**OFFICIAL** Venetian Constitution

This Constitution hereby establishes the Thalassocratic Republic of Venice;

EXECUTIVE

The Doge of Venice

(E1) The ultimate executive authority in Venice shall be the Doge, Atlantis Tiberius. He shall be the commander-in-chief and head diplomat of Venice.

(E2) The Doge shall have the power over ejections/banishments from the region, the power to make treaties, declare war, direct our military, engage in diplomacy, and appoint executive officeholders.

(E3) The Doge shall have speaking rights within the Consiglio dei Pregadi and be allowed to propose laws and constitutional amendments to the body — though he shall not have a vote. The Doge may also temporarily serve as Chair of the Consiglio when the position of Grand Chancellor is vacant or up for election.

(E4) Shall the Consiglio ever enter a great decline, where it does not have the membership or ability to function, the Doge may adjourn and empty the body — calling fresh elections when the region can support them.

(E5) The Doge is not an absolute monarch and may be removed from office. The removal process of the Doge consists of three steps: (1) Impeachment of the Doge by a 2/3rd supermajority vote of the Consiglio dei Pregadi; (2) Indictment of the Doge through a 2/3rd supermajority vote of the Council of Forty; (3) Ratification of the removal by a 2/3rds public vote of the entire population of Venice.

(E6) Shall the office of Doge ever be vacant for reasons of removal or resignation, the Consiglio dei Pregadi shall nominate a member of the Council of Forty to serve as the new Doge. The Consiglio shall deliberate on their nominee until a candidate receives a 2/3rds majority vote. The candidate shall assume the office of Doge upon a majority ratification vote by the people of Venice.

Supreme Council

(E7) The Doge shall have the power to appoint ‘Councilors’ to the ‘Supreme Council’ which shall be the executive cabinet of Venice.

(E8) The Council shall have portfolios in recruitment, military, foreign affairs, and any other areas the Doge sees as necessary and proper.

(E9) All Council appointments shall be affirmed by a majority vote of the Consiglio dei Pregadi. Prior to being affirmed, councilors appointees can operate in a temporary fashion as acting Councilors.

LEGISLATIVE & JUDICIAL

Legislative

(L1) The ultimate legislative and judicial authority in Venice shall be invested into a Consiglio dei Pregadi, whose members shall be referred to as ‘Senators’.

(L2) Prior to the election, the number of seats on the Consiglio shall be set by the Doge.

(L3) Senators of the Consiglio shall serve for a term of 1 month and be elected by a plurality popular vote with the appropriate number of top vote-getters filling vacant seats of the Consiglio (example: If the Consiglio has five seats, the top five vote getters shall be elected).

(L4) The affairs of the Consiglio will be conducted in the Consiglio dei Pregadi holding region.

(L5) The Consiglio shall be responsible for providing a democratic check on the powers of the Doge. This includes confirming executive appointments, ratifying treaties and declarations of war, and challenging other executive actions.

(L6) The Consiglio shall have the sole power to remove all officials other than the Doge from office. If a vote for removal achieves a 2/3rds majority among Senators, that official shall be removed from office. The Consiglio may initiate impeachment proceedings against the Doge, the process for which can be seen in (E5).

(L7) The Consiglio shall be the body of origin for any regional laws or constitutional amendments. Unless otherwise specified, all actions of the Consiglio shall be determined by a simple majority vote of those Senators present.

(L8) At the start of their term, the Consiglio shall elect one of their members to serve as ‘Grand Chancellor’. The Grand Chancellor shall be responsible for chairing the Consiglio including: moderating discussions, calling votes, declaring the result of said votes, and representing all other Senators in discussions with the Doge.

Judicial

(J1) The Consiglio dei Pregadi shall be the Supreme Court of Venice, and adjudicate all 'charges' and 'complaints'. A charge is a specific accusation that a citizen or official has broken a law of Venice. A complaint is an objection to an action of a government official in the region.

(J3) Any citizen may bring forth charges or complaints to the attention of the Consiglio. The Grand Chancellor or their Senator-designee shall be the court of first instance. All citizens shall also have the right to appeal, which their charge or complaint shall be heard by the full of the Consiglio. In this instance, the majority vote shall determine the verdict and sentencing.

(J4) The Grand Chancellor or designee shall always conduct fair and consistent proceedings, allowing all sides to testify and call witnesses and explain their respective cases.

(J5) If a Senator is conflicted or for whatever reason declines to participate in a trial, a member of the Council of Forty shall be selected by the Grand Chancellor or his presiding Senator-designee to fill the vacant seat.

HONORS

(H1) The Council of Forty shall be considered the highest honorific of Venice, signaling longevity and commitment to the Republic. The initial forty seats shall be given to the first forty nations within the region, with the Doge appointing new members periodically when vacancies occur.

(H2) The Doge and Grand Chancellor may create awards and honors to bestow to citizens within their respective branches of government.

SEAT OF GOVERNMENT

(SG1) The affairs of the Thalassocratic Republic of Venice shall be conducted wholly on Nationstates.net. In an effort to involve and include every and all nations, the region shall not establish forums, discord servers, or other offsite properties that make it harder to involve all nations in our affairs.