New Imperial titles

Overview

Only the Imperial Senate has the power to create a new Imperial title. If another house, such as the Imperial Synod wants a new Imperial title to be created to help them discharge their responsibilities then they must importune the Senate to create the position for them.

New titles have the potential to possess wide-ranging powers with little or no oversight or constraints. Because of this new titles are subject to constitutional scrutiny by the Officers_of_the_Law#Magistrates to ensure that they preserve the spirit of the Imperial Constitution and do not unduly disturb the separation of powers between the five great houses of the Empire, the Synod, Senate, Bourse, Conclave and Military Council.

Responsibilities

Most titles come with a responsibility or duty that the holder is expected to perform. For instance a citizen granted the title of Defender of the Senate might be charged with ensuring the defence and security of the Senate during the meetings at Anvil.

There is no contractual obligation to uphold the responsibilities of an office - it is not possible to create a title that requires specific action or dictates how the responsibilities must be discharged. However the responsibilities of an office are important - it is not unknown for citizens to face the threat of revocation by the Synod for failing to adequately discharge the responsibilities of the title they have accepted.

Stipend

Any title may be granted a stipend - a regular income which is drawn directly from the Imperial treasury. Titles with responsibilities that are likely to incur significant costs are the most eligible for a stipend, but any post created with a motion can have one attached to it in theory.

A title may not be given a disbursement - they may be assigned a stipend but it is not legal to allocate a one-off payment from the treasury to the first holder of a title.

Appointment

When a title is created, the Senate must choose which arm of the Imperial government will appoint the holder of the title; the Senate, the Synod, the Conclave, the Military Council or the Bourse. Once this decisions is made, it cannot be changed - a title can be abrogated - dissolving it completely - but it cannot be altered to assign it to a different house.

In some situations the Senate may also choose whether the position is an Imperial title - open to all citizens of the Empire - or a National title - that only a member of that nation can be appointed to. Synod titles may instead be Virtuous titles and Conclave titles may be Arcane Titles which restrict who may be appointed to that followers of the appropriate virtue or magicians of the appropriate Realm.

If a title is created with one or more legal powers - then it would normally be allocated by the house whose powers the title most employs - for example a High Inquisitor with powers of revocation and inquisition would normally be appointed by the Synod. Attempts to appoint the title through a different house will usually be ruled as unconstitutional - the Senate can change the relative powers of the houses - but it cannot simply seize their powers for itself - or allocate their powers to another house.

The term and method of selection for a title are set by the house it is appointed to.

Powers

A title may be assigned one or more legal powers. In the vast majority of cases these are either powers exercised by members of one of the arms of government - or they are powers exercised by that house collectively. For example a burser created by the Senate to investigate expenditure by senators and seek out malfeasance, could be granted the power of inquisition (a power normally exercised collectively by the Synod) and the right of address in the Senate (a legal power normally granted to senators and the like).

Titles created by the Senate in this way do not need to follow the normal restrictions on their usage. For example, for the Senate to employ the power of commission requires a motion be proposed by a senator and approved by majority vote. If the Senate wished to give greater support the Military Council they could create a title with the power of commission over military procurement - with the duty to arrange the resupply of Imperial armies.

Limitations

It is not possible to dictate how a power may be used - the Senate is forbidden from extending its power by creating titles under their control. However the Senate can set limitations on how any legal powers can be used. The standard limitations are by nation, territory or house - the holder of that title can then only use those powers on members of that nation, territory or house or commissions based in that nation or territory.

Any title which includes one or more legal powers may not also the oversight of a mercantile investment - it is not possible to grant legal powers to a sinecure or minister - all attempts to do so are always ruled unconstitutional - an attempt to bundle too many responsibilities and power together.

Creating New Powers

The powers of the houses and the titles associated with those houses are well known and understood by constitutional scholars. It is perfectly possible for the Senate to create a new legal power - but any attempt to do so will bring close scrutiny from the magistrates to ensure it is compliant with the ethos of the Constitution. It is perfectly possible to create new legal powers - but it is usually simpler to incorporate existing legal powers rather than create new ones.

Pecuniary Titles

Some mercantile investments by the Senate result in the automatic creation of a title - either a sinecure or a minister. When these investments are complete then a procedural motion takes place in the Senate to determine the appointment of the title.