Constitution of The Ascendant Republic

Constitution of The Ascendant Republic
Type	Legal Document
Signed in	271
Location	Vornak Core
Effective in	272
Parties	Combined Cooperatives of Tir'qa

The Constitution of the Ascendant Republic of Cooperative Societies, formerly referred to as the Constitution of the Combined Cooperatives, is the founding and central document by which the administration of ARCS is organised. The current iteration, officially the Second Constitution, replaced the Cooperative Articles of Governance, contemporarily referred to as the First Constitution, in 272. Its adoption came in response to the General Strike of 271, undertaken by Reformist Ascendants following congressional deadlock during the rapid expansion of the CCT. It outlines the adjudication of law, democratic principles, social welfare, and the definition of the nation’s Core Species.

Since its ratification, a number of amendments have been made to the Constitution. Most of these changes were made in response to political changes in the nation, such as the integration of cooperatives during Great Reconstruction and the Thalos Wars. These culminated in the 550 Reforms, a series of 7 amendments, enacted by the moderate-reformist-led Directory of Cooperative Ascendancy. Many scholars consider this a turning point, marking the exchange of the CCT's central authority for a more decentralised and streamlined governance under the renamed ARCS.

Law in The Ascendant Republic

The Ascendant Republic of Cooperative Societies follows a dual-layer system for the administration of state law. This system was established by the First Constitution and left mostly unchanged during the reforms of the Second, with the focus instead being on streamlining the system. Citizens of the ARCS are subject to two sets of laws: Supreme Law, and People's Law.

Supreme Law

The Supreme Law of the Republic, also called the Constitutional Law, refers to the 'Seven Constants of Cooperative Society' outlined in the Constitution and its amendments. It is typically adjudicated by the Ascendant Tribunal, though minor cases are typically deferred to the lower courts. Historians often credit the stability of the enormous nation to the stability provided by the Seven Constants.

• The administration of Supreme Law shall be granted to the Ascendant Tribunal, acting in service of the DCA and the Constitution.
• Constitutional Law shall apply with equal severity across every Cooperative
• No citizen of sound mind shall knowingly commit acts with intent to disrupt the governance or order of the nation
• In Ascendant and local tribunals, all Core Species shall be entitled to equal legal representation and the right to a trial
• Members of Congress, the DCA, and cooperative authorities remain subject to the rulings of the Ascendant Tribunal
• Citizens shall possess the right to freedom of speech, provided such speech is not made with the intent to harm another.
• Protests, or other acts of assembly, shall not be performed without license from the relevant governing authority.

Reforms of the Second Constitution introduced limited amendments to the Seventh Constant, only requiring protests 'that shall disrupt the effectiveness of governance' to be approved. Excluding this, Supreme Law has remained unchanged, satisfying the moderate and centralist factions of the DCA. Reformists argue that the Supreme Law continues the legacy of the dictatorship that previously ruled the nation, though an alternative consensus has yet to be reached.

People's Law

The People's Law of the Republic, also called the Common Law, refers to the set of rules created and enforced by governing organisations, imposing specific consequences for breaches of public order. Adjudicated by Common Tribunals, the People's law encompasses crimes against the person, business, or government institutions not specifically outlined in the Supreme Law. Unlike Supreme Law, Common Law is determined and enforced by individual cooperative societies rather than the state, though Congress provides a number of 'framework documents' that must be adhered to.

• Principles of Five Equal Species - establishes the Core Species and their legal rights
• Principles of Public Order - outlines what must be considered criminal conduct in every cooperative (such as assault or harassment)
• Principles of Cooperative Rights - explains the reasonable adjustments that can be made to Supreme Law.
• Principles of The State - specifies at which points Congress or the Ascendant Tribunal can intervene in a case.

Until the Second Constitution and 550 Reforms, there was no central coordination for People's Law, creating vast inconsistencies in severity of punishment between cooperatives. This has since been rectified, most significantly with the 550 Reforms outlawing the death penalty as reasonable punishment.