is the Talossan language (el Glheþ Talossan). The Cézembrian government shall also recognise English and French as useful working second languages, and may adopt tertiary working languages by law.

Article 6. Provincial flag shall be blazoned as follows: Sable four bars argent, on a canton argent eleven ermine-spots sable four, three, and four.

Chapter II- L'Etats de Cézembre

Article 7. Legislative power in the Sovereign Province of Cézembre is invested in l'Etats de Cézembre. l'Etats shall consist of a variable number of seats, assigned based upon request by citizens of Cézembre. Seats in l'Etats de Cézembre can only be requested by citizens of Cézembre. Citizens may represent more than one seat by proxy, but no more than two additional proxy seats. One seat cannot be divided among nor assigned to more than one citizen.

Article 8. There are no elections to l'Etats, as it is an ongoing body of representatives within Cézembre.  The Sénéchal (or the Governor Général in case the Sénéchal has been absent for more than one week) shall receive written requests for seats in l'Etats by citizens.  After confirmation of credentials of citizenship, those making a request shall be provided a seat in l'Etats.  In turn, the citizen that is seated may extend a proxy for their seat to another seated citizen within l'Etats who does not yet have two proxies held.  A proxy extended must be accepted by a seated member in writing, who shall have full control of that seat until such time the citizen extending the proxy retracts the assignment.  Should a person issuing a proxy to a seat later renounce or be removed from citizenship, the proxy is automatically retracted.

Article 9. The number of seats in l'Etats may not exceed the population of the Province of Cézembre. There will be no vacant seats in the assembly, as they either held by active members, or extended to active members by proxy.  Citizens retain the right of association with any organization that they choose, but their votes from seats in l'Etats de Cézembre are held in their name either by right or by proxy, and are not held by parties, associations, consortiums, corporations, or other organizations.

Article 10. L'Etats shall have power to pass any bill into law by a simple majority vote of its Voting Members. Le Sénéchal shall send out a notification of voting period, of at least seven days. Each member shall have a prescribed amount of time in which to cast his vote (by email, telephone or forum post) before voting closes.

Chapter III- Le Sénéchal

Article 11. Le Sénéchal shall be the elected leader of Cezembre. Le Sénéchal shall have the power to issue proclamations which have the force of law. These proclamations may be appealed or amended as regular laws. These proclamations may not act as acts of attainders or any activity prohibited by the Organic Law (with regards to Prime Dictats). These proclamations must be counter-signed by the Governor-General (or the King, in case of, by lack of appointment or by long-term absence, a Governor-General).

Article 12. The Sénéchal may appoint a deputy Sénéchal. The deputy may act in name of the Sénéchal when instructed by the Sénéchal to do so or whenever the Sénéchal is absent for a long period, in which case all duties of the Sénéchal will be temporarily taken over by the deputy.

Article 13. A Sénéchal shall be elected, by the citizens of Cezembre, in an election conducted by the Sénéchal or his appointed agent, in the event there is no incumbent Sénéchal or the Sénéchal is inactive for more than a week, the Governor-General or his appointed agent. All citizens of Cézembre have the right to vote and/or be a candidate in this election.

Article 14. Elections as described by article 13 will take, no less and no longer than 3 weeks. Cézembrians must announce their candidacy in the first week of the election and polls shall open on the first day of the 2nd week and close on the last day of the third week.

Article 15. Elections, as described in articles 13 and 14 will start no earlier than one week and no later than two weeks after the election deadline of Talossan general elections or after a resolution has been approved by a majority of the l'Etats de Cézembre removing the previous Sénéchal or should the Sénéchal, resign, die or be unable to fulfill his duties for any reason.

Chapter IV- The Governor-General

Article 16. The Governor-General is the representative of the King of Talossa, and as such, shall have veto power over all laws of l'Etats. This veto may be overturned by a two third vote of l'Etats. The Governor-General is appointed by the King pursuant to the Organic Law.

Chapter V- The Lord Warden

Article 17. Cézembre's delegate to the Senäts shall be known within the Province as the Lord Warden or Lady Warden, as preferred by the Senator. The Sénéchal de Cézembre will request the National Chancery in writing and in good time to conduct the Senator election in accordance with National Law.

Chapter VI- Distribution of Power

Article 18. So that no conflict of interest may occur, and no hostile attempt to take over the province may succeed, no citizen may simultaneously hold the post of Sénéchal or Lord Warden alongside the post of Governor-General without a resolution of l'Etats expressly permitting this combination. The posts of Sénéchal and Lord Warden may be held simultaneously.

Chapter VII- Justice

Article 19. The Cort pü Inalt shall have original jurisdiction to try all cases arising under Cézembrian law.

Article 20. The Cort pü Inalt shall have full jurisdiction to rule on all legal matters within the province, supplemented by whatever inferior courts shall be determined by national statute.

Chapter VIII- Amendments

Article 21. This Constitution may be altered by a resolution of two third or more of l'Etats, which must be passed into approval by a referendum of the people, attaining the majority of those who vote, and proclaimed by the Governor-General.

Chapter IX- Ratification

Article 22. We, the people of Cezembre, do hereby endorse this constitution for the government of our great Province and do therefore ordain it to be the highest law of our land!

The Previous Version (adopted on 26 January 2010)

Chapter I - The State

Article 1. The Sovereign Province of Cézembre is an autonomous and self-governing member of the federal Talossan nation and pledges eternal allegiance to His Royal Majesty, and the Regipäts Talossan.

Article 2. The name of the state is la Provinçù Soveran da Cézembre. In English, it is the Sovereign Province of Cézembre.

Article 3. The sacred and irremovable territory of the Sovereign Province of Cézembre shall consist of the cantons of the Zone Autorisée and the the Zone Interdite.

Article 4. The capital of the Province is Kingsland, that portion of the Zone Interdite liberated by King Robert I.

Article 5. The sole historic and national language of the entire Talossan people, and therefore of the Cézembrian Province, is the Talossan language (el glhetg Talossan). The Cézembrian government shall also recognise English and French as useful working second languages, and may adopt tertiary working languages by law.

Article 6. Provincial flag shall be blazoned as follows: Sable four bars argent, on a canton argent eleven ermine-spots sable four, three, and four.

Chapter II- L'Etats de Cézembre

Article 7. Legislative power in the Sovereign Province of Cézembre is invested in l'Etats de Cézembre. l'Etats shall consist of no more and no less than twenty (20) seats. Seats in l’Etats de Cézembre can only be assigned to citizens of Cézembre. Citizens may hold more than one seat, but no more than six. One seat cannot be divided among nor assigned to more than one citizen.

Article 8. The chancery is requested to conduct elections to l'Etats. Elections to l'Etats shall be conducted at the same time as elections to the Cosâ and in accordance with the national election laws and rules. The Sénéchal (or the Governor-General in case the Sénéchal has been absent for more than one week) may request the chancery not to conduct those elections in no less than one week before balloting day. If the Sénéchal (or Governor-General) makes such a request, the Sénéchal (or the Governor-General) shall conduct the elections in accordance with provincial election laws and rules.

Article 9. After elections to l'Etats, each party will receive 20 numbers, which will be produced by dividing the number of votes the party received by 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20. The 20 highest numbers will be referred to as high quotients. In case the 20th highest number has the same value as the 21th highest number all numbers with the same value will not be considered high quotients. This will result in vacant seats in the assembly. Each party will receive a number of seats, equal to the number of high quotients it received. Each party may divide its seats amongst Cézembrian citizens as it sees fit. If a member dies or resigns or is impeached by a motion receiving a 2/3rds vote of the L’Etats, the seats shall return to the party that assigned the seats.

Article 10. L'Etats shall have power to pass any bill into law by a simple majority vote of its Voting Members. Le Sénéchal shall send out a notification of voting period, of at least seven days. Each member shall have a prescribed amount of time in which to cast his vote (by email, telephone or forum post) before voting closes.

Chapter III- Le Sénéchal

Article 11. Le Sénéchal shall be the elected leader of Cezembre. Le Sénéchal shall have the power to issue proclamations which have the force of law. These proclamations may be appealed or amended as regular laws. These proclamations may not act as acts of attainders or any activity prohibited by the Organic Law (with regards to Prime Dictats). These proclamations must be counter-signed by the Governor-General (or the King, in case of, by lack of appointment or by long-term absence, a Governor-General).

Article 12. The Sénéchal may appoint a deputy Sénéchal. The deputy may act in name of the Sénéchal when instructed by the Sénéchal to do so or whenever the Sénéchal is absent for a long period, in which case all duties of the Sénéchal will be temporarily taken over by the deputy.

Article 13. A Sénéchal shall be elected, by the citizens of Cezembre, in an election conducted by the Sénéchal or his appointed agent, in the event there is no incumbent Sénéchal or the Sénéchal is inactive for more than a week, the Governor-General or his appointed agent. All citizens of Cézembre have the right to vote and/or be a candidate in this election.

Article 14. Elections as described by article 10 will take, no less and no longer than 3 weeks. Cézembrians must announce their candidacy in the first week of the election and polls shall open on the first day of the 2nd week and close on the last day of the third week.

Article 15. Elections, as described in articles 10 and 11 will start no earlier than one week and no later than two weeks after the election deadline of Talossan general elections or after a resolution has been approved by a majority of the l'Etats de Cézembre removing the previous Sénéchal or should the Sénéchal, resign, die or be unable to fulfill his duties for any reason."

Chapter IV- The Governor-General

Article 16. The Governor-General is the representative of the King of Talossa, and as such, shall have veto power over all laws of l'Etats. This veto may be overturned by a two third vote of l'Etats. The Governor-General is appointed by the King pursuant to the Organic Law.

Chapter V- The Lord Warden

Article 17. Cézembre’s delegate to the Senäts shall be known within the Province as the Lord Warden. He/she will be elected whenever this is required by the Organic Law, in an election conducted by the Sénéchal or his appointed agent, in accordance with provincial statutes. If no provincial statutes regarding the election of a Lord Warden exist, or if the provisions of provincial law regarding the election of a Lord Warden cannot be implemented for practical reasons,or if provincial statutes regarding the election of a Lord are in conflict with this Constitution or the Organic Law, the Sénéchal or his appointed agent will request the National Chancery in writing and in good time to conduct the election in accordance with National Law.

Chapter VI- Distribution of Power

Article 18. So that no conflict of interest may occur, and no hostile attempt to take over the province may succeed, no citizen may simultaneously hold the post of Sénéchal or Lord Warden alongside the post of Governor-General without a resolution of l'Etats expressly permitting this combination. The posts of Sénéchal and Lord Warden may be held simultaneously.

Chapter VII- Justice

Article 19. The Cortpü Inalt shall have original jurisdiction to try all cases arising under Cézembrian law.

Article 20. The Cortpü Inalt shall have full jurisdiction to rule on all legal matters within the province, supplemented by whatever inferior courts shall be determined by national statute.

Chapter VIII- Amendments

Article 21. This Constitution may be altered by a resolution of two third or more of l'Etats, which must be passed into approval by a referendum of the people, attaining the majority of those who vote, and proclaimed by the Governor-General.

Chapter IX- Ratification

Article 22. We, the people of Cezembre, do hereby endorse this constitution for the government of our great Province and do therefore ordain it to be the highest law of our land!