Senate announcement

I thank my Senate for authorizing the construction of the new army and making a disbursement of 50 Thrones to arrange the necessary purchases. As we are concluding this session with my announcement, I hereby declare the immediate disbursement of an additional 180 Thrones from the Imperial treasury to Cassus of Highguard so that he may arrange the construction of the new Highborn army in a timely manner.

Varkula, The Throne

Overview

Some Imperial titles, like The Throne have the authority to use one or more of the powers of the Imperial Senate, without requiring a motion be passed by the chamber. To use these powers, the title holder must make an announcement in the Senate first.

The announcement serves three purposes, it allows the civil service to receive formal notification of the use of the power, so that they can arrange the appropriate support. It gives the Senate oversight of the use of any powers that they have delegated in this way. And finally - and most critically - it ensures that the Imperial Synod retain the ability to veto the announcement if they wish.

Limitations

Veto

An announcement is legally considered to be equivalent to a motion. General Assembly of the Imperial Synod may veto one motion per Imperial summit; or they may instead veto a single announcement exactly as if it were a regular majority vote. If an announcement is vetoed by the Imperial Synod then the holder may not make an announcement which is functionally the same until the next summit.

No Control

Although the Speaker may occasionally allow a short period of time to discuss an announcement in the Senate, no vote of any kind is permitted. Once powers have been delegated to an Imperial title by the Senate, then they cannot impose limitations on how those powers are used. Only the Synod can veto the use of a power that has been announced in the Senate.

On rare occasions, the Senate has acted swiftly to strip a title of it's legal powers in a session following an announcement but before the end of the summit. The legal position in these cases is clear, the power has been legally exercised and the use that has been announced will still go ahead. It is not possible to abrogate an announcement.

Procedure

Raising an announcement

An Imperial citizen who wishes to make announce the use of one of the Senate powers that has been delegated to them must do so by informing the Speaker for the Senate of their intention. The Speaker will add the item to the agenda for the next session.

The citizen should ensure that they are present at the chamber throughout the session, as they may be called at any time. They may only enter the chamber once called, and must leave when their announcement is concluded. The citizen may choose to inform the Speaker of the rough content of their announcement in advance if they wish.

Presentation

The citizen making an announcement should state clearly and succinctly what actions they are undertaking - including any details that are relevant and may be of interest to citizens of the Empire.

Debate

After the announcement is complete, the Speaker may allow some time for members of the Senate to ask questions and for the speaker to reply.

Further Reading

Core Brief

• Senate session
• Senate motion
• Senate powers
• Senator

Additional Information

• Commission
• Senate address
• Senate announcement
• New Imperial titles
• Appointment by the Senate
• Appointments to the Senate
  • The Throne
  • Master of the Imperial Mint
  • Speaker for the Senate
  • Conscience of the Senate
• Imperial treasury
• OOC design