Speaker for the Senate
In this chamber, the Speaker's word is law. We are all equal before the law - all of us.
Varkula, The ThroneOverview
The Civil Service appoint one or more of their number to the Speaker's Seat. This position is designed to ensure the smooth operation of the Senate and has powers of censure to support that.
The Speaker for the Senate is an NPC only position. Its role is to be the umpire for the senate sessions - not to play the game.
Duties
Each Senate session is chaired by the Speaker who helps to ensure that the sessions take place in a timely and effective fashion. They keep order in the chamber, ensure the rules are followed and try to make sure everyone has a chance to speak. They are responsible for ensuring that every senator understand the motion being voted on.
Powers
Member of the Senate
The Speaker is a member of the Senate. They are entitled to enter the Senate chamber at the start of a session and speak in the debates. In practice, as a civil servant, the Speaker tries to keep their voice impartial and restrict their comments to ones needed to keep the chamber in order.
Proposal
The Speaker may propose any number of motions for consideration by the Senate each summit. In practice this ability is only used to raise administrative motions. They do not accept "suggestions" for motions from citizens.
Right of Address
The Speaker has the right to make a Senate address once per summit. This is intended to allow them to present important information for the senators' consideration. To make an address, the Speaker must add the address to the agenda for the next Senate session.
Powers of Censure
The Speaker for the Senate has the power to sanction anyone attending a Senate session. This power is used to censure rowdy or disruptive individuals, and extends equally to anyone who is present for the session. Any member of the Senate including The Throne, guests in the viewing gallery, a priest attempting to use the right of witness to act in an inappropriate manner, or a civil servant who was speaking out of turn are all subject to censure by the Speaker.
As with the Herald of the Council, the Speaker can apply three sanctions, each of increasing magnitude. The Speaker may use any power they judge appropriate - they do not need to start with silence and escalate.
"One day, Mitwold, you will die. Your Virtue will speed you through the Labyrinth. You may be reborn as an Imperial citizen, join the Civil Service, become a Speaker, and be able to speak as you see fit in this House. Until then, be quiet, and I silence you for the duration of this debate."
John of Meade, a Speaker.
Silence
The first sanction is silence. The Speaker can silence a persistently rude or boorish senator for the duration of a single motion; they will not be allowed to speak on the floor or answer points made while silenced. They may still vote and once the vote has been cast, are free to speak once more.
Exclusion
Should this prove insufficient the second sanction is exclusion - the offending senator is obliged to leave the Senate chamber until the end of the current motion. This denies them the right to vote on it so is a serious matter. They may re-enter the chamber following the vote.
Expulsion
The third and final sanction is expulsion - the senator is expelled from the Senate chamber for the entire sitting. They lose their chance to vote on all issues. This is an extreme sanction and historically is used only in response to grave misdemeanours such as threats of violence in the chamber.
Appointment
The Civil Service selects the Speaker for the Senate. Although the title is usually referred to in the singular, the civil service may grant the title to more than one citizen. It is common practice to have multiple civil servants "raised to the Speaker's Chair" at a time.
The Speaker for the Senate can be revoked by the General Assembly, and by the Assembly of the Nine.
The Speaker of the Senate is currently filled by three civil servants: John of Meade, Rialta di Regario, and Dyer Alys.
The Speaker in Play
The Speaker is an NPC whose role it is to keep Senate sessions fun and engaging for the participants.