Amend powers of Imperial Consul

Motion to amend the powers of the Imperial Consul, to make the position a non-voting member of Senate with the rights and responsibilities thereof.

Proposed by Bregasland, seconded by the Conscience of the Senate

Overview

• This motion amended the powers of the Imperial Consul
• This motion required a constitutional majority, and ratification by the Throne
• Passed
• Ratified by the Imperatrix

Date

• Spring 383YE

Campaign Outcome

• The Constitutional Court have passed this motion but advise the Senate that they will not approbate another motion to create an additional speaker in the Senate unless one of the existing titles is first removed.

The Constitutional Court have approved this motion after considerable discussion. In the expressed opinion of Abraham, there is a significant risk that the inclusion of additional voices represents a grave risk to the constitutional make-up of the Senate. The constitution states that "Each territory of the Empire will elect a single senator to participate in the Senate..." While this amendment does not give the High Consul the power to vote in the Senate it does give them the legal freedom to attend and speak freely in Session, which in the view of the court represents participation, albeit partial rather than full. Since power in the Senate is shared between those who participate, this amendment inherently diminishes the role of the elected senators.

The more titles the Senate approves to participate in session, the more the power of the individual senators is diluted. Therefore there must be a limit beyond which additional titles with the power "Member of the Imperial Senate" represent an unacceptable burden on the authority of the senators. Clearly that number is a matter for judgement and cannot easily be surmised from first principles. There were different views on the appropriate number, but the consensus decision was to approve the new addition but to make that the limit.

This ruling means that the amendment to the High Consul passes scrutiny, but any attempt to create additional Members of the Imperial Senate, (other than new senators) would fail scrutiny. To pass such a motion, the Imperial Senate would have to remove one of the existing titles first. The Court advise that they are extraordinarily unlikely to approve the removal of Member of the Senate from either the Throne, the Speaker or the Conscience, but any of the other titles could be amended or potentially abrograted.

The current Imperial titles with the legal power of Member of the Senate other than senators are:

• The Throne
• Conscience of the Senate
• Speaker for the Senate
• Master of the Imperial Mint
• Imperial Magus
• Advisor on Orc Affairs
• Imperial Consul