Section 1: Freedom of Expression

Definition: Citizens have the right to express their opinions freely, with limitations.

Section 2: Limitations

Limitations:

- Hate speech, discrimination, or incitement to violence are not protected.

- General harassment is prohibited

- Speech concerning the Sovereign or Imperial Family shall not constitute treason merely because it is critical, disrespectful, derogatory, or allegedly defamatory. Political propaganda concerning the reigning Monarch or an heir is governed by Title 1, Chapter 3; civil defamation is governed by Title 1, Chapter 4; and criminal liability requires proof of a specific Title 7 offense.

Section 3: Consequences of Violations

Punishment:

- General Offenses: Warning, Fine, or Temporary Suspension of speech privileges.

-Slurs, or any derogatory name or word subject to context that are used in a derogatory way to harass or put down a person, and the excessive of slurs or derogatory words will be not permitted and will result in direct temporary suspension of speech privileges or at His Imperial Majesty’s Pleasure.

Section 1: Fair Conduct in Trade

Definition: Fair conduct in trade and commerce is required.

Section 2: Prohibited Practices

Prohibited Practices:

- Price gouging, monopolies, or deceptive trade practices.

Section 3: Consequences of Violations

Punishment:

- Offenses: Fines, Confiscation of illicit gains, or Temporary or Permanent Ban from trade.

Section 1: Citizen Duties

Definition: Citizens are expected to participate in community growth and uphold laws.

Section 2: Consequences of Non-compliance

Punishment for Non-compliance:

- Fines, Forced Civic Engagement, or Temporary Suspension of privileges.

Section 1: Restriction, Seizure, and Forfeiture Distinguished

(a) A restriction or freeze temporarily limits transactions without transferring title. A seizure places currency in lawful custody pending disposition. A forfeiture permanently transfers title under lawful authority.

Section 2: Authority and Grounds for Permanent Forfeiture

(b) Currency may be permanently forfeited only under an Imperial Order, a final court judgment or order, a voluntary surrender, or an administrative determination expressly authorized by statute and recorded in a Currency Forfeiture Authorization.

(c) Forfeiture may reach currency proved to be stolen or misappropriated public, business, or organization funds; proceeds or traceable property of fraud, theft, bribery, corruption, embezzlement, or money laundering; currency lawfully applied to a fine, restitution, tax, debt, or judgment; abandoned currency under law; or currency expressly forfeited as part of a lawful sentence or order.

Section 3: Exile, Loss of Status, and Remaining Property

(d) Exile, loss of citizenship, departure, absence, or severed communication does not by itself forfeit currency. A sentence or order based on such status shall specify any currency forfeited. Remaining lawful property shall pass through an applicable Succession Instrument, Trust, Estate, or other lawful disposition.

Section 4: Temporary Freeze or Seizure

(e) A temporary freeze or seizure requires constitutional or statutory authority. Immediate action may be taken where law permits and is reasonably necessary to prevent fraud, dissipation, or material loss, but it shall receive prompt recorded review and shall not become a permanent forfeiture without authority under paragraph (b).

Section 5: Currency Forfeiture Authorization and Execution

(f) The Minister of Finance, or the Deputy Minister while lawfully acting as Minister, shall issue the Currency Forfeiture Authorization that implements the superior authority. It shall state the source, amount, destination, legal authority, case or order reference, reason, and signing officer.

(g) IBTE shall execute the authorized restriction, seizure, or forfeiture and preserve the transaction record. The Treasury Operations Administration shall perform any resulting Treasury-side receipt, classification, or transfer.

Section 6: Third-Party Interests

(h) A forfeiture reaches only the interest of the person or entity against whom it is authorized. A Fiduciary, Beneficiary, creditor, or other claimant may assert a lawful interest, but an Estate, Trust, organization account, contract, or transfer shall not shield unlawful property.

Section 1: Application and Effect of Recognition

(a) A political or religious organization may apply to the National Organizations Administration for official recognition. Recognition establishes its official status for public, administrative, electoral, ceremonial, and legal purposes.

Section 2: Recognition Fee and Effective Date

(b) After approval, the Central Revenue Administration shall collect a single recognition fee of 500 SL from one filer and credit it to the Collections Fund. Recognition takes effect upon full payment. A rejected application incurs no fee, and recognition carries no recurring maintenance fee.

Section 3: Internal Autonomy

(c) A recognized organization governs its lawful internal leadership, rules, doctrine, membership, and activities. Registration does not authorize the Government to determine theological truth or direct a lawful political platform.

Section 4: Unofficial and Private Activity

(d) Private belief, worship, political discussion, association, and unofficial organization remain lawful. An unrecognized group does not receive official status or an official organization account.

Section 5: State Religion

The establishment of a State Religion, its replacement by another religion, or the removal of its status as State Religion shall require approval by public referendum in accordance with Article 14, Section 2 and Article 20 of the Constitution.

The proposition shall identify the religion concerned and set out the complete proposed legislative text. A proposition establishing or replacing a State Religion shall include:

(A) the official name of the proposed State Religion;

(B) its organizational hierarchy, listing every office, its powers, and its position within that hierarchy; and

(C) its foundational rules governing its organization and internal affairs.

The hierarchy and foundational rules shall be set out in the proposed amendments to the Civil Code. Where replacement is proposed, the proposition shall identify both the existing State Religion and its proposed successor.

Submission, approval, certification, and commencement shall follow Article 14, Section 2 and Article 20 of the Constitution.

Recognition of a religious organization under this Article shall not confer the status of State Religion.

Section 1: Civil Marriage

A civil marriage is a lawful union between two individuals who:

(a) consent to be married;

(b) are both at least 18 years of age;

(c) are not already married under Totemian law; and

(d) are not prohibited from marrying by any superior law.

Sex, gender, sexuality, or identity shall not prevent two otherwise eligible individuals from entering into a civil marriage.

The minimum age for civil marriage is 18 years, independently of the age of sexual consent.

Section 2: Marriage Fee

The fee to register a civil marriage shall be 1,000 SL.

A civil marriage shall not be officially recognized until the marriage fee is paid.

Section 3: Divorce

Either spouse may initiate a divorce.

Consent of both spouses shall not be required for divorce if one spouse lawfully initiates it and the divorce fee is paid.

The fee to register a divorce shall be 1,000 SL.

Once the divorce fee is paid and the divorce is filed, the marriage shall be dissolved under Totemian civil law.

The Office of Civil Registration within the Ministry of Interior shall record civil marriages and divorces in the Civil Registry under Title 2, Chapter 9, Article 6.

Section 4: Royal Marriages

Marriages and divorces involving a member of the Imperial Family are exempt from the civil requirements and prohibitions in Sections 1, 2, 3, and 6, including the minimum marriage age, restriction on an existing marriage, prohibited biological relationships, fees, registration, and dissolution requirements.

The reigning Monarch may by Imperial Order prescribe the rules governing those marriages and divorces, including their formation, recognition, registration, dissolution, and any conditions or limits on an exemption.

For purposes of this Section, the Imperial Family comprises:

(a) the reigning Emperor or Empress;

(b) the reigning Monarch’s lawful consort, including the Imperial Consort, Queen consort of Omnislavia, Empress designate, or Empress consort of all the Totemias, as applicable under the Constitution;

(c) the Caesarevich of Totemia or another lawfully designated Heir to the Imperial Throne;

(d) Princes and Princesses recognized by the reigning Monarch as members of the Imperial Family; and

(e) any other person expressly recognized by Imperial Order as a member of the Imperial Family.

An exemption applies to both parties to the covered marriage or divorce. A public office, regency, noble title, or relationship to a member of the Imperial Family does not alone confer membership for purposes of this Section.

Section 5: Religious Non-Compulsion

Nothing in this Article shall require any religion, priest, minister, church, temple, or religious body to perform, bless, approve, or recognize a marriage contrary to its own doctrine.

Section 6: Prohibited Close Biological Relationships

A civil marriage shall not be registered between biological ancestors and descendants; full or half siblings; a biological aunt or uncle and that person’s niece or nephew; or first cousins who share a biological grandparent. This prohibition applies regardless of adoption, legal parentage, ability to conceive, or prior knowledge of the relationship.

Entering a marriage without knowledge of a prohibited relationship shall not itself constitute a criminal offense. If the relationship is later established, the Office of Civil Registration shall refer the matter to a competent court to determine the marriage’s civil status after notice to the parties and an opportunity to be heard.

Marriage between second cousins or more distant relatives shall not be prohibited solely because of biological relatedness. Restrictions imposed by superior law remain applicable.

Section 1: Definitions and Account Classes

(a) An Organization Bank Account (OBA) is an official IBTE account held for a registered organization. A Political Organization Bank Account (POBA) and a Religious Organization Bank Account (ROBA) are OBA classes and are not separate legal persons.

Section 2: Eligibility and Account Creation

(b) Final registration or recognition by the National Organizations Administration establishes account eligibility. The Administration shall certify the organization, class, and authorized representatives to IBTE, and IBTE shall create or activate the required accounts without a separate application or approval by the Ministry of Finance.

Section 3: Required and Dedicated Accounts

(c) IBTE shall provide a General Fund to every registered organization, a Donation Fund where the organization may lawfully receive donations, and a Payroll Fund when the organization records compensated personnel. IBTE may provide up to three additional Dedicated Purpose Accounts upon a filing that states each lawful purpose. Additional accounts require an Imperial Order, court order, or express statute.

Section 4: Ownership and Authorized Management

(d) Account property belongs to the organization. Its authorized representatives may manage funds only within the organization's registered authority, governing instrument, internal rules, and recorded account permissions. The National Organizations Administration shall certify later changes in representation, and IBTE shall enforce them.

Section 5: Permitted and Prohibited Uses

(e) Organization accounts may receive lawful revenue and donations and pay lawful compensation, expenses, debts, and activities. They shall not be used for personal enrichment, commingling, concealment, unlawful influence, fraud, corruption, money laundering, evasion of lawful claims, or financing unlawful conduct.

Section 6: Ministry of Finance Authority

(f) The Ministry of Finance may exercise fiscal, audit, and collection powers, and issue or seek restriction, seizure, or forfeiture authorizations, only where separately authorized by law. IBTE shall execute account measures under Title 1, Chapter 1, Article 4 and Title 2, Chapter 20, Article 8. The Ministry shall not make a second determination of registration or account eligibility.

Section 7: Suspension, Cancellation, and Dissolution

(g) Suspension, cancellation, or dissolution of an organization authorizes IBTE to restrict the account, preserve records and funds, satisfy lawful claims, and close or transfer the remaining balance according to the governing instrument or competent order.

Section 8: No Entitlement to Public Money

(h) Creation of an OBA does not appropriate public money or create entitlement to a grant, subsidy, or government payment.

Section 9: Payroll Solvency Lock

Every payroll executed through an Organization Bank Account, including a POBA or ROBA, shall be subject to the Payroll Solvency Lock established by Title 5, Chapter 8, Article 4.

IBTE shall not permit an Organization Bank Account or its Payroll Fund to enter a negative balance, overdraft, automatic credit, or payroll-created debt in order to execute payroll.

This Section does not subject a private registered organization to the Reasonable Public Compensation Standard applicable to Non-Imperial Governmental Entities.

Section 1: Purpose and Legal Effect

The purpose of this Article is to authorize the Totemian Government to share certain demographic data with registered political organizations and registered religious organizations.

Such sharing shall only concern persons recorded as party members, followers, members, or affiliates of the organization receiving the data.

Any demographic data shared in accordance with this Article shall be considered lawfully shared by the Totemian Government.

Section 2: Limited Meaning of Demographic Data

For the purposes of this Article only, “demographic data” shall mean:

(a) gender;

(b) wealth;

(c) monthly income.

The definition of “demographic data” under this Article shall apply only to this Article.

The definition of “demographic data” under this Article shall not apply to any other Act, Article, Imperial Order, law, regulation, future law, or legal matter unless expressly adopted.

Section 3: Authoritative Government Database

For the purposes of this Article only, “authoritative government database” shall mean the official backend database used by the Totemian Government as the controlling source for the data displayed on the official government website.

Where demographic data is shared under this Article, the authoritative government database shall be the controlling source of that data.

The official government website may serve as the front-facing display for demographic data shared under this Article, including through the respective workspace of the receiving registered political organization or registered religious organization.

Section 4: Financial Data

For the purposes of this Article only, “wealth” shall mean a person’s recorded bank balance in the authoritative government database.

For the purposes of this Article only, “monthly income” shall mean a person’s recorded monthly income in the authoritative government database.

Section 5: Registered Political Organizations

For the purposes of this Article, “registered political organization” means a political party, political group, or political organization that has been officially registered or recognized by the Totemian Government.

For the purposes of this Article, “party member” means a person recorded as belonging to, being a member of, or being affiliated with a registered political organization.

The Totemian Government is authorized to share demographic data with a registered political organization concerning that registered political organization’s own party members.

A registered political organization shall not receive demographic data concerning persons who are not recorded as its party members.

Section 6: Registered Religious Organizations

For the purposes of this Article, “registered religious organization” means a religion, church, temple, religious body, faith, or religious organization that has been officially registered or recognized by the Totemian Government.

For the purposes of this Article, “follower” means a person recorded as belonging to, following, being a member of, or being affiliated with a registered religious organization.

The Totemian Government is authorized to share demographic data with a registered religious organization concerning that registered religious organization’s own followers.

A registered religious organization shall not receive demographic data concerning persons who are not recorded as its followers.

Section 7: Method of Access and Download

Demographic data shared under this Article shall be drawn from the authoritative government database.

Demographic data shared under this Article may be displayed through the official government website.

Demographic data shared under this Article may be made available inside the respective workspace of the registered political organization or registered religious organization receiving the data.

The same page of the official government website that displays demographic data under this Article may also provide the receiving registered political organization or registered religious organization with the ability to download such data in CSV format.

A CSV download provided under this Section shall contain only the demographic data that the receiving registered political organization or registered religious organization is authorized to access under this Article.

The availability of a CSV download shall not expand the scope of demographic data that may be shared under this Article.

Section 8: Lawful Disclosure and Limits

Notwithstanding Title 7, Chapter 8, Article 17 or any other provision of the Civil Code, the sharing, display, and CSV download of demographic data under this Article shall be lawful disclosure by the Totemian Government.

The sharing, display, and CSV download of demographic data under this Article shall not be considered doxxing, leaking information, or unlawful disclosure under the Civil Code when done in accordance with this Article.

Nothing in this Article shall authorize a registered political organization or registered religious organization to receive demographic data concerning persons outside of its own party members or followers.

Nothing in this Article shall authorize the sharing, display, or CSV download of demographic data outside the scope of this Article.

Section 1: Purpose

This Article governs the conversion of eligible materials into newly issued Totemic Shilleng (SL) at the official values stated below.

IBTE shall administer conversion under this Article and Title 2, Chapter 20.

Section 2: Official Set Prices

For the purposes of this Article, the following prices shall be official:

(a) one (1) diamond equals one hundred (100) SL;

(b) one (1) netherite ingot equals one thousand (1,000) SL.

IBTE and every Regional Bank or office performing conversion services shall apply these prices.

Section 3: Materials That May Be Converted

Only the following materials may be converted into SL under this Article:

(a) diamonds;

(b) netherite ingots.

Section 4: Where Conversion May Happen

Eligible materials may be presented at IBTE's office in New Totemgrad or another Regional Bank, IBTE office, or intake location designated by IBTE.

IBTE shall administer the checking, acceptance, recording, storage, and rejection of materials under Section 11. The Ministry of Finance may assist with intake, verification, or custody under lawful arrangements with IBTE; such assistance confers no authority over conversion approval, destination accounts, or currency issuance.

Section 5: Minimum Conversion Amount

A conversion may only happen if the person is converting at least three thousand (3,000) SL worth of one single material type.

Different materials may not be combined to reach the 3,000 SL minimum.

For example:

(a) diamonds require at least thirty (30) diamonds;

(b) netherite requires at least three (3) netherite ingots.

A person may not combine diamonds and netherite together to reach the minimum. The minimum must be met by one material type by itself.

Section 6: Issuing SL After Conversion

IBTE or its authorized intake office shall receive and accept the materials into the custody of the Government of the Totemian Empire before currency is issued.

The materials shall be stored at an authorized government storage location. IBTE, a Regional Bank, or a participating Treasury office may hold them in custody under the applicable arrangements.

After receipt, acceptance, and storage, IBTE shall issue SL equal to the official value of the converted materials through its centralized system.

For this Article, issuance means creating, printing, or entering new currency through the official IBTE system. IBTE shall record the issuance in the Totemic Shilleng Issuance Account.

IBTE shall credit the account of the person converting the materials unless IBTE lawfully approves another destination account.

IBTE shall not issue, print, create, or credit SL before the materials have been received, accepted, and stored.

Once conversion is accepted and SL is issued, the materials shall remain property of the Government of the Totemian Empire.

Section 7: Monthly Conversion Limit

No person may convert more than fifteen thousand (15,000) SL worth of materials in one calendar month.

This limit applies to the total value of all conversions made by that person during the month.

A person may make more than one conversion in the same month, but each conversion must still meet the 3,000 SL minimum by itself, and the total converted value may not go over 15,000 SL.

Once a person reaches the 15,000 SL monthly limit, they may not convert more materials until the next calendar month.

Section 8: Anti-Duplication Rule

The minimum conversion amount and monthly limit exist to protect the economy from duplication, exploits, unlawful material creation, inflation, and abuse of currency issuance.

IBTE may delay, investigate, or deny a conversion if there is reasonable suspicion that the materials came from duplication, exploits, theft, fraud, unlawful spawning, or another unlawful source.

IBTE is not required to convert materials that are reasonably suspected to be unlawful, duplicated, fraudulently obtained, or connected to a violation of Totemian law.

Section 9: Records

IBTE may keep records of conversions. A Treasury office assisting with intake or custody may keep the records needed for that function.

These records may include the person converting materials, the type of material converted, the amount converted, the SL issued, the date of conversion, and the account that received the SL.

These records may be used for banking, auditing, anti-duplication enforcement, financial administration, taxation, court cases, or other lawful government purposes.

Section 10: No Right to Conversion Outside This Article

No person has a right to demand conversion unless the conversion follows this Article.

IBTE may refuse a conversion if it is below the minimum amount, above the monthly limit, based on mixed materials, based on ineligible materials, or otherwise violates this Article.

Section 11: Financial Procedures

IBTE may establish additional conversion procedures through the instruments authorized by Title 2, Chapter 20, Article 10. Generally applicable substantive rules require a Banking Council Order; the Governor may issue internal procedures within the authority granted by that Article.

Those procedures may not override the official prices, the 3,000 SL minimum, the 15,000 SL monthly limit, or the rule requiring SL to be issued only after materials are received, accepted, and stored.

Section 1: Decimal Numbering

The Totemian Empire shall reject the use of Roman numerals in official documents or official text created or edited on or after July 10th, 2026, for the purpose of numbering chapters, sections, titles, or similar divisions.

All such numbering shall instead use the base-ten decimal system.

This standard is intended to improve legal referencing, simplify amendment and revision, and make official documents easier to read and maintain.

Section 2: Official Body Font

The Totemian Empire shall use Public Sans in official documents created on or after July 10th, 2026, for normal body text. This standard is intended to provide a universal official font that is readable, modern, and suitable for consistent use across official documents.

This font requirement shall apply only to body text.

Section 3: Headings, Paragraphs, and Lettered Points

Every new bill shall present each section heading in the form “Section X: Name”, with a single space after the colon. Article headings shall follow the corresponding form “Article X: Name”. The first paragraph or subordinate heading shall begin on the next line, without an intervening blank line or additional paragraph spacing. A heading shall be kept with the text immediately following it.

Separate body paragraphs shall be divided by 1 empty paragraph. Line spacing shall be Single (100%), with 0 points before and after paragraphs. A new article or section heading shall be preceded by 1 empty paragraph when it follows body text or a completed list. Consecutive headings and the text immediately following a heading shall have no intervening empty paragraph.

Lettered points shall use consecutive lowercase labels in parentheses, beginning with “(a)” and “(b)”. Each point shall begin on its own line. Consecutive points within the same list shall have no blank lines or additional paragraph spacing between them. 1 empty paragraph shall separate the list from a preceding or following body paragraph. Where a list follows a section or article heading directly, the heading shall remain immediately above the first point.

Section 4: Coloring and Strikethrough of Legislative Amendments

A bill proposing to amend an existing legal instrument or body of rules shall reproduce the affected provisions and distinguish unchanged wording, proposed deletions, and proposed additions.

Within those provisions, unchanged wording shall appear in black (#000000). Proposed deletions shall appear in red (#FF0000) with strikethrough. Proposed additions shall appear in purple (#66135A) without strikethrough. A replacement shall display both the deleted wording and its proposed replacement.

These requirements shall apply regardless of the title or designation of the instrument being amended. New provisions proposed for insertion into an existing instrument shall appear in purple. The ordinary text of a standalone bill shall appear in black.

When an amendment is incorporated into the instrument it changes, deleted wording shall be removed and the resulting operative text shall appear in black without amendment strikethrough.

These presentation requirements shall govern bills introduced after this Act takes effect. They shall be applied consistently with the constitutional right to submit bills for floor votes. Correction of presentation shall not require prior referral to or approval by another body.

Section 1: Definition of Gender

For purposes of this Civil Code and instruments made under it, "gender" means a person's sex-related or gender-related status, identity, expression, or classification, whether assigned, attributed, recorded, expressed, or self-identified. The term encompasses sex-based classifications and gender identities and shall not be limited to a fixed number of categories, an exhaustive list of designations, or classifications recognized at the time of enactment.

Section 2: Interpretation

Legal recognition or protection of gender shall not depend solely upon anatomy, appearance, medical treatment, an official record, social convention, or conformity with a predetermined label. Both actual and perceived gender shall fall within the meaning of this Article.

Sexual orientation is distinct from gender and concerns the direction or pattern of a person's romantic or sexual attraction.

Section 3: Application

Every reference to gender in this Civil Code or an instrument made under it shall be interpreted in accordance with this Article.

Section 4: Simplification of Digital Services

For administrative simplicity, the Totemian Empire shall not be required to enumerate, display, or provide a separate selectable category for every gender encompassed by this Article in any official website, digital service, online form, database, or electronic interface. The Totemian Empire may use standardized, limited, or optional gender categories for those purposes without restricting the general legal definition of gender established by this Article.

Section 1: Meaning of “By Law”

“By law” means as established or authorized by applicable law. “As required by law” means that applicable law imposes the requirement concerned.

The applicable law shall be determined by its scope and place within the hierarchy of legal authority.

These definitions shall take effect on October 25th, 2026. Earlier legal effects shall be determined under the law applicable at the relevant time.

Section 2: Chancellery Legislative Review

“Chancellery legislative review” means the exercise of the Chancellor’s authority to approve or veto a bill under the legislative procedures established by the Constitution.

Chancellery legislative review shall apply where required by the Constitution. Parliament may overcome a veto through an Override Bill or a Constitutional Override Amendment, or submit a measure to public referendum, under the applicable constitutional procedures and voting thresholds. Other constitutional procedures permitting a bill to proceed without the Chancellor’s approval shall remain available. A measure approved by public referendum shall take effect upon certification as provided by the Constitution.

Section 1: Order of Divisions

The Civil Code shall follow this order, from the highest organizational division to the lowest:

Title

Chapter

Article

Section

Paragraph or lettered point

Each division shall fall within the division immediately above it. A Chapter shall be contained within a Title, an Article within a Chapter, and a Section within an Article. No lower division may contain a higher division.

Section 2: Numbering

Titles shall be numbered throughout the Civil Code. Chapter numbering shall restart within each Title, Article numbering within each Chapter, and Section numbering within each Article. Numbered divisions shall use Arabic numerals. Lettered points shall use lowercase letters in parentheses.

Section 3: Citations

A complete citation shall identify the Title, Chapter, Article, and Section, followed by the relevant paragraph or lettered point where needed.

Section 1: Definitions

For purposes of this Chapter:

(a) an Estate is property and lawful obligations administered after a person's death or another authorized activation event;

(b) a Succession Instrument is a will or other written direction governing the later management or disposition of a person's property;

(c) a Trust is a written fiduciary arrangement under which property is administered for named beneficiaries or a definite lawful purpose;

(d) the maker of a Succession Instrument is the Testator, the creator of a Trust is the Settlor, and an Executor or Trustee is a Fiduciary; and

(e) a Beneficiary receives an interest under the instrument, and a Successor Fiduciary assumes office when the serving Fiduciary cannot or may not continue.

Section 2: Register and Fiduciary Registrar

The Office of Civil Registration shall maintain the Register of Estates and Trusts. The Fiduciary Registrar shall examine filings, record instruments and status changes, certify fiduciary authority, and notify the Imperial Bank of the Totemian Empire (IBTE) when an account must be created, activated, restricted, or closed.

Section 1: Lawful Purpose and Minimum Terms

A Succession Instrument or Trust shall have a lawful purpose, concern property the maker owns or may lawfully direct, and state at least:

(a) the maker's identity and a declaration of legal capacity;

(b) whether the instrument is a Succession Instrument or Trust;

(c) the property, accounts, or ascertainable class of property governed;

(d) each Beneficiary or the definite method for identifying a Beneficiary, or the lawful purpose of a purpose Trust;

(e) the Fiduciary and Successor Fiduciary, or a definite method for their appointment;

(f) the event on which administration or distribution begins;

(g) the Fiduciary's powers, limits, distribution duties, and treatment of residue;

(h) the method of amendment or revocation; and

(i) the maker's signature and date.

Section 2: Execution and Disputes

A Succession Instrument shall be signed before two witnesses or acknowledged before the Fiduciary Registrar. A Trust shall be signed by the Settlor and accepted by its first Trustee. A court or the Emperor may determine capacity, authenticity, or lawful ownership when those matters are disputed.

Section 1: Registration and Legal Effect

An instrument may be filed before it becomes active. Registration is required to bind a state organ, obtain an Estate or Trust account, or receive an administrative certificate of fiduciary authority. An unregistered instrument may be recognized only under Title 1, Chapter 2, Article 8.

Section 2: Fees, Collection, and Exemptions

The registration fee shall be 250 SL for an initial instrument and 50 SL for an amendment or complete restatement. The Central Revenue Administration shall collect the fee after the filing is accepted as legally sufficient and credit it to the Collections Fund. No fee shall be charged for activation, a death or exile notation, fiduciary acceptance or resignation, termination, or a filing required by a court or the Emperor.

A later Act of Parliament or Imperial Order may alter or waive a fee established by this Article.

Section 1: Amendment and Revocation

A Testator with legal capacity may amend or revoke a Succession Instrument. A Settlor may amend or revoke a Trust to the extent reserved by the Trust or allowed by law. An amendment or revocation shall satisfy the execution requirements applicable to the instrument it changes.

Section 2: Priority of Instruments

The latest valid instrument controls to the extent of an inconsistency. A complete replacement supersedes the earlier instrument; a partial amendment changes only the covered terms.

Section 3: Completed Distributions and Relief

A completed lawful distribution shall not be undone merely because a later instrument is filed, but a court or the Emperor may grant relief for fraud, forgery, incapacity, concealment, mistake, breach of fiduciary duty, or unlawful property.

Section 1: Activation and Certification

A Succession Instrument activates on the Testator's death unless it lawfully states another event. A Trust activates as its terms provide. The Fiduciary Registrar shall record the event and certify the serving Fiduciary before state organs recognize operational authority.

Section 2: Account Preservation and Transfer

After death or another authorized activation event, IBTE shall preserve the maker's personal accounts until the Fiduciary Registrar certifies a serving Fiduciary and the applicable Estate or Trust account. IBTE shall then transfer the lawful balance to that account. If no registered or recognized instrument or serving Fiduciary exists, the Registrar shall record an unadministered Estate and refer appointment and distribution to the Emperor or a court. Preservation, restriction, or referral under this paragraph does not transfer title to the Government.

Section 3: Exile and Other Changes of Status

Exile, loss of citizenship, departure, or absence is not death and does not by itself activate or invalidate an instrument. Such an event may activate an instrument only where the instrument expressly provides for it or the Emperor or a court orders administration to preserve property, satisfy claims, or carry out a lawful disposition.

An instrument valid when executed is not invalid merely because the maker is later exiled or loses status. The maker's power to control, amend, or revoke it remains subject to the terms of the exile, forfeiture, or other superior order.

Section 1: Fiduciary Powers

A Fiduciary may take custody of covered property, operate registered accounts, collect income, preserve or transfer assets, pay lawful expenses and claims, represent the Estate or Trust, and distribute property according to the instrument and law.

Section 2: Fiduciary Duties

A Fiduciary shall act loyally, in good faith, within the instrument, keep Estate or Trust property separate from personal and organization property, preserve an accounting, avoid unauthorized self-dealing, and provide information required by law or the instrument.

Section 3: Authorized Agents

A Fiduciary may appoint an Authorized Agent for stated tasks unless the instrument forbids delegation. An Authorized Agent may exercise only the recorded delegated powers and may not amend the instrument, change a Beneficiary, appoint a Fiduciary, or distribute property beyond an express instruction.

Section 4: Successors, Beneficiaries, and Combined Roles

A Successor Fiduciary has no management authority until the prior Fiduciary's office ends or is suspended. A Beneficiary has the rights granted by the instrument and law but no management authority merely by being a Beneficiary. One person may hold more than one role, except that the sole Trustee shall not also be the sole Beneficiary.

Section 5: Suspension and Removal

The Emperor or a court may suspend or remove a Fiduciary for breach of duty, incapacity, refusal, unfitness, conflict of interest, or failure to administer the instrument, and may recognize a lawful successor.

Section 1: Certification and Account Creation

Upon registration or lawful activation, the Fiduciary Registrar shall certify the instrument, Fiduciary, account purpose, and any recorded limits to IBTE. That certification itself authorizes IBTE to create or activate the required accounts without a separate application or approval by the Ministry of Finance.

Section 2: Account Classes and Limits

An Estate or Trust may maintain one Principal Account, one Administration Account, and not more than three Dedicated Purpose Accounts, for a maximum of five active accounts. The Emperor or a court may authorize additional accounts for a recorded necessity.

Section 3: Ownership, Permissions, and Responsibility

Account property belongs to the Estate or Trust and not to the Fiduciary, Authorized Agent, Beneficiary, Ministry of Interior, or IBTE. IBTE shall enforce the certified roles and limits, and a Fiduciary remains legally responsible for every delegated transaction.

Section 1: Lawful Title and Excluded Property

An instrument conveys no better title than the maker possessed. It shall not conceal, preserve, or transfer stolen or misappropriated public funds, business or organization funds, proceeds or traceable property of fraud, theft, bribery, corruption, embezzlement, or money laundering, or property subject to a lawful fine, tax, restitution, debt, seizure, or forfeiture.

Section 2: Claims and Distribution

Lawful public and private claims against the maker, Estate, Trust, or covered property shall be determined before final distribution. Property may be preserved or restricted while ownership is disputed, but permanent forfeiture requires the authority established by the Civil Code.

Section 3: Recognition of Earlier Instruments

A clear preexisting will, trust, or comparable written arrangement that did not satisfy the registration formalities of this Chapter may be recognized by the Emperor or a court if reliable evidence proves the maker's capacity, authentic assent, definite intended disposition, and lawful ownership when it was made. Later exile or loss of status does not defeat recognition, but no recognition may validate unlawful property or defeat a superior order.

Section 1: Scope and Application

This Chapter governs political propaganda and campaign conduct connected to a general election, special election, public referendum, recall, or other public electoral contest administered or recognized by the National Electoral Administration.

Section 2: Election Cycle

For purposes of this Chapter, an "election cycle" begins upon the earliest official occurrence of: the lawful calling of an election or public vote; publication of the applicable election calendar by the National Electoral Administration; or the opening of lawful candidate filing for that election. The election cycle ends when the administrative result has been finally certified and every timely proceeding that directly contests candidate eligibility or the validity of that election has been finally resolved, unless another law establishes an earlier or later period for a specified purpose.

Section 3: Candidate and Political Organization

A "candidate" means a person who has lawfully filed, registered, accepted nomination, or otherwise entered an election for public office under applicable law.

A "political organization" means a registered political party, political group, campaign organization, candidate committee, or other registered organization participating in an election.

Section 4: Supporter or Advocate

A "supporter or advocate" means a person who, without necessarily being an officer, member, employee, or agent of a candidate or political organization, intentionally advocates electoral support for or opposition to a candidate or political organization.

Section 5: Political Propaganda

"Political propaganda" means a communication, material, symbol, media item, display, recording, publication, performance, or other expressive content that, during an election cycle, is created, published, distributed, displayed, transmitted, performed, or materially used by a candidate, political organization, official member or representative of a political organization, campaign agent, or supporter or advocate for the purpose of influencing electoral support, opposition, voter preference, candidacy, party preference, or another electoral choice in the election then underway.

The term includes political propaganda distributed by an independent supporter or advocate, but conduct by such a person shall not be attributed to a candidate or political organization merely because the person supports the candidate or organization.

Section 6: Political Epithets

A "political epithet" means a nickname, sobriquet, label, slogan, descriptor, or repeated characterization used in political propaganda to characterize a candidate, political organization, or electoral participant.

Section 7: Separation from Official State Communications

Official state propaganda, counterpropaganda, ideological education, strategic communications, public information, cultural mobilization, and other official communications undertaken under Title 2 are not political propaganda merely because they concern political subjects. Such material is subject to this Chapter where it is actually used for the purpose of promoting or opposing a candidate or political organization in an election. Neutral election administration, official notices, court records, and neutral reporting of governmental acts are not political propaganda merely because they identify an incumbent or candidate.

Section 1: Covered Forms

Political propaganda may include written messages, slogans, captions, posts, announcements, advertisements, posters, signs, banners, leaflets, books, pamphlets, photographs, drawings, illustrations, memes, GIFs, animations, stickers, reaction stickers, emojis, emblems, logos, seals, symbols, flags, music, songs, speeches, audio recordings, videos, livestreams, cinematics, profile images, account banners, skins, builds, displays, broadcasts, and any substantially similar medium capable of communicating electoral advocacy.

Section 2: Contextual Determination

A symbol, image, color, phrase, item, song, or other object does not become political propaganda merely because a political organization or candidate has used it. Electoral timing, accompanying words or imagery, manner of distribution, audience, context, and apparent electoral purpose shall determine whether the material is political propaganda.

Section 3: Attribution by Campaigns and Payers

Political propaganda officially produced, purchased, commissioned, authorized, or distributed by a candidate or political organization shall reasonably identify the candidate or organization responsible for it. Where another person or organization paid for the material, the material shall identify the payer. Where a candidate or political organization authorized material produced by another person, the material shall identify that authorization.

Section 4: Form of Disclosure

A disclosure may state substantially "Produced by [name]," "Paid for by [name]," "Authorized by [name]," or an equivalent statement that reasonably identifies the responsible source. The disclosure shall be reasonably visible, audible, or accessible considering the medium used.

Section 5: Small-Format Material

A GIF, sticker, small image, emblem, or similarly constrained format may use a short campaign identifier registered or publicly identified by the responsible candidate or political organization where a full disclosure cannot reasonably be displayed.

Section 6: Independent Supporters and Advocates

An independent supporter or advocate engaging only in unpaid personal advocacy is not required to disclose the person's identity solely because the communication meets the definition of political propaganda. This exception does not permit false attribution, impersonation, concealment of a paid or coordinated source, or representation that independent material is official campaign material.

Section 7: Reposting and Forwarding

A person who merely reposts or forwards substantially unmodified political propaganda does not become its original producer or payer merely by reposting or forwarding it.

Section 1: Permitted Political Criticism

Political campaigning may be sharp, adversarial, sarcastic, mocking, humorous, insulting, or strongly critical. Nothing in this Chapter shall prohibit a candidate, political organization, supporter, or advocate from criticizing or making fun of another electoral participant because of that participant's political ideas, platform, voting or public record, official acts, campaign promises, statements, contradictions, campaign strategy, slogans, advertisements, public political conduct, policy proposals, qualifications for the office sought, or other conduct materially related to public or electoral activity.

Section 2: Satire, Parody, and Hyperbole

Satire, parody, political cartoons, jokes, wordplay, rhetorical exaggeration, ridicule, and political epithets are permitted where a reasonable person in context would understand the expression as opinion, humor, parody, or rhetorical hyperbole rather than as an assertion of a specific materially false fact governed by Title 1, Chapter 3, Article 4.

Section 3: Political Epithets

A political epithet does not become unlawful merely because it is unflattering, rude, embarrassing, or intended to ridicule. It becomes subject to Title 1, Chapter 3, Article 4 where, in context, it asserts or clearly implies a specific serious factual allegation, and it becomes subject to Title 1, Chapter 3, Article 5 where its principal purpose is to attack a prohibited personal-appearance characteristic.

Section 4: Truthful Adverse Criticism

Truthful criticism may remain harsh. A person is not required to use favorable language, adopt an opponent's preferred description, or refrain from drawing a political conclusion from accurately stated facts merely because the conclusion is adverse.

Section 1: Serious Factual Allegation

For purposes of this Article, a "serious factual allegation" is a factual assertion or implication capable of verification that a candidate or electoral participant committed, participated in, knowingly assisted, or is materially affiliated with criminal activity, bribery, corruption, treason, terrorism, espionage, fraud, sexual misconduct, organized criminal activity, a cartel or criminal gang, unlawful foreign-agent activity, election fraud, or another comparably serious form of misconduct.

Section 2: Prohibited False Allegations

A person violates this Article where, in political propaganda, the person knowingly makes or distributes a materially false serious factual allegation, or consciously disregards an obvious and substantial risk that such an allegation is materially false, and presents the allegation or a political epithet embodying it in a manner that a reasonable recipient would understand as asserting or clearly implying actual serious misconduct.

Section 3: Reckless Disregard

Reckless disregard under this Article requires more than ordinary carelessness, failure to conduct exhaustive research, political bias, or disagreement about interpretation. It requires conscious disregard of an obvious and substantial risk of material falsity in circumstances where the speaker nevertheless presents the allegation as factual.

Section 4: Association and Guilt by Association

Mere suspicion, rumor, anonymous accusation, political hostility, organizational association, family relationship, friendship, photograph, common acquaintance, or contact with another person is not by itself sufficient factual basis to state or imply as established fact that a candidate participated in that other person's criminal or serious misconduct. A truthful statement describing an actual relationship or association may be made, but the relationship shall not be used to imply personal guilt or participation in serious misconduct without a reasonable factual basis for that additional implication.

Section 5: Reporting Allegations and Proceedings

A person does not violate this Article by accurately reporting that an allegation was made, that an investigation or proceeding exists, or that a public record contains an allegation, provided that the communication accurately identifies the status and source of the matter and does not knowingly transform an allegation, investigation, charge, or unresolved accusation into a false statement of established guilt.

Section 6: Truth and Substantial Truth

Truth and substantial truth are complete defenses. A materially accurate quotation, record, judgment, official finding, or other reliable source may be discussed and criticized according to its actual contents. A minor inaccuracy that does not materially change the substance of the allegation is not sufficient by itself.

Section 1: General Prohibition

Political propaganda shall not be created or distributed for the principal purpose of ridiculing, shaming, demeaning, degrading, or asserting political or moral unfitness based solely or substantially upon a candidate's personal physical or aesthetic characteristics that are unrelated to the candidate's public conduct or the office sought.

Section 2: Protected Personal-Appearance Characteristics

Protected personal-appearance characteristics under this Article include body size or weight; height; skin color or complexion; eye color; natural or dyed hair color; hair texture or hairstyle; facial or bodily features; visible bodily differences or disabilities; ordinary clothing, fashion, or personal aesthetic style; perceived attractiveness or unattractiveness; age-related appearance; and another substantially similar physical or aesthetic characteristic.

Section 3: Neutral Description and Legal Relevance

Neutral description, identification, accessibility accommodation, or accurate description necessary to identify a person or event is not prohibited. This Article does not prohibit factual discussion of a person's legal age where age is relevant to eligibility or another legal requirement.

Section 4: Politically Significant Appearance or Presentation

Clothing, hairstyle, symbols, or visual presentation may be discussed where the feature itself carries a political message, party emblem, campaign slogan, official or military insignia, or is directly material to the public conduct being discussed. Criticism shall concern the political message, official significance, or relevant conduct and shall not use the occasion merely as a pretext to attack an unrelated personal aesthetic characteristic.

Section 5: Cartoons, Memes, Nicknames, and Jokes

A political cartoon, parody, meme, nickname, or joke remains lawful where its substantial target is political conduct, policy, public statements, campaign behavior, or another matter allowed by Title 1, Chapter 3, Article 3 and it does not principally rely upon a prohibited personal-appearance attack.

Section 1: False Attribution

No person shall knowingly distribute political propaganda that falsely represents that it was created, paid for, approved, endorsed, or authorized by another candidate, political organization, public officer, state organ, or election authority.

Section 2: Counterfeit Official Election Materials

No person shall knowingly create, distribute, or present as authentic a counterfeit ballot, candidate certification, election result, election calendar, voting instruction, filing notice, disqualification order, recount notice, National Electoral Administration communication, or other purported official election material where it is not authentic.

Section 3: Materially Manipulated Media

No person shall knowingly distribute materially altered, fabricated, synthetic, or generated audio, video, imagery, or other media while representing it as an authentic recording or depiction of a candidate or another person where the alteration materially depicts the person as saying or doing something the person did not say or do and the representation is material to the electoral message.

Section 4: Disclosed Synthetic or Altered Media

Synthetic, simulated, or materially altered media may be used for satire, parody, illustration, or political expression where a reasonably clear disclosure states that the material is altered, simulated, generated, fictionalized, or otherwise not an authentic recording of the depicted event. No disclosure is required for an alteration so obvious that a reasonable person would understand it as parody or fiction.

Section 5: Ordinary Editing and Material Omission

Cropping, compression, subtitles, ordinary editing, color correction, formatting, excerpting, or another change that does not materially misrepresent what occurred does not violate this Article. A materially deceptive omission or edit may violate this Article where the remaining presentation knowingly creates a materially false representation of what the person said or did.

Section 6: Criminal Referral

Conduct under this Article may also be referred for prosecution under Title 7, Chapter 6 where the elements of forgery, dissemination of a forged message, dangerous false messaging, or aggravated false official authority are independently satisfied.

Section 1: Reigning Monarch

Political propaganda shall not negatively portray, attack, demean, disparage, ridicule, condemn, mock, or campaign against the reigning Monarch during an election cycle.

Section 2: Heirs Participating as Candidates

The same restriction applies to a recognized heir to the Throne except while that heir is lawfully participating as a candidate in the election to which the political propaganda relates. During that candidacy, the heir may be criticized, opposed, supported, compared, satirized, mocked, or otherwise discussed to the same extent as another candidate under Title 1, Chapter 3, Articles 3 through 6 concerning the office sought, campaign, political program, public record, statements, qualifications, and relevant public or electoral conduct.

Section 3: Duration of Candidacy Exception

The candidacy exception begins when the heir lawfully becomes a candidate and ends upon withdrawal, disqualification, final certification of the election, or other lawful termination of the candidacy.

Section 4: Legal and Official Exceptions

This Article does not prohibit evidence or legal argument submitted to a court; testimony; an official investigation; an official government record; a good-faith petition or complaint addressed to competent governmental authority; or a neutral historical, administrative, or educational record merely because it contains adverse information concerning the Crown.

Section 5: Relationship to General Speech Provisions

For political propaganda governed by this Chapter, this Article is the specific controlling rule concerning electoral speech about the reigning Monarch and recognized heirs. To the extent that Title 1, Chapter 1, Article 1 or another general speech provision would prohibit criticism of an heir who is lawfully a candidate that this Article expressly permits, this Article controls during the candidacy.

Section 1: Criminal Incorporation

Electoral bribery, vote buying, corrupt electoral inducement, and knowing receipt of an electoral bribe are prohibited and are governed criminally by Title 7, Chapter 7, Article 18.

Section 2: Prohibited Exchange

A candidate, political organization, campaign, supporter, business, organization, or other person shall not directly or indirectly offer, promise, give, arrange, solicit, request, accept, or agree to a private material benefit in exchange for a vote, abstention, endorsement, withdrawal of endorsement, campaign support or opposition, withdrawal from candidacy, or other electoral conduct.

Section 3: Private Electoral Rewards

A private payment, gift, or material distribution offered to voters or supporters as a reward for the victory of a candidate or political organization is prohibited where the communication reasonably presents the benefit as consideration for electoral support rather than as a generally applicable public-policy proposal under Title 1, Chapter 3, Article 9.

Section 4: Intermediaries and Organization Accounts

The prohibition applies through intermediaries and organization accounts. A person shall not evade the rule by using another person, business, political organization, bank account, supporter, relative, or agent to make or receive the prohibited offer or transfer.

Section 5: Referral and Electoral Remedies

The National Electoral Administration shall refer evidence reasonably indicating electoral bribery to a competent investigative or prosecutorial authority and may separately seek the electoral remedies authorized by Title 1, Chapter 3, Article 13. Administrative election proceedings shall not determine criminal guilt.

Section 1: General Public-Policy Rule

A proposal for legislation, taxation, wages, public expenditure, grants, infrastructure, housing, public services, subsidies, economic assistance, social benefits, public employment programs, or another governmental policy does not constitute electoral bribery merely because voters or supporters may benefit economically from the proposal.

Section 2: Politically Neutral Eligibility

A proposed public program falls within this Article where its benefits are to be created or administered through lawful governmental authority; eligibility is based upon stated or objectively ascertainable legal or program criteria; and eligibility does not depend upon how a person voted, whether the person endorsed or supported the candidate or political organization, whether the person campaigned for them, or whether the person abstained from opposing them.

Section 3: Victory-Conditioned Cash or Material Distribution

A promise of a direct cash payment or material distribution merely because a candidate or political organization wins shall be treated as a private electoral reward unless the communication, read as a whole, reasonably describes a bona fide proposed public program, identifies or contemplates lawful governmental implementation, and makes clear that eligibility will not depend upon political support or voting conduct.

Section 4: Nominal Campaign Items

Ordinary campaign literature, posters, stickers, buttons, banners, digital graphics, or other promotional items having no meaningful independent market value may be distributed without constituting electoral bribery where receipt is not conditioned upon electoral conduct.

Section 1: Public-Resource Prohibition

Public money, public accounts, government property, official communication systems, government websites or channels, state-controlled publication systems, official staff time, public vehicles or facilities, state records, or another public resource shall not be used for the purpose of promoting or defeating a candidate or political organization or conferring an unequal electoral advantage.

Section 2: Neutral Official Functions

A public officer may continue ordinary governmental duties during an election cycle. Government resources may be used to administer elections; publish neutral voting information; identify candidates appearing on a ballot; publish deadlines, procedures, lawful results, and official notices; answer factual questions; preserve public records; and accurately report official governmental actions where the communication is not directed toward electoral advocacy.

Section 3: Incumbency and Campaign Coordination

An incumbent does not violate this Article merely because lawful official activity is reported during an election cycle. The use of official authority, public money, or an official government platform shall not be coordinated with campaign messaging for the purpose of obtaining an electoral advantage that another candidate could not obtain on equal terms.

Section 4: State Communications Organs

The Chancellor's State Communications Directorate and every other state communications organ remain subject to this Article. Official state propaganda, counterpropaganda, public information, or strategic communications shall not be converted into candidate or party campaigning through public resources.

Section 1: Administrative Authority

The National Electoral Administration shall be the principal administrative authority for this Chapter. It shall administer campaign-law filings and disclosures, receive election-law complaints, preserve the administrative record, investigate apparent administrative violations, issue notices and corrective orders, impose the civil election penalties expressly authorized by Title 1, Chapter 3, Article 12, and refer criminal conduct to competent investigative or prosecutorial authorities.

Section 2: Complaints

Any elector, candidate, political organization, public officer, or person directly affected by alleged political propaganda or campaign conduct may submit a complaint. A complaint shall identify the material or conduct challenged and, where reasonably available, provide a copy, link, screenshot, recording, witness statement, transaction record, or other evidence sufficient to permit meaningful review.

Section 3: Investigation and Record Powers

The Administration may preserve publicly available political propaganda and election material; require a candidate or political organization to produce attribution, authorization, payment, or campaign records that this Chapter expressly requires the candidate or organization to maintain; request voluntary information from other persons; and seek lawful compulsory process where additional private records are necessary. The Administration shall not create a general search, seizure, or surveillance power merely by investigating a complaint.

Section 4: Notice and Opportunity to Answer

Before imposing a final civil fine or final corrective order, the Administration shall issue a Notice of Alleged Election Violation describing the conduct, legal provision, material evidence, and proposed remedy. During an active election cycle, the respondent shall receive not less than twenty-four hours to answer unless the respondent waives the period. The Administration may grant additional time where doing so will not materially impair administration of the election.

Section 5: Temporary Preservation and Corrective Measures

The Administration may issue an immediate evidence-preservation direction where deletion or alteration is reasonably likely. It may also order immediate temporary labeling, correction, or withdrawal of counterfeit official election material under Title 1, Chapter 3, Article 6 where the material falsely purports to be an authentic ballot, election result, National Electoral Administration instruction, or other official election instrument. An immediate measure shall state its basis and remain subject to prompt review.

Section 6: Final Administrative Decision

A final administrative decision shall identify the facts found, the provision violated, the responsible person or organization, the remedy, any fine, and the evidence materially relied upon. The Administration shall not impose criminal imprisonment, determine criminal guilt, or finally disqualify a candidate from an election.

Section 7: Disqualification Petitions and Criminal Referrals

Where candidate disqualification may be warranted, the Administration may file an expedited petition with a court of competent jurisdiction under Title 1, Chapter 3, Article 13 and shall transmit the preserved record. The Administration may also refer suspected forgery, bribery, fraud, threats, coercion, corruption, or another crime to the National Gendarmerie and Police Administration, the Chancellor's Special Procuratorate, or another competent authority.

Section 1: Nature of Civil Election Penalties

Civil fines under this Article are election-law penalties and do not constitute criminal convictions. A criminal prosecution may proceed separately only where the elements of a Title 7 offense or another criminal law are independently proved.

Section 2: Attribution and Disclosure Violations

For a violation of Title 1, Chapter 3, Article 2 involving a required attribution, payer identification, or authorization disclosure, the civil fine shall be not less than five hundred (500) SL and not more than five thousand (5,000) SL. A first good-faith omission that is corrected completely within twenty-four hours after notice may be resolved by correction without a fine where the Administration finds no concealment, false attribution, or prior substantially similar violation.

Section 3: False Serious Allegations and Deceptive Epithets

For a violation of Title 1, Chapter 3, Article 4 involving a materially false serious factual allegation or deceptive political epithet, the civil fine shall be not less than five thousand (5,000) SL and not more than fifty thousand (50,000) SL. A substantially similar knowing violation republished after a final correction or violation notice shall carry a minimum fine of fifteen thousand (15,000) SL.

Section 4: Personal-Appearance Violations

For a violation of Title 1, Chapter 3, Article 5 involving a prohibited personal-appearance attack, the civil fine shall be not less than one thousand (1,000) SL and not more than ten thousand (10,000) SL. A substantially similar intentional violation republished after a final correction or violation notice shall carry a minimum fine of two thousand five hundred (2,500) SL.

Section 5: False Attribution and Manipulated Media

For a violation of Title 1, Chapter 3, Article 6 involving false campaign attribution or materially deceptive synthetic or altered media, the civil fine shall be not less than five thousand (5,000) SL and not more than fifty thousand (50,000) SL. Where the material falsely purports to be an official ballot, election result, National Electoral Administration communication, disqualification order, or other official election instrument, the civil fine shall be not less than ten thousand (10,000) SL and not more than one hundred thousand (100,000) SL, without prejudice to a criminal referral under Title 7, Chapter 6.

Section 6: Crown-Related Political Propaganda

For a violation of Title 1, Chapter 3, Article 7 concerning prohibited political propaganda against the reigning Monarch or a protected heir, the civil fine shall be not less than five thousand (5,000) SL and not more than fifty thousand (50,000) SL, unless the same conduct is prosecuted under another law requiring a different punishment. No person shall receive duplicative punitive fines for the same legal injury merely because the same communication falls within overlapping provisions.

Section 7: Misuse of Public Resources

A person who knowingly uses public resources in violation of Title 1, Chapter 3, Article 10 shall repay or restore the value of the public resource misused and shall be fined not less than the greater of ten thousand (10,000) SL or twice the value of the public resource misused, and not more than the greater of four hundred thousand (400,000) SL or five times that value.

Section 8: Noncompliance with Final Administrative Orders

A person who knowingly refuses to comply with a final lawful preservation, attribution, correction, labeling, or removal order of the National Electoral Administration after the compliance deadline shall be fined not less than two thousand five hundred (2,500) SL and not more than twenty-five thousand (25,000) SL. Continued noncompliance after a new written deadline may constitute a separate violation.

Section 9: Electoral Bribery and Nonduplication

Electoral bribery is punished under Title 7, Chapter 7, Article 18. The Administration shall not impose a duplicative civil fine under this Article for the same bribery transaction, but correction, forfeiture, restitution, candidate-disqualification proceedings, and other nonduplicative election remedies remain available where authorized.

Section 10: Unit of Violation

Substantially identical political propaganda distributed as part of one continuous publication or distribution campaign shall ordinarily be treated as one violation for calculation of a civil fine. Republication after notice, materially changed content, a materially separate paid placement, or a new deliberate distribution may constitute a separate violation. This rule does not prevent separate treatment of distinct victims, distinct false allegations, separate payments, or separate unlawful uses of public resources.

Section 11: Organizational and Candidate Liability

A political organization or campaign is liable for a civil fine where the violation was committed by the organization itself, by a person acting within actual campaign authority, or by a controlling campaign officer who directed, authorized, or knowingly ratified the conduct. A candidate is not personally liable merely because an independent supporter violated this Chapter.

Section 1: Judicial Nature of Disqualification

Candidate disqualification is an electoral remedy and shall not be imposed by the National Electoral Administration acting alone. A court of competent jurisdiction may impose pre-election disqualification only after notice, a meaningful opportunity to answer, and written findings based upon clear and convincing evidence.

Section 2: Attribution to a Candidate

Conduct of another person may be attributed to a candidate for disqualification only where the candidate personally committed the conduct; directed or authorized it; knowingly participated in it; knowingly ratified it after learning the material facts; or, after actual notice, knowingly permitted an ongoing unlawful scheme controlled by the candidate or campaign to continue when the candidate possessed practical authority to stop it.

Section 3: Independent Supporters

Independent conduct by a supporter, party member, volunteer, voter, family member, or other person shall not disqualify a candidate merely because that person favored the candidate.

Section 4: Grounds for Disqualification

The court may order disqualification where the attributed conduct establishes one or more of the following and the violation is material to the integrity of the electoral contest:

(a) electoral bribery, vote buying, or a private electoral reward prohibited by Title 1, Chapter 3, Article 8 or Title 7, Chapter 7, Article 18;

(b) knowing creation or use of a counterfeit official ballot, election result, National Electoral Administration notice, candidate certification, or other false official election instrument under Title 1, Chapter 3, Article 6;

(c) a knowing or reckless materially false serious factual allegation or deceptive political epithet under Title 1, Chapter 3, Article 4 that is particularly grave or is repeated after formal notice and is attributable to the candidate under this Article;

(d) repeated intentional personal-appearance attacks under Title 1, Chapter 3, Article 5 after a final National Electoral Administration order directed to the candidate or campaign;

(e) substantial knowing misuse of public resources under Title 1, Chapter 3, Article 10 for the candidate's electoral advantage; or

(f) deliberate interference with voting, ballot security, counting, tabulation, recount, certification, or preservation of the election record, where such conduct is otherwise unlawful.

Section 5: Conduct Insufficient by Itself

A minor attribution error, ordinary political insult, lawful satire, harsh criticism, good-faith factual mistake, or isolated conduct by an independent supporter shall not by itself support candidate disqualification.

Section 6: Persons Authorized to Petition

The National Electoral Administration, an opposing candidate directly affected, or a registered political organization participating in the same election may petition for disqualification. An elector or other person may submit a complaint to the Administration, which may investigate and petition where the statutory standard may be satisfied.

Section 7: Expedited Procedure

A pre-election proceeding shall be heard on an expedited basis appropriate to the election calendar. The candidate shall receive the allegations and material evidence relied upon and may present evidence, argument, witnesses, and any defense authorized by this Chapter. The court may dismiss the petition, order a lesser lawful remedy, or order disqualification. The National Electoral Administration shall implement a final disqualification order according to the election calendar and ballot status.

Section 1: Judicial Review

A person or organization subject to a final civil fine or corrective order of the National Electoral Administration may seek judicial review. During an active election cycle, an appeal shall be filed within three calendar days after service of the final administrative order. Outside an active election cycle, an appeal shall be filed within ten calendar days. A court may affirm, modify, stay, or vacate the administrative order according to law.

Section 2: Effect of Appeal

Filing an appeal automatically stays collection of a monetary fine until judicial disposition but does not dissolve an evidence-preservation direction. A court may stay, narrow, or dissolve a labeling, correction, withdrawal, or removal order where appropriate pending review.

Section 3: Post-Election Remedies

Where a disqualifying violation is finally established only after voting has occurred, the court may order any election remedy expressly authorized by law and reasonably necessary to give effect to the candidate-eligibility rules, including withholding or setting aside certification of the disqualified candidate, directing lawful recertification, or ordering a new vote where no lesser lawful remedy can produce a valid result. The court shall state the legal basis and factual findings supporting the remedy.

Section 4: Relationship to General Provisions

This Chapter is a special election-law chapter. It governs the meaning and regulation of political propaganda during an election cycle and shall control over a general provision of Title 1 to the extent of a direct and irreconcilable conflict concerning the same election conduct. It does not repeal a criminal offense in Title 7, and criminal liability exists only where every element of the separate criminal offense is proved according to Title 7.

Section 5: Separation from State Propaganda

Political propaganda under this Chapter shall not be confused with official state propaganda, counterpropaganda, ideological education, public information, cultural mobilization, or strategic communications authorized elsewhere in the Civil Code. Official communications become subject to the election restrictions of this Chapter only to the extent expressly provided by Title 1, Chapter 3, Articles 1 and 10.

Section 6: Nonduplication and Separate Harms

No person shall receive duplicate restitution or duplicative punitive fines for the same legal injury. Separate remedies may nevertheless be imposed for distinct harms, separate publications, separate bribery transactions, separate misuse of public resources, criminal conduct requiring different elements, or candidate eligibility where independently authorized.

Section 1: Elements of Civil Defamation

Defamation is a civil wrong and not a criminal offense. A claimant shall identify the challenged statement with reasonable specificity and prove that: (a) the defendant communicated the statement to at least one person other than the claimant; (b) the statement was of and concerning the claimant; (c) a reasonable recipient would understand the challenged communication, in context, as asserting or necessarily implying an objectively verifiable fact; (d) the factual assertion was materially false; (e) it was defamatory in that it materially harmed the claimant’s reputation in the estimation of reasonable persons or materially deterred others from associating, dealing, or transacting with the claimant; (f) the defendant possessed the degree of fault required by Title 1, Chapter 4, Article 3; and (g) the claimant suffered the injury required for the remedy sought under Title 1, Chapter 4, Article 4.

Section 2: Material Falsity and Substantial Truth

The claimant bears the burden of proving material falsity. Substantial truth is a complete defense. A statement is substantially true where any inaccuracy does not materially alter the gist, sting, or reputational effect of the truth. Minor inaccuracies, immaterial mistakes, or technically incorrect details do not establish defamation where the material substance is true.

Section 1: Protected Expression

A statement is not actionable merely because it is insulting, offensive, vulgar, harsh, politically hostile, ideological, unpopular, or expressed through an epithet. Pure opinion, rhetorical hyperbole, satire, parody, jokes, artistic expression, and other language that a reasonable audience would not understand as asserting an actual verifiable fact are not defamatory. Labeling a factual assertion as “opinion” does not protect it where the statement reasonably implies a materially false and verifiable factual claim.

Section 2: Privileges and Fair Reporting

A fair and substantially accurate report or summary of a public record, court proceeding, parliamentary proceeding, official hearing, or official statement is privileged unless the person publishing the report knowingly fabricates, materially alters, or falsely attributes the underlying material. Statements made by a judge, advocate, party, or witness in the course of and relevant to a judicial proceeding, and statements made by a member of Parliament in the course of parliamentary proceedings, are absolutely privileged from civil defamation liability. Truthful quotation, good-faith correction, and a fair presentation of disclosed facts from which the audience may draw its own conclusions are protected.

Section 1: Public Officials, Candidates, and Public Figures

A public official, candidate for public office, general-purpose public figure, or limited-purpose public figure shall not recover for a statement concerning official conduct, candidacy, public activity, or the public controversy giving rise to that status unless the claimant proves actual malice by clear and convincing evidence. A political organization asserting defamation concerning its public political activity is subject to the same standard.

Section 2: Actual Malice

“Actual malice” means that the defendant actually knew the material assertion was false or published it while subjectively entertaining serious doubts about its truth or with a high degree of awareness of probable falsity. Negligence, failure to investigate, hostility, political opposition, or ill will standing alone does not establish actual malice. Deliberate avoidance of readily available contradictory evidence, fabrication, purposeful alteration of evidence, or reliance on a source the defendant actually knows to be materially unreliable may be considered with all other evidence in determining actual malice.

Section 3: Private Persons and Limited-Purpose Public Figures

A private person who is neither a public official nor a public figure shall prove at least negligence by a preponderance of the evidence. A person does not become a public figure merely by being discussed in public, being accused of wrongdoing, receiving temporary attention, holding ordinary employment, or involuntarily becoming involved in a controversy. A limited-purpose public figure is one who voluntarily takes a prominent role in a particular public controversy for the purpose of influencing its resolution, and that status extends only to statements materially related to that controversy.

Section 1: Damages and Retraction

Compensatory damages shall be based on proven actual injury, including demonstrated reputational harm, reasonably resulting economic loss, and other direct injury proved with competent evidence. Presumed or punitive damages shall not be awarded unless actual malice is proved by clear and convincing evidence. A prompt, conspicuous, and proportionate correction or retraction may mitigate damages but does not create liability and does not erase liability already established. No person may be imprisoned, criminally convicted, or have speech privileges suspended for defamation alone.

Section 2: Injunctive Relief

Before final judgment on falsity, a court shall not impose a prior restraint prohibiting publication of the challenged statement solely on the basis of defamation. After a final judgment, a court may order a narrowly tailored correction, removal, or prohibition against repetition of the specific factual assertion adjudicated materially false and defamatory where monetary relief alone is inadequate. The court shall not prohibit criticism, opinion, reporting, or discussion beyond the adjudicated false factual assertion.

Section 3: Special Motion for Early Dismissal

A defendant may file a special motion for early dismissal where a claim arises from speech, publication, petitioning, reporting, criticism, or participation concerning government, an election, a public official, a candidate, a public controversy, or another matter of public concern. Filing the motion stays general discovery until the court decides it, except that the court may permit narrowly targeted discovery necessary to resolve a fact essential to the motion. The claimant must then present legally sufficient evidence supporting each element required for the claim and, where actual malice is required, evidence capable of satisfying the clear-and-convincing standard. The court shall dismiss the claim to the extent the claimant fails that showing.

Section 4: Costs, Review, and Other Claims

A defendant who prevails on the special motion shall recover reasonable litigation costs and legal fees attributable to the dismissed claim. A claimant may recover such costs from the movant only where the court finds that the special motion was frivolous or filed solely to cause improper delay. Either party may seek immediate judicial review of an order granting or denying the special motion. Remedies under this Chapter do not displace a separately proved election-law, privacy, fraud, threat, harassment, or other claim based on distinct legal elements, but duplicate recovery for the same injury is prohibited.

Section 1: Establishment

The Great Seal of the Second Totemian Empire established by Imperial Order 61 is the supreme authenticating emblem of Imperial authority. The design adopted under Imperial Order 61, including its obverse and reverse impressions, shall be the lawful design of the Great Seal.

Section 2: Use

The Great Seal shall authenticate Imperial Orders, Letters Patent, commissions, treaties, and other instruments of the highest Imperial authority when its use is authorized or required.

Section 3: Custody

The Ministry of the Interior shall have custody of the Great Seal and shall maintain the safeguards and protocols governing its application and reproduction.

Section 4: Recognition

All state organs, courts, military authorities, diplomatic missions, and public institutions shall recognize a duly issued instrument bearing the authorized Great Seal as authentic.

Section 5: State-Symbol Administration

Any general Civil Code provision assigning custodial functions over state symbols shall not displace the Ministry of the Interior's custody and authorized use of the Great Seal.

Section 1: Coat of Arms

The Coat of Arms adopted under Imperial Order 10 shall be the official Coat of Arms of the Totemian Empire. Its lawful design shall be the design adopted and attached to Imperial Order 10.

Section 2: Flags and Standards

The flags and standards adopted under Imperial Order 10 shall be official state symbols of the Totemian Empire.

Section 3: State Flag

The State Flag shall use the design established under Imperial Order 10 as corrected by Imperial Order 15. The official aspect ratio of the State Flag shall be 17:9.

Section 1: Establishment

The following are recognized as the principal National Symbols of the Second Totemian Empire, as established and affirmed by Imperial Order 62.

Section 2: Principal National Symbols

(a) The National Animal is the Polar Bear, representing strength, endurance, and dominion over harsh frontiers;

(b) The National Bird is the Leucistic Bald Eagle, symbolizing purity, vigilance, and Imperial authority;

(c) The National Colours are Green, White, and Yellow, representing prosperity, unity, and glory;

(d) The National Currency is the Totemic Shilleng, serving as the official unit of economic exchange within the Empire;

(e) The National Flowers are Chamomile, White Roses, and Dogwood, signifying peace, honor, and resilience;

(f) The National Trees are Birch and Dogwood, representing renewal, endurance, and rooted strength;

(g) The National Liquor is Vodka, recognized as a traditional and cultural spirit of the Empire; and

(h) The National Sports are Basketball and Football (Soccer), representing unity, competition, and national spirit.

Section 3: Approved Representations

The approved representations, designs, and artistic renderings affixed to Imperial Order 62, where applicable, are incorporated by reference as the official representations of the corresponding National Symbols.

Section 4: Official Recognition and Use

All state organs, ministries, military branches, educational bodies, and public cultural organizations shall recognize and uphold the National Symbols in official, ceremonial, and public contexts. Their use shall reflect dignity, respect, and the unity of the Imperial State.

Section 5: Supreme Symbols of State Authority

The Imperial Flag, the Imperial Coat of Arms in its Lesser and Greater forms, and the Great Seal of the Second Totemian Empire are the supreme symbols of state authority and shall be used in accordance with their governing Imperial Orders and this Chapter.

Section 1: Victory Day

January 30th shall be observed as Victory Day throughout the Totemian Empire.

Section 2: Memorizmant

The seven days immediately preceding Victory Day shall be observed as Memorizmant (Memorial Week) in remembrance of those who died in the Great Patriotic War and in other conflicts fought by Totemia.

During Memorizmant, all flags shall be lowered to half-mast or surmounted by a black ribbon or pennant, except the Imperial Standard and any other flag expressly exempted by Imperial authority.

Section 3: Union Day

March 15th shall be observed as Union Day in commemoration of the Decree of Union. Union Day may additionally be observed on March 16th where applicable.

Section 4: Unification Day

April 24th shall be observed as Unification Day in commemoration of the founding of the Totem Empire.

Section 5: Totem Day

Totem Day shall be observed from June 8th through June 11th.

Section 6: Empire Day

July 5th shall be observed as Empire Day in commemoration of the founding of the Second Totemian Empire.

Section 7: Birthday of the Sovereign

July 11th shall be observed as the Birthday of the Sovereign.

Section 8: Halloween

October 31st shall be observed as Halloween throughout the Totemian Empire and shall be recognized as an official national holiday.

Section 9: New Year’s Eve

December 31st shall be observed as New Year’s Eve throughout the Totemian Empire and shall be recognized as an official national holiday.

Section 10: New Year’s Day

January 1st shall be observed as New Year’s Day throughout the Totemian Empire and shall be recognized as an official national holiday.

Section 11: Earth Day

April 22nd shall be observed as Earth Day throughout the Totemian Empire and shall be recognized as an official national holiday.

Section 12: Christmas

December 25th shall be observed as Christmas throughout the Totemian Empire and shall be recognized as an official national holiday.

Section 13: Orthodox Christmas

Following the enactment of the recent Christmas Holiday Act, which established the 25th of December as a national holiday in observance of Christmas, the 7th of January of each year shall henceforth be recognised throughout the Totemian Empire as “Orthodox Christmas”, in honour of the Nativity of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ as celebrated by the Orthodox Church according to the Julian Calendar.

Orthodox Christmas shall be designated a national holiday throughout the Empire and shall be observed annually on the 7th of January. It can be observed regardless of faith and this order shall in no way disrespect or disregard the constitutional right of freedom of religion

This Section codifies Imperial Order 68.

Sections 1 through 7 of this Article codify Imperial Order 44.

Section 1: Status and Precedence

The Most August Imperial Order of the Maragdus shall be the highest order of chivalry and dynastic order of the Totemian Empire and shall take precedence over every other Totemian order of chivalry or dynastic order.

Section 2: Grounds for Admission

The Order may be awarded for:

(a) extraordinary service to the Emperor and the Imperial Crown;

(b) distinguished service to the Totemian Empire and its people;

(c) exceptional contributions to the glory, stability, prosperity, or advancement of the Empire; or

(d) acts demonstrating the highest virtues of loyalty, honour, courage, or devotion.

Section 3: Motto

The motto of the Order shall be DOMINA NOSTRA NOS DIRIGAT VICTORÆ, meaning “May Our Lady lead us to victory.”

Section 1: Sovereign

The reigning Emperor shall be Sovereign of the Order and shall possess supreme authority over admission of members, reform of the statutes of the Order, granting and revocation of honours, and the ceremonial traditions of the Order.

The Sovereign shall not count toward the membership limit established by Article 3.

Section 2: Chancellor of the Order

The Caesarevich of Totemia shall serve as Chancellor of the Order and shall oversee its administration, records and traditions, assist with ceremonial affairs, and advise the Sovereign regarding appointments.

The Chancellor of the Order shall not count toward the membership limit established by Article 3.

Section 1: Membership Limit

The Order shall consist of no more than nine living members at any one time, excluding the Sovereign and Chancellor of the Order.

Section 2: Ranks

The ranks of the Order, in descending order, shall be:

(a) Knight or Dame Grand Cross of the Maragdus (GCM);

(b) Knight or Dame Commander of the Maragdus (CKM or CDM); and

(c) Knight or Dame Companion of the Maragdus (KM or DM).

Section 1: Name and Precedence

The former Order of Saint Michael the Archangel shall be known as The Most Exalted Order of Saint Michael the Archangel and shall rank beneath The Most August Imperial Order of the Maragdus.

Section 2: Existing Members

All existing members of the former Order of Saint Michael the Archangel shall retain their honours and privileges unless otherwise decreed by the Emperor.

Section 1 - Legislative Duties

The Chancellor has a duty to review and approve or veto bills in accordance with the Constitution.

Section 2 - Imperial Duties

The Chancellor has a duty to advise The Emperor in accordance with the Constitution.

Section 3 - Behavioral Expectations

Being the highest elected office in Totemia, the Chancellor should behave themselves publicly during their tenure to provide a good image for all of Totemia.

Section 4 - Personal vs Official Politics

The Chancellor is a political position, but they shall not provide or give benefits tied to the office to benefit themselves, candidates, parties, or other entities which they support from gaining an edge.

For the purposes of this section, "official" refers to any action, communication, resource, post, publication, announcement, website, or material that is conducted, issued, funded, published, posted, or endorsed through the authority of the Chancellor’s office or the central government, including but not limited to official documents, official announcements, official posts, official websites, projects, funding, or use of government platforms.

This can include, but is not limited to, putting their name on official documentation, official announcements, official posts, official websites, or project credits for political gain, or crediting political candidates, parties, or other entities on official materials without direct involvement.

The Chancellor shall not use official posts, official announcements, official websites, or government platforms to promote themselves, candidates, parties, or other entities in a way that normal candidates, parties, or entities would not have equal access to.

Indirect support, such as providing funding or campaigning for something to be created, posted, published, or promoted, shall be considered personal politics and must not be conducted using official resources or authority.

Section 1 - Salary

During their tenure, the Chancellor shall receive 15,000 SL in accordance with the Central Payroll Service.

Section 2 - Income Limits

During their tenure, The Chancellor shall not be entitled to payroll from the central payroll service that comes from other titles which they hold and must only be paid their official salary.

Section 3 - Chancellery Fund

The Chancellor shall receive a dedicated fund known as the Chancellery Development Fund, which shall have 50,000 SL allocated for the purposes of general construction, renovations, or upgrades related to the office of chancellery, including but not limited to chancellery residences or properties.

Section 4 - Benefits

The Chancellor shall be entitled to an event refund if they incur personal costs while hosting events tied to the chancellery and not tied to personal politics, provided that such refunds shall not exceed 20,000 SL per event.

Section 1 - Creation of Properties

The Chancellor may issue or direct the creation of a new property by executive order and must comply with any local laws regarding the use and purchase of land.

Section 2 - Management of Landmarked Properties

Properties which are under the management or use of the Chancellery may be modified, but only with approval and oversight by the High Government. This shall only apply to Landmarked Properties, as they hold historical or official significance when compared to other properties or residences. All Landmarked Properties shall be listed and established in Section 4 of this Article.

Section 3 - Construction

Development on land owned by the Chancellery may occur, but any costs related to the project shall be owed by the office of the Chancellery. The Chancellor may also accept donations, pay for such costs themselves, directly request additional funding for construction purposes beyond the Chancellery Development Fund, or use funds from the Chancellery Development Fund for construction or the purchase of land.

Section 4 - List of Landmarked Properties

Empty but left for future listings.

Section 1: Advisory

The Vice Chancellor is expected to provide advice and work with the Chancellor.

Section 2: Acting Chancellor

The Vice Chancellor shall be designated as the Acting Chancellor in accordance with the Constitution. A formal address shall be issued by executive order or Imperial Order regarding the appointment and dismissal of the Acting Chancellor.

Section 3: Behavior

The Vice Chancellor should behave in a mature manner when acting in their official capacity as the Vice Chancellor.

Section 1: Salary

During their tenure, the Vice Chancellor shall receive 7,500 SL in accordance with the Central Payroll Service.

Section 2: Vice Chancellery Fund

The Vice Chancellor shall receive a dedicated fund known as the Vice Chancellery General Purpose Fund, which shall have 15,000 SL allocated for the purposes of general construction, renovations, or upgrades related to the office of the Vice Chancellery, including but not limited to Vice Chancellery residences or properties.

Section 3: Benefits

The Vice Chancellor shall be entitled to a Mate Burger coupon to receive free goods at any Mate Burger location.

Section 1: Creation of Properties

The Vice Chancellor may request the creation of new properties through the Chancellor and/or The Emperor of Totemia.

Section 2: Management of Properties

Properties which are under the management or use of the Vice Chancellor may be modified or developed if requested and then authorized by the Chancellor and/or the High Government. Funding for such properties may come from the Vice Chancellery General Purpose Fund.

All local laws must be respected regarding land ownership and land obligations, including but not limited to local land taxes or fees.

Section 1: Definition

A concurrent mandate shall be defined as holding two or more offices, titles, or positions at the same time and thereby receiving the powers, privileges, or authority of those offices.

Section 2: Restrictions on Concurrent Mandates

Concurrent mandates shall be restricted for any offices or positions outlined in Section 3 of this Article. While subject to a concurrent mandate restriction, individuals shall not be required to resign from or lose their office, but they may not use the restricted powers listed under their specific use case.

Section 3: Restricted Offices

While holding the office of Chancellor, a person’s legislative, voting, and other parliamentary powers arising from any office, seat, title, or position in either House of Parliament shall be suspended. The same restriction shall apply to the Chancellor-elect until assumption of the office of Chancellor.

The Vice Chancellor shall exercise the full rights, powers, and privileges of membership in the House of Commons, including legislative and voting powers, through the seat held by virtue of that office. Those Commons powers shall remain exercisable under this Article.

While holding the office of Vice Chancellor, a person’s legislative, voting, and other parliamentary powers arising from any office, seat, title, or position in the House of Lords shall be suspended. The person may retain the affected office, seat, title, or position for the duration of that restriction.

Section 4: National ID and Parliamentary Records

Every individual elected, returned unopposed, or appointed to the House of Commons or the House of Lords, including the holder of the Vice Chancellor's reserved Commons seat, shall possess an active National ID verified against the Civil Registry before lawfully assuming parliamentary office. The competent parliamentary authority shall record compliance without publicly disclosing the ID number or other confidential identifiers.

A sitting member shall maintain an active National ID. A subsequent administrative error or loss of identification status shall be referred to the competent civil-registration authority for correction and handled subject to the Constitution. No loss of ID status shall independently empower an administrator to remove a sitting member contrary to constitutional rules on removal, recall, or vacancy.

Section 1 - Salary

Each member of Parliament shall receive 5,025 SL in accordance with the Central Payroll Service.

Section 2: Parliamentary Facilities

The Elara Building shall be the principal building providing Parliament with individual offices and shared dining, reception, medical, cultural, and indoor recreational facilities. Lerpn’s Annex shall comprise the newly added parliamentary lands and their associated outdoor grounds and supporting facilities, including gardens, walking areas, a nature reserve, outdoor recreation, farms, and supporting production facilities. The Imperial Reception Pavilion shall provide the Emperor with meeting, residential, and storage accommodation during visits, as a detached or connected supporting part of the complex.

These facilities shall serve both Houses, their members, parliamentary personnel, and authorized guests. Every sitting member of Parliament shall have a legal entitlement, for the duration of their tenure, to access and use the shared facilities of the Elara Building and Lerpn’s Annex, including their dining, medical, cultural, and indoor and outdoor recreational facilities.

Reasonable arrangements may govern use for safety, security, maintenance, capacity, and official events. Any temporary restriction shall be limited to the area and period reasonably needed for its purpose and shall not be used to defeat the member’s continuing entitlement.

The Emperor shall determine the lands assigned to parliamentary use or support and the design and arrangement of the complex. The Ministry of Infrastructure shall administer its upkeep under the Emperor’s direction.

Section 3: Offices and Access

Each sitting member of Parliament shall have the right, for the duration of their tenure, to an assigned individual private office for parliamentary work. Ordinary member offices shall not confer a right to residential accommodation, and members other than the two Speakers shall not be expected to live in their offices. Larger accommodation shall be provided for the presiding officers and may be provided for other important parliamentary responsibilities. Members may decorate their offices according to their preferences, subject to necessary structural and safety requirements.

The Speaker of the House of Commons and the Lord Speaker of the House of Lords shall each have the right, for the duration of their tenure, to use their assigned hybrid office and residential suite as an official residence. Each suite shall provide additional space for private sleeping accommodation, living space, and personal storage alongside its working and meeting areas.

A member’s office shall not be entered without invitation, permission, lawful authority, or a necessary emergency response. Public access to shared facilities shall not authorize entry into private offices.

The designated outdoor facilities of Lerpn’s Annex shall be available for public use, subject to opening arrangements and temporary restrictions for important events, official visits, security, maintenance, or other operational needs.

Section 4: Shroomleaf and Alcoholic Beverages

Within the Capitol Annex and on all other lands formally designated by the Emperor for parliamentary use or support, the cultivation, production, manufacture, processing, brewing, storage, possession, supply, distribution, sale, and consumption of shroomleaf and alcoholic beverages, including wine, shall be lawful and permitted.

These permissions apply to members of Parliament, authorized operators and workers, invited guests, and other persons lawfully present. They include the operation of parliamentary farms, breweries, wine-processing facilities, and related supply and distribution activities on those lands.

No subnational or local prohibition shall be applied to the permitted activities occurring wholly on those lands. Reasonable arrangements may govern where and how activities take place for safety, security, and the orderly operation of Parliament, but shall not impose a general prohibition throughout the designated parliamentary lands.

Activities occurring outside the designated parliamentary lands remain subject to the law applicable there.

Section 5: Production and Parliamentary Support

Parliamentary farms, bakeries, breweries, wine facilities, and associated services may produce and supply goods for parliamentary use and distribute or sell them to members, guests, and public customers. The permission for shroomleaf and alcoholic beverages in Section 4 shall apply to their manufacture and distribution through these operations.

Section 6: Administrative Arrangements

The Emperor and the Ministry of Infrastructure may make the ordinary arrangements needed to operate, maintain, and allocate the facilities, including office assignments, public opening periods, event restrictions, production schedules, and service arrangements, consistently with this Article.

Section 7: Capitol Annex

The Capitol Annex shall be the legal designation for the overall parliamentary complex, comprising the Capitol Building and its parliamentary grounds, the Elara Building, and Lerpn’s Annex.

Lerpn’s Annex shall be the new portion of the parliamentary complex, comprising the total land designated for the new parliamentary additions and the buildings, grounds, and supporting facilities situated upon it. It shall include the site of the Elara Building, the outdoor facilities, Marcellina’s Garden, and the Imperial Reception Pavilion where situated on that land.

The entire Capitol Annex shall constitute land used for parliamentary purposes. References in this Article to Parliament’s grounds or parliamentary lands shall include the whole Capitol Annex. The rights, permissions, and access arrangements established by this Article shall apply within it according to their respective scope.

The Emperor shall determine and formally record the boundaries or coordinates of the Capitol Annex and the component lands of Lerpn’s Annex. Any extension shall be formally designated and recorded following the applicable land procedures. These legal designations shall continue notwithstanding the expiration of temporary construction or funding provisions.

Section 1: Override Bill

An ordinary bill vetoed by the Chancellor may proceed through a Chancellor Override Bill under Article 12, Sections 5 and 5A of the Constitution. Constitutional amendments shall proceed under Article 5 of the Constitution.

Section 2: Veto Override Requirements

A Chancellor Override Bill shall require approval by at least 2/3 of the valid votes cast in each House.

Upon approval of a Chancellor Override Bill, the original bill shall be presented directly to the Emperor for Imperial assent.

Section 3: Public Referendum

Parliament may refer a proposed law, constitutional amendment, or amendment or repeal of existing law to a public referendum by a Parliamentary Referendum Resolution under Article 20, Section 18 of the Constitution.

Approval, counting, certification, and legal effect shall follow the applicable provisions of Article 20 of the Constitution.

For this Section, participating voters shall mean citizens who cast a valid vote on the question being decided.

Section 1: Parliamentary Bills

Every bill introduced in Parliament, including a bill to amend the Constitution or the Civil Code, shall contain the following enacting clause before its operative provisions:

"Be it enacted by the Parliament of the Totemian Empire, duly assembled, with the assent of the Emperor, as follows:"

Section 2: Name, Purpose, and Scope

Every parliamentary bill shall state the name by which it is to be identified and cited. It shall also include a section headed “Purpose and Scope” before its operative provisions. That section shall begin with “An Act” and state the subject and purpose of the bill.

Section 3: Date of Introduction

Every parliamentary bill shall state its date of introduction under the label “Date”. The date shall use month-day-year order, with the full month name, the numeric day followed by its correct ordinal suffix (st, nd, rd, or th), a comma, and the four-digit year, as in “October 13th, 2026”.

Section 4: Sponsors and Party Affiliations

Every parliamentary bill shall identify its introducing sponsors before the enacting clause. Each sponsor shall be listed by personal name, without an official title, followed by party affiliation in parentheses, in the form “Name (Party Affiliation)”. A sponsor with no party affiliation shall be shown as “Name (Independent)”.

The first listed sponsor shall be the prime sponsor. Where a bill has more than one prime sponsor, all prime sponsors shall be listed first under the heading “Prime Sponsors”, and every person in that group shall be a prime sponsor. Other sponsors shall follow under the heading “Co-sponsors”.

Section 5: Sponsor Statements

A bill may include one or more statements by its sponsors or co-sponsors. Each statement shall be headed “Statement from Name”, using only the personal name of the person making it, without an official title or party affiliation.

Statements may discuss any subject and include references or quotations. They shall be presented separately from the operative provisions, shall have no legal effect, and shall not enact, amend, repeal, or override law.

Section 6: Prime Sponsors’ Votes

During a digital vote on a bill, each prime sponsor entitled to vote in that House shall be recorded as voting in favor by default. Any formal vote or abstention recorded before voting closes shall replace that default record. At a sitting governed by Article 12, Section 23 of the Constitution, a prime sponsor shall vote during the sitting and shall be recorded as absent if not present in the chamber when the vote is taken. No sponsor shall be counted more than once in the same vote.

Prime sponsors are encouraged to cast formal votes.

Section 7: Public Referendums

A proposed law, constitutional amendment, or repeal submitted for enactment by public referendum shall use the following enacting clause in place of the parliamentary enacting clause:

"Be it enacted by the People of the Totemian Empire, as follows:"

Section 8: Legal Effect

The required enacting clauses shall not alter the voting procedures established by the Constitution or substitute for Imperial assent or certification of a public referendum, as applicable.

Section 9: Appropriations

Parliament shall have the right, by law, to appropriate funds of the Totemian Empire, determine their use, and amend or repeal appropriations.

Parliament may, by law, direct the transfer or reallocation of appropriated funds.

Section 1: Discretionary Authority

Where existing laws, regulations, or formal procedures do not adequately address a specific operational scenario, a Ministry shall exercise discretionary authority to resolve the matter within the scope of its functions.

Section 2: Limits on Discretion

Such discretion shall be exercised prudently, strictly within the lawful authority of the Ministry, and in a manner consistent with the fundamental intent of applicable superior legislation. No discretionary action shall contravene statute, established policy, or the lawful directives of superior state organs.

Section 1: Policy Orders and Limits on Authority

Ministries may issue Policy Orders to govern their internal operations and, where this Code or another superior law delegates rulemaking authority, to implement that authority within the lawful jurisdiction of the Ministry. A Policy Order shall not create a criminal offense, tax, appropriation, power of compulsory acquisition, or other coercive power unless superior law expressly authorizes it.

Section 2: Administration Orders

An Administration may issue Administration Orders under Title 2, Chapter 4, Article 5. An Administration Order is a distinct subordinate instrument of an Administration and shall not be styled, numbered, represented, or interpreted as a Policy Order of its parent Ministry.

Section 3: Restrictions on Offices and Subordinate Divisions

An Office or subordinate division other than an Administration shall not issue a Policy Order or Administration Order unless an Act of Parliament or Imperial Order expressly authorizes that organ to issue the particular instrument.

Section 4: Precedence and Conflicting Orders

A Policy Order of a parent Ministry shall prevail over every conflicting Administration Order or other subordinate instrument within that Ministry. An Administration Order shall be void to the extent that it conflicts with superior law, an Imperial direction, or a lawful Policy Order of the parent Ministry.

Section 1: Authorized Expenditure

Ministries shall possess discretionary authority over their allocated finances, provided that expenditures are authorized by the allocated fund, are appropriate to the lawful functions of the Ministry, and meet generally accepted standards of reasonableness.

Section 2: General Funds

Each Ministry shall establish a General Fund. The General Fund shall serve as the ordinary discretionary and administrative fund of the Ministry, distinct from dedicated or special-purpose funds and from the Imperial Reserve Fund of the Ministry of Finance.

Section 3: Retention and Reallocation of Funds

Funds lawfully allocated to and remaining within a Ministry’s General Fund shall remain under the ownership and control of that Ministry and shall not lapse, expire, or revert merely because they remain unspent. The Ministry may lawfully expend such funds as required or deemed necessary, subject to applicable law and financial accountability requirements. Parliament or the Emperor may, by lawful authority, withdraw, seize, transfer, or reallocate money from a Ministry’s General Fund.

Section 1: Proposal and Signature

Any personnel within a Ministry may propose a Policy Order. A Policy Order shall enter into legal effect only upon the signature of the Minister or of the Deputy Minister while lawfully acting as Minister under Title 2, Chapter 4, Article 6. The power to sign a Policy Order shall not otherwise be delegated unless an Act of Parliament or Imperial Order expressly permits delegation.

Section 2: Scope and Jurisdiction

Policy Orders shall remain strictly confined to the internal administration, functional scope, and expressly delegated statutory authority of the issuing Ministry. A Policy Order may regulate persons outside the issuing Ministry only where this Code or another superior law expressly authorizes a public-facing rule. No Ministry shall issue a Policy Order beyond its lawful authority, and any such Policy Order shall be void to the extent of the excess.

Section 3: Required Particulars

Every Policy Order shall record, at a minimum:

(a) the date of signature stated in the signatory’s local time, accompanied by the applicable UTC offset (UTC±), which shall be used regardless of daylight saving time status;

(b) a proper consecutive number, which shall be maintained even if older Policy Orders are repealed;

(c) the signatory's full name and official title, the Ministry, the principal legal authority for the Order, and the reigning Emperor; and

(d) the Ministry's official seal, if one has been adopted.

Section 4: Classification

A Policy Order may be classified in whole or part where the Emperor or signing Minister determines that publication would materially endanger national defense, state security, intelligence, diplomacy, an operation, a source, a protected person, or a secure system. Classification shall be no broader than necessary and shall never bar access by the Emperor.

Section 5: Effect and Registration of Classified Orders

A classified Policy Order shall take effect upon signature and secure communication to the persons whose conduct it governs. It shall be entered in a sealed register recording its number, date, issuer, legal authority, classification, and authorized distribution. A classified portion need not be published.

Section 6: Notice, Access, and Judicial Handling

A classified Policy Order shall not create a secret criminal offense, serve as the sole basis for criminal punishment, or impose a generally applicable duty on the public without adequate notice. Subject to a specific disclosure duty in superior law, access shall depend on authorization and need to know; title, rank, advisory membership, or general oversight alone shall not create access. Judicial handling shall proceed under Title 3, Chapter 2, Article 8.

Section 1: Ministerial Organization

A Ministry may organize its work through Offices and Administrations. Both forms shall remain subordinate to the parent Ministry unless an Act of Parliament or Imperial Order expressly establishes a different legal relationship.

Section 2: Offices

An Office is an internal unit for staff, advisory, records, coordination, technical, or other ministerial work. The Minister may create, reorganize, or dissolve an Office by Policy Order unless the Office is established or protected by superior law.

Section 3: Establishment and Protection of Administrations

An Administration is a continuing specialized organ responsible for an assigned field of execution, service, regulation, operation, or public administration. A Minister may propose the creation, reorganization, or dissolution of an Administration by Policy Order, but the action shall not take legal effect without approval of the Emperor. Parliament shall be informed of a proposed creation so that funding, leadership, and legal authority may be reviewed.

An Administration established directly by an Act of Parliament or Imperial Order shall not be abolished or materially deprived of its statutory jurisdiction through the general power in this Article. Such an Administration may be altered or dissolved only by the authority and procedure legally competent to alter its establishing instrument.

Section 4: Legal Status and Property

Unless superior law provides otherwise, an Administration is a subordinate public organ without separate legal personality. It has administrative custody of assigned personnel, records, funds, property, systems, contracts, and programs, but legal ownership remains with the Government, parent Ministry, or other owner designated by law.

Section 5: Leadership and Command

The default leadership offices of every Administration shall be the Administrator and Deputy Administrator. The Minister of the parent Ministry shall recommend both officers, and the Emperor shall appoint and may remove them at will. A special title established by law, including Commissioner-General, Director-General, or another principal title, shall satisfy this requirement where the law identifies that officer as exercising the office of Administrator or Deputy Administrator.

The Administrator shall command the Administration. The Deputy Administrator shall be subordinate to the Administrator, perform every lawful task assigned by the Administrator, and serve as second in command. The command, delegation, automatic acting succession, and special-design rules established for Ministers and Deputy Ministers in Title 2, Chapter 4, Article 6 shall apply to these two offices with the necessary substitutions. The parent Minister and Emperor shall retain their lawful powers of oversight and direction.

Section 6: Personnel Titles

Personnel of an Administration may be styled Administrative Officers. The Administration may assign functional, professional, operational, enforcement, or technical titles by Administration Order where consistent with law and the staffing authority of the parent Ministry.

Section 7: Administrative Powers

Within its assigned jurisdiction and available authority, an Administration may:

(a) execute and administer Acts of Parliament, Imperial Orders, lawful Policy Orders of its parent Ministry, Administration Orders, programs, and duties assigned to it;

(b) plan, organize, operate, and evaluate the services, systems, projects, facilities, and programs placed under its responsibility;

(c) appoint, assign, supervise, train, and discipline ordinary personnel where appointment or personnel authority has been delegated or conferred by law;

(d) administer funds, appropriations, accounts, property, equipment, records, contracts, and other resources assigned to it, subject to fiscal law and the authority of the lawful owner;

(e) maintain official registers, files, statistics, reports, correspondence, seals, and administrative systems required for its work;

(f) receive and process applications, filings, petitions, reports, claims, registrations, permits, approvals, certifications, notices, or other administrative matters where the underlying function is assigned by law;

(g) procure goods and services and enter ordinary contracts within available funds and contracting authority, subject to every approval or signature required by law or the parent Ministry;

(h) verify submitted information, inspect its own operations and assigned public property, require reports from subordinate personnel, and coordinate with other state organs, subnational governments, localities, persons, businesses, and organizations where reasonably necessary for its work;

(i) advise the parent Minister, prepare proposed Administration Orders, Policy Orders, or legislation, and submit reports and recommendations; and

(j) exercise powers expressly conferred by law together with the necessary and incidental authority reasonably required to carry them into execution.

Section 8: Limits on Incidental Authority

Necessary and incidental authority shall support an assigned power and shall not create a new jurisdiction. It shall not authorize an Administration to create a criminal offense, impose a tax or fee, appropriate money, arrest or detain a person, search or seize private property, freeze an account, compulsorily acquire private property, grant itself independent legal personality, or exercise another coercive or sovereign power unless superior law expressly grants that power.

Section 9: Scope of Administration Orders

An Administration Order may govern the Administration's personnel, internal organization, procedures, records, assigned programs, technical execution, case administration, and implementation of existing law or a Policy Order. It may impose a generally applicable requirement outside the Administration only where an Act of Parliament, Imperial Order, or lawful Policy Order expressly delegates that public-facing authority.

Section 10: Signature and Formal Requirements

An Administration Order shall enter into legal effect only upon signature of the Administrator or the Deputy Administrator while lawfully acting as Administrator. It shall state the Administration, parent Ministry, consecutive number, date, issuing officer, and principal legal authority. The official seal shall be displayed if one has been adopted. The classification, secure-registration, notice, and judicial-handling rules of Title 2, Chapter 4, Article 4 shall apply with the necessary substitutions.

Section 11: Ministerial Control and Precedence

The parent Minister may suspend or revoke an Administration Order and may supersede it by Policy Order, unless superior law places the Administration or the particular decision outside ordinary ministerial control. An Administration Order shall not amend, suspend, or repeal a Policy Order, Act of Parliament, Imperial Order, or other superior law.

Section 12: Continuity of Earlier Orders

A Policy Order lawfully issued by an Administration before the commencement of this Article shall continue as an Administration Order with its existing number, date, and lawful effect until amended, replaced, revoked, or expired.

Section 1: Ministerial Leadership and Appointment

Each Ministry shall be headed by a Minister. The Deputy Minister shall be second in command and subordinate to the Minister except where superior law assigns the Deputy an independent function.

The Minister and Deputy Minister of every Ministry shall be appointed and removable at will by the Emperor and shall serve at His Imperial Majesty's pleasure. The Emperor may directly supervise a Ministry, assign either officer additional responsibilities, or direct the temporary performance of a ministerial function.

Section 2: Direction and Delegation

The Minister may direct the Deputy Minister to perform any lawful task within the Ministry's jurisdiction, including supervision of Offices or Administrations, coordination of programs, review of work, representation of the Ministry, preparation of instruments, execution of ordinary documents, investigation of administrative matters, and delivery of reports or advice. The Deputy Minister shall obey every lawful ministerial direction and shall remain accountable to the Minister for its execution.

A ministerial direction or delegation may be limited, amended, or withdrawn by the Minister and shall not prevent the Minister from exercising the same authority. It shall not transfer a power that the Constitution, an Act of Parliament, or an Imperial Order requires the Minister to exercise personally, shall not control or obstruct a function assigned independently to the Deputy Minister by superior law, and shall not be used to evade an approval, concurrence, signature, consultation, or other condition imposed by law.

Section 3: Automatic Acting Succession

Upon a vacancy in the office of Minister, or during the Minister's absence, incapacity, recusal, loss of communication, or other actual inability to discharge all or part of the office, the Deputy Minister shall automatically act as Minister without a further appointment. The acting Deputy may exercise the Minister's powers and duties to the extent necessary for full and continuous operation of the Ministry. Where the inability or recusal affects only a particular matter, the acting authority shall be limited to that matter.

Automatic acting service shall end when the Minister resumes the discharge of office, a new Minister assumes office, or the Emperor appoints another acting authority or otherwise directs. The return or appointment of a Minister shall not invalidate a lawful act completed by the Deputy while acting. Ordinary travel, delegation, or workload shall not activate automatic succession while the Minister remains able to direct and discharge the office.

Section 4: Vacancy or Unavailability of Both Officers

Where both ministerial offices are vacant or unavailable, no lower officer shall acquire the powers of Minister merely by seniority. The Emperor may appoint an acting Minister or direct another lawful arrangement for continuity.

Section 5: Special Rules

The Constitution, an Act of Parliament, an Imperial Order, or a lawful Imperial appointment may replace or limit this Article for a particular Ministry, including its command, delegation, approval, deputy authority, succession, acting-service, or staffing rules.

A special rule shall displace this Article only to the extent that it expressly establishes a different rule or cannot operate together with the default. The addition of special offices, councils, procedures, or duties shall not by itself eliminate ministerial command or automatic deputy succession. A Policy Order shall not alter the statutory order of succession or a limitation imposed by superior law.

Section 6: Continuity of the Privy Council

His Imperial Majesty's Most Honorable Privy Council is continued as the formal cabinet and principal advisory council of High Government to the Emperor. Its continuity, membership, records, and lawful acts shall not depend upon re-establishment by statute.

Section 7: Presiding Authority

The Emperor shall be the sole head and presiding authority of the Council and may summon, adjourn, dismiss, or direct its business. For a particular meeting or matter, He may designate a Privy Councilor or supporting officer to circulate notice, organize proceedings, maintain the authorized record, or communicate the Council's advice. Such a designation shall be an assignment of duty only and shall not create a separate office or confer authority over other Privy Councilors.

Section 8: Council Membership

The following officeholders shall be ex officio Privy Councilors:

(a) every Minister of a Ministry established by law, including the Ministers of Transport, Interior, Finance, Engineering, Foreign Affairs, Agriculture, Infrastructure, Defense, and State Security;

(b) the Governor of the Imperial Bank of the Totemian Empire;

(c) the Marshal of the Empire and the Chief of the General Staff;

(d) each Service Commander and every other serving officer lawfully holding the rank of General, Admiral, Vice Admiral, or Rear Admiral in an Armed Service Command;

(e) the Director-General of State Protection, the Director-General of Intelligence, the Director-General of Ideological Security, and the Chief State Security Procurator; and

(f) any additional Privy Councilor appointed by the Emperor at His pleasure.

A person holding more than one qualifying office shall hold one membership. Appointment or promotion by the Emperor to an office or rank listed in this Article shall carry the corresponding Council membership unless He directs otherwise. A lawful acting officer may exercise the membership attached to an office only for the duration and scope of the acting appointment.

Section 9: Advisory Functions

The Council shall advise the Emperor, coordinate High Government, and consider matters placed before it by Him or raised by a Privy Councilor in accordance with His direction. It shall not bind the Emperor, and no vote, quorum, or concurrence is required before He acts unless He expressly orders otherwise.

Section 10: Classified Proceedings

Council proceedings and records may be classified by the Emperor or the lawful originator of the matter. Members shall protect classified Council business, and access shall be limited to those authorized for the particular matter.

Section 11: Salary

Each Privy Councilor shall receive 4,875 SL in accordance with the Central Payroll Service.

Section 1: Legal Meaning of Names and Styles

For purposes of this Code, an official name identifies the legal institution established or recognized by law. A formal state style is the full ceremonial and institutional name of the same organ. A short name or acronym has the same legal meaning where the context is clear.

Section 2: Formal Ministry Styles

Each Ministry's formal state style is its official Ministry name followed by "of the Totemian Empire." That style shall be used in Chapter headings, establishment or continuation clauses, seals, credentials, and formal state instruments. The shorter Ministry name and authorized acronym may be used in ordinary statutory and administrative text.

Section 3: Recognized Names and Acronyms

(a) The National Interlink Administration may be referred to as the NIA.

(b) The National Land Administration may be referred to as the NLA.

(c) The Ministry of Finance of the Totemian Empire may be referred to as the Ministry of Finance, MOF, His Imperial Majesty's Treasury, HIM Treasury, or the Treasury. His Imperial Majesty's Treasury is its alternative formal state style. These names identify the same Ministry and do not create a separate Treasury organ unless another law expressly provides otherwise.

(d) The Treasury Operations Administration may be referred to as the TOA or Treasury Operations.

(e) The Central Revenue Administration may be referred to as the CRA or Central Revenue.

(f) The Imperial Bank of the Totemian Empire may be referred to as IBTE. The full name shall be used in headings, establishment and continuation clauses, seals, credentials, and formal state instruments; IBTE shall be used as the ordinary statutory and administrative short name. IBTE is a separate state organ and is not the Ministry of Finance, His Imperial Majesty's Treasury, the Treasury Operations Administration, or the Central Revenue Administration.

(g) The Chancellor's Special Procuratorate of the Totemian Empire may be referred to as the Special Procuratorate or, where the context is unambiguous, the Procuratorate.

(h) The National Parks and Reserves Administration may be referred to as the NPRA or, where the context is unambiguous, Parks and Reserves. A National Reserve under Title 2, Chapter 16 is a protected-area designation and shall not be confused with the Imperial Reserve Fund of the Ministry of Finance.

(i) The Ministry of Transport may be referred to as MOT or, where the context is unambiguous, Transport.

(j) The National Railway Administration may be referred to as the NRA or National Railways.

(k) The National Highway Administration may be referred to as the NHA or National Highways.

(l) The National Parks and Reserves Enforcement Division may be referred to as NPRED or Parks Enforcement.

(m) The Office of Territorial Administration may be referred to as Territorial Administration.

(n) The Office of Civil Registration may be referred to as Civil Registration.

(o) The National Gendarmerie and Police Administration may be referred to as the NGPA, the National Gendarmerie and Police, or, where the context is unambiguous, the National Police.

(p) The Ministry of Agriculture may be referred to as MOA or, where the context is unambiguous, Agriculture.

(q) The Agricultural Affairs Administration may be referred to as the AAA or Agricultural Affairs.

(r) The National Farm Administration may be referred to as the NFA or National Farms.

(s) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs may be referred to as MFA or, where the context is unambiguous, Foreign Affairs.

(t) The Ministry of Defense may be referred to as MOD or, where the context is unambiguous, Defense.

(u) His Imperial Majesty's Armed Forces may be referred to as the Imperial Armed Forces or the Armed Forces.

(v) The Imperial Army Command may be referred to as the Imperial Army or the Army.

(w) The Imperial Navy Command may be referred to as the Imperial Navy or the Navy.

(x) The Imperial Aerospace Forces Command may be referred to as the Imperial Aerospace Forces, Aerospace Forces, or the Air Force.

(y) The Imperial Special Operations Forces Command may be referred to as the Imperial Special Operations Forces, Special Operations Forces, or Special Operations.

(z) The Ministry of State Security may be referred to as MSS or State Security.

(aa) The State Security Commission may be referred to as SSC.

(ab) The General Directorate for State Protection may be referred to as the State Protection Directorate or GDSP.

(ac) The General Intelligence Directorate may be referred to as General Intelligence or GID.

(ad) The Office of the Chief State Security Procurator may be referred to as OCSSP or, where the context is unambiguous, State Security Prosecutions.

(ae) The former FSB and the Committee for State Security, or CSS, are dissolved bodies governed by the succession provisions of Title 2, Chapter 28 and are not current organs of state.

(af) The Belekovsky Life Guard Regiment may be referred to as the Belekovsky Guard, the Life Guard, or the BLGR.

(ag) The Chancellor's State Communications Directorate may be referred to as the CSCD or, where the context is unambiguous, the State Communications Directorate or the Directorate.

(ah) The National Electoral Administration may be referred to as the NEA.

(ai) The National Organizations Administration may be referred to as NOA.

(aj) The Civil Corrections Administration may be referred to as the CCA.

(ak) The State Labor Protection Administration may be referred to as the SLPA.

(al) The Military Corrections Service may be referred to as the MCS.

(am) The General Directorate for Ideological Security may be referred to as Ideological Security or the GDIS.

(an) The National Library and Imperial Archives of the Totemian Empire may be referred to as the NLIA or, where the context is unambiguous, the National Library and Imperial Archives.

(ap) The Imperial Library of Parliament may be referred to as the ILP or the Parliamentary Library.

Section 4: Contextual Short Names

Where the context is unambiguous, a Ministry may also be referred to by the subject of its official name, including Transport, Interior, Finance, Engineering, Foreign Affairs, Agriculture, Infrastructure, Defense, or State Security.

Section 1: Authority to Sell

A Ministry, Administration, Office, or other state organ may sell goods, materials, supplies, products, agricultural output, services, surplus property, or other property lawfully assigned to or controlled by that organ where the sale is connected to its lawful functions or constitutes an authorized disposition of public property.

Section 2: Ownership and Classification of Own Receipts

Money received directly from a sale under this Article shall be the Own Receipts of the selling organ. Own Receipts shall remain available to the organ that generated them and shall be credited to its General Fund, operating fund, or other lawfully designated account. Where a subordinate body does not maintain a separate fund, its Own Receipts shall be credited to the designated fund of its parent organ for use in the functions that generated the receipts.

Own Receipts shall not constitute State Revenue and shall not be credited to the Collections Fund merely because they were received by a state organ. Another law may expressly designate specified receipts as State Revenue.

Section 3: Payments Imposed by Law

A tax, levy, statutory or regulatory fee, fine, forfeiture, compulsory assessment, or other payment imposed by law shall remain public revenue according to the law governing that payment and shall not be treated as a direct sale for the purpose of retaining it as Own Receipts.

Section 4: Use of Own Receipts

Own Receipts may be expended for any lawful function of the receiving organ under the same financial controls applicable to its other discretionary funds.

Section 5: Sale Records

Each direct sale shall be recorded in a manner sufficient to identify the property, product, or service sold; the quantity where applicable; the purchaser; the amount received; the date; and the account or fund receiving payment.

Section 6: Priorities for Goods and Output

In managing goods, materials, and productive output, state organs shall give priority, according to their functions, to public use, operational requirements, strategic or emergency stocks, economic support, public distribution, and development programs. Direct sale may be used where appropriate but shall not displace those priorities without a lawful administrative reason.

Section 1: Instruments Covered

Any formal written contract, agreement, memorandum, settlement, transfer, purchase, sale, cooperative arrangement, intergovernmental arrangement, international agreement, or other written instrument by which a Ministry, Administration, Office, IBTE, or another state organ undertakes a material obligation with an external person, entity, government, public body, or foreign party shall comply with this Article unless superior law establishes a more specific form.

Section 2: Official Seals

The first page or signature page of the instrument shall display the official seal, or officially authorized representation of the seal, of the principal Totemian state organ directly responsible for the transaction or commitment. Where a subordinate body is the principal administering body, its own seal may be used, but the instrument shall also identify its parent Ministry or superior state organ.

Section 3: Authority and Institutional Capacity

Every such instrument shall contain a clearly identifiable Authority and Institutional Capacity statement showing: the full official name of the principal Totemian state organ; its parent Ministry or superior state organ, if any; the title of the Totemian officer signing or approving the instrument; and the principal legal authority authorizing the organ to enter the transaction, including the relevant Act, Chapter and Section, Imperial Order, Policy Order, Administration Order, delegation, or other legal instrument where applicable.

Section 4: Imperial Attribution and Signatories

The instrument shall identify the reigning Emperor for formal state attribution. The Emperor or Chancellor shall sign only where the Constitution, this Code, another law, an Imperial Order, or the instrument's lawful approval procedure requires that signature.

Every actual signatory shall be identified by full name, official title or legal capacity, and date of signature. Where the signatory acts by delegation rather than by direct statutory authority, the instrument shall identify the delegation or other authority under which the person signs.

Section 5: Purpose and Obligations

The instrument shall state its material purpose and principal obligations with sufficient clarity to determine what the state organ has agreed to do. Where money, property, quantities, duration, delivery, continuing duties, or other material terms form part of the transaction, those terms shall be stated or incorporated by an expressly identified schedule or annex.

Section 6: Completion and Clerical Correction

A state organ shall not record or present an instrument as finally executed until the seal, authority identification, required signatures, and other information required by this Article are present. A clerical omission may be corrected, but correction shall not create legal authority, approval, or signature power that did not exist when the instrument was made.

Section 7: Additional Agreement Requirements

A more specific agreement procedure elsewhere in this Code or another law may impose additional requirements. International instruments shall also comply with Title 2, Chapter 22.

Section 1: Source of Imperial Authority

The authority of the Emperor is original, supreme, and direct. It is not delegated by a Ministry, Administration, Office, court, council, officer, or Act of Parliament.

Section 2: Direct Exercise of Governmental Functions

The assignment of a governmental function to a subordinate organ governs ordinary administration and does not exclude the Emperor from that function. The Emperor may personally exercise any executive, administrative, military, appointment, removal, investigative, protective, financial, or other governmental power, call up and decide any matter, command its disposition, or direct a competent organ to act.

Section 3: Power over Subordinate Instruments

Subject only to a requirement of cooperation expressly imposed by the Constitution, no Act, subordinate instrument, prior delegation, or allocation of jurisdiction shall be construed to bind, limit, divest, or subordinate the Emperor. He may dispense with its application in a particular case, suspend it, supersede it, or replace it by Imperial Order or other lawful Imperial direction.

Section 1: Hierarchical Competence

Within every lawful chain of command, a superior office possesses hierarchical competence over the functions of its subordinate offices. Unless superior law provides otherwise, the superior may direct performance, require a report, review an act, call up and decide a pending matter, or affirm, amend, suspend, revoke, or replace a subordinate administrative decision. A Minister may directly perform a function assigned to an Office or Administration of that Ministry, and the head of an organ may directly perform a function assigned to a subordinate unit or officer.

Section 2: Interpretive Maxim and Jurisdiction

The interpretive maxim qui potest plus, potest minus, meaning that one who may do the greater may do the lesser, shall support this doctrine only within the superior's lawful jurisdiction. It shall not create authority over an unrelated organ or a power of a different legal character.

Section 3: Reserved and Independent Powers

Hierarchical competence shall not transfer upward a power that the Constitution, an Act of Parliament, or an Imperial Order expressly makes personal, exclusive, independent, judicial, electoral, collective, or dependent upon a specified qualification, vote, concurrence, consultation, warrant, or approval. A special chain of command or allocation established by superior law shall govern to the extent of any conflict.

Section 4: Effect and Form of Direct Exercise

Direct exercise does not abolish the subordinate office, vacate its holder, or invalidate an earlier lawful act. The superior shall act in the name and by the instrument of the superior office and shall not falsely sign or record the act as that of a subordinate officer.

Section 1: Interorgan Assistance

A state organ or officer may assist a lawful public undertaking outside its ordinary portfolio through personnel, equipment, expertise, access, coordination, temporary supervision, or other useful support.

Section 2: Consent and Form

Noncoercive interorgan cooperation does not require a Policy Order, Administration Order, formal delegation, memorandum, appointment, or other written instrument unless superior law requires writing. Consent or direction may be oral, electronic, inferred from conduct, or shown by knowing acceptance.

Section 3: Temporary Coordination

A state organ or officer may assist or temporarily coordinate another organ's grant, contract, project, operation, service, inspection, event, or program. The receiving organ may authorize direction of the shared work without transferring permanent jurisdiction or general command.

Section 4: Continuity of Office and Command

An assisting person retains the original office, rank, and chain of command. Assistance alone creates no new office, promotion, appointment, compensation, or independent jurisdiction.

Section 5: Limits and Applicable Safeguards

This doctrine does not confer coercive, prosecutorial, judicial, appointment, removal, fiscal, custodial, property-transfer, or external-contracting power where law requires specific authority or writing. Applicable accounting, evidence, security, custody, contracting, and records rules remain in force.

Section 6: Dispute Resolution and Completed Acts

An interorgan dispute shall be resolved by the nearest common superior or, if none exists or the dispute remains unresolved, by the Emperor. A completed act is not invalid solely because the cooperation or temporary coordination was undocumented.

Section 1: Effect of Imperial Assent

The reigning Monarch stands first in the order of legal authority. Accordingly, Imperial assent to an Act supplies the authority of the Emperor for every legal consequence necessarily produced by the Act’s operative provisions. Where any preexisting law, rule, doctrine, or legal instrument subordinate to the Emperor irreconcilably conflicts with the Act, the Act shall control and the earlier rule is impliedly amended, suspended, superseded, repealed, or rendered inoperative to the extent necessary, even though the Act does not identify the earlier rule or use express words of repeal.

Section 2: Sources Subject to Displacement

This doctrine applies without regard to the form or ordinary rank of the earlier source, including a provision of the Constitution, the Civil Code, an Imperial Order, an earlier Act of Parliament, a Policy Order, an Administration Order, a Banking Council Order, a regulation, a subnational or local enactment, a binding rule of judicial interpretation, or another public legal instrument. It applies both where the Act permits, establishes, recognizes, protects, or requires what the earlier rule prohibits or defeats and where the Act prohibits or abolishes what the earlier rule permits or requires.

Section 3: Basis in Imperial Authority

The Act does not control because Parliament possesses authority above the earlier source. It controls because Imperial assent is a later legal expression of the authority that stands above every source in the hierarchy. A court or state organ shall therefore treat assent as the Emperor’s approval of every displacement necessary to give the Act practical legal effect. An earlier subordinate rule shall not be used to nullify or defeat the very statutory rule that the Emperor approved.

Section 4: Irreconcilable Conflict

An irreconcilable conflict exists where compliance with one rule would necessarily violate the other, or where enforcing the earlier rule would prohibit, nullify, punish, or materially defeat what the Act expressly permits, establishes, recognizes, protects, or requires. A court or state organ shall first adopt a reasonable interpretation that allows both rules to operate, but it shall not distort the enacted text or preserve the earlier rule in a manner that deprives the Act of practical effect.

Section 5: Extent and Limits of Displacement

Displacement extends only as far as necessary to resolve the conflict. Every separable portion of the earlier law or instrument that can operate consistently with the Act shall remain in force. An express preservation, limitation, or reservation contained in the Act or the instrument of assent shall govern, and a later lawful expression of the Emperor’s will may revise, restore, or reverse the resulting rule.

Section 1: Scope and Interpretation

In every operative provision of the Constitution, Civil Code, an Act of Parliament, Imperial Order, Policy Order, Administration Order, Banking Council Order, regulation, or other lawful instrument, the terms governed by this Article have the meanings stated below unless that instrument expressly assigns a different meaning. A court or state organ shall apply the word actually enacted and shall not convert permission, advice, prediction, or a condition into a legal duty.

Section 2: Shall

“Shall” imposes a mandatory legal duty, condition, prohibition, or required result. “Shall not” imposes a mandatory prohibition. A person or organ subject to “shall” has no discretion to disregard it, and failure to comply has the legal consequence supplied by the instrument or other applicable law.

Section 3: Must

“Must” is equally mandatory. It ordinarily states a condition, qualification, prerequisite, or requirement that must be satisfied, while “shall” ordinarily directs an identified person or organ to act or refrain from acting. That drafting distinction does not make “must” weaker than “shall.” Failure to satisfy a requirement expressed by “must” prevents the claimed approval, status, authority, right, or legal consequence from arising unless applicable law provides a cure, waiver, or exception.

Section 4: May

“May” grants permission, authority, or discretion and does not by itself impose a duty. “May not” states a prohibition, and “may only” confines the permission or authority to the stated circumstances. Every discretion granted by “may” shall be exercised lawfully, in good faith, within the purpose and limits of the grant, and consistently with superior law.

Section 5: Should

“Should” states a preferred, recommended, or desirable course and does not by itself create a mandatory legal duty. Failure to follow a provision expressed only with “should” does not by itself invalidate an act, create liability, establish an offense, authorize punishment, or compel performance, although the provision may guide a lawful exercise of discretion or aid interpretation.

Section 6: Will as a Verb

“Will,” when used as a verb, ordinarily states a future fact, intention, expectation, prediction, or consequence and does not by itself impose a duty or grant permission. Where an operative provision declares that a legal consequence will occur automatically upon a specified event, a court may give effect to that declaration as an automatic consequence. A statement that a person or organ will perform an act shall not be treated as equivalent to “shall” or “must” unless another operative provision supplies the duty.

Section 7: Will as a Testamentary Instrument

“Will,” when used as a noun to identify a person’s testamentary or succession instrument, has that separate legal meaning and is not governed by the future-tense rule. Capitalization alone does not determine which meaning applies; the grammatical use and legal context control.

Section 8: Exceptions and Criminal Liability

Convenience, custom, administrative practice, shortage, delay, hardship, preference, or past nonenforcement does not create an implied exception to “shall” or “must.” An exception, cure, waiver, or excuse exists only where the same instrument or superior law provides it. Criminal liability or punishment shall not be created solely from language that is merely advisory, permissive, predictive, or aspirational.

Section 1: Minister and Deputy Minister

The Ministry of Transport shall be led by the Minister of Transport.

The Ministry of Transport’s second in command shall be the Deputy Minister of Transport.

Section 1: Purpose

The Ministry of Transport shall be the principal Ministry responsible for the national administration, integration, coordination, and orderly operation of transport systems within the Totemian Empire.

Section 2: Transport Systems within Jurisdiction

Its jurisdiction shall extend to the National Interlink, national railways, national highways and roads, metropolitan transit and metro systems, waterways and canals used for transport, docks and landings, pedestrian transport connections, and other transport systems assigned by law or Imperial Order.

Section 1: Transport Powers

The Ministry of Transport shall have authority to:

(a) prepare, maintain, and implement a National Transport Plan;

(b) plan, classify, coordinate, and integrate national transport networks and corridors;

(c) determine national transport priorities and coordinate connections between different modes of transport;

(d) establish service, safety, access, operating, interoperability, technical, and administrative requirements within its jurisdiction by Policy Order;

(e) direct and coordinate the National Interlink Administration, National Railway Administration, and National Highway Administration in accordance with this Chapter;

(f) administer transport systems not assigned by law to a specialized Administration and assign such functions to an Office or Administration in accordance with Title 2, Chapter 4;

(g) approve, coordinate, or regulate connections to national transport systems where such approval or regulation is required by law or Policy Order;

(h) maintain transport-system plans, technical records, service records, network classifications, and other records necessary for national transport administration;

(i) request and coordinate survey, design, construction, maintenance, materials, labor, equipment, and project support from the Ministry of Infrastructure; and

(j) exercise such other transport-administration powers as are conferred by law or Imperial Order.

Section 1: Specialized Administrations

The National Interlink Administration, National Railway Administration, and National Highway Administration shall be Administrations of the Ministry of Transport and shall retain the specialized powers and duties established by their respective Chapters.

Section 2: Coordination of Shared Facilities

The Minister of Transport may coordinate those Administrations where projects share corridors, stations, terminals, bridges, tunnels, crossings, rights-of-way, interchanges, access works, or other connected facilities. Such coordination shall not extinguish a power specifically vested in an Administration by this Code.

Section 3: Other Transport Modes

Transport systems not specifically assigned to one of those Administrations, including metro, local or national transit, waterway transport, or another transport mode, may be administered directly by the Ministry or assigned to an Office or Administration in accordance with Title 2, Chapter 4.

Section 1: Division of Ministerial Responsibilities

The Ministry of Transport shall govern the transport-system purpose, network classification, sectoral planning, service, safety, operating requirements, and administration of transport systems assigned to it. The Ministry of Infrastructure shall retain its separate authority as the principal Ministry for physical development, design, construction, improvement, repair, and maintenance of infrastructure of any lawful kind.

Section 2: Construction Authority and Support

The Ministry of Transport and its Administrations may directly plan, design, construct, maintain, and operate transport infrastructure where this Code or another law grants that authority. They may also request the Ministry of Infrastructure to provide survey, design, construction, project-management, maintenance, materials, labor, equipment, or other physical-development support.

Section 3: Project Coordination

Where a completed project is to form part of a transport system under the Ministry of Transport, the two Ministries shall coordinate system requirements, acceptance, ownership, operation, and continuing maintenance before or during development.

Section 4: Joint Arrangements and Disputes

For a major joint project, the Ministers may establish a written project arrangement identifying the lead authority, division of work, funding, technical responsibility, operating authority after completion, and continuing maintenance responsibility. An unresolved jurisdictional dispute may be submitted to the Emperor for direction.

Section 1: Administrator and Deputy Administrator

The National Interlink Administration shall be led by the Administrator of the National Interlink Administration.

The National Interlink Administration’s second in command shall be the Deputy Administrator of the National Interlink Administration.

Section 1: Parent Ministry and Appointments

The National Interlink Administration shall be under the Ministry of Transport, with appointments for leadership being recommended by the Minister of Transport and approved by the Emperor.

Section 2: Oversight and Policy Orders

The National Interlink Administration shall be overseen by the Minister of Transport and shall, when requested or ordered, respond to and execute Policy Orders from its oversight parent.

Section 1: Principal Responsibility

The National Interlink Administration shall be the principal public authority responsible for the planning, development, construction, improvement, expansion, maintenance, repair, renewal, and administration of the National Interlink and its supporting infrastructure.

Section 2: Interlink Infrastructure

For purposes of this Chapter, Interlink infrastructure may include routes, corridors, lines, stations, terminals, bridges, tunnels, crossings, access works, supporting structures, utility works, construction facilities, maintenance facilities, and other works reasonably necessary to establish, connect, protect, improve, or operate the National Interlink.

Section 3: Statutory Powers

The National Interlink Administration shall have authority to:

(a) prepare and implement plans for the National Interlink as a connected national system;

(b) survey land, prepare maps, conduct feasibility studies, and undertake technical and route studies;

(c) determine routes, corridors, alignments, stations, terminals, crossings, and other Interlink facilities;

(d) prepare engineering designs, construction drawings, specifications, and project plans;

(e) construct, reconstruct, expand, modernize, improve, repair, renew, maintain, and administer Interlink infrastructure;

(f) acquire, own, operate, and maintain machinery, vehicles, tools, works yards, depots, workshops, materials, inventories, and construction or maintenance facilities;

(g) purchase and procure materials, equipment, components, and services required for Interlink development and maintenance;

(h) employ, assign, and organize planning, engineering, construction, inspection, maintenance, land, and operational personnel;

(i) acquire land, easements, rights-of-way, access rights, structures, and other property interests in accordance with Title 2, Chapter 6, Article 7 and other applicable law;

(j) establish technical, construction, maintenance, safety, and administrative standards by Administration Order where such authority has been delegated by the Ministry of Transport;

(k) close, restrict, divert, or temporarily alter Interlink infrastructure where necessary for lawful construction, maintenance, safety, or emergency operations;

(l) contract external persons or entities in accordance with Title 2, Chapter 6, Article 6;

(m) coordinate with the Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Infrastructure, National Land Administration, and other competent state organs in the execution of Interlink projects; and

(n) exercise other powers reasonably necessary for the lawful development, operation, protection, and maintenance of the National Interlink.

Section 4: Project Priorities

The Administration may prioritize projects according to network connectivity, capacity, travel efficiency, route efficiency, safety, economic development, public need, future expansion, maintenance requirements, and other lawful planning considerations.

Section 1: Development Stages

Major Interlink development projects shall ordinarily proceed through planning, feasibility, route selection, survey, design, land acquisition where required, construction, inspection or acceptance, and continuing maintenance. Detailed procedures for each stage may be established by Administration Order where the National Interlink Administration has been authorized to issue such orders under Title 2, Chapter 4.

Section 2: Planning and Feasibility Considerations

During planning and feasibility work, the National Interlink Administration shall consider the purpose of the proposed connection, projected use, existing and future network connections, engineering conditions, construction requirements, land impacts, expected travel or routing performance, maintenance requirements, and reasonable route alternatives.

Section 3: Simplified Procedures and Safeguards

The National Interlink Administration may combine or simplify development stages for minor works, routine improvements, repairs, or urgent works where doing so is reasonable and lawful. No procedural simplification shall dispense with the court authorization required by Title 2, Chapter 6, Article 7 for compulsory acquisition of private land or structures.

Section 1: Required Internal Capabilities

The National Interlink Administration shall maintain permanent internal capability for all principal stages of Interlink development and operation. At a minimum, its internal organization shall provide for:

(a) network planning, corridor development, project prioritization, feasibility analysis, route alternatives, and integration of individual projects into the National Interlink;

(b) surveying, engineering analysis, technical design, construction drawings, specifications, structural design, and other professional design work;

(c) direct construction, project management, construction logistics, site works, equipment and materials management, and implementation of approved designs;

(d) inspection, maintenance, repair, renewal, asset condition, and continuing operational readiness of Interlink infrastructure;

(e) right-of-way planning, negotiated acquisition, land-impact analysis, route-alternative records, compulsory-acquisition proceedings, and coordination with the National Land Administration; and

(f) technical standards, safety procedures, internal policy development, project review, and preparation of proposed Administration Orders, proposed Ministry Policy Orders, or other rules within the lawful authority of the Administration.

Section 2: Organization and Staffing

The Administrator shall organize those functions through Offices, project teams, works crews, specialist groups, laboratories, regional units, or other lawful internal arrangements as necessary. Detailed organization, staffing, leadership titles, and operating procedures may be established by Administration Order or other lawful internal instrument.

Section 1: Direct Construction Capability and Assets

The National Interlink Administration shall maintain permanent direct construction capability sufficient to undertake the ordinary planning, design, construction, repair, and maintenance needs of the National Interlink. It may employ or assign engineers, surveyors, designers, planners, builders, construction workers, equipment operators, project managers, inspectors, maintenance personnel, and other technical or operational personnel necessary for such work.

The National Interlink Administration may own, maintain, and operate the machinery, vehicles, tools, depots, workshops, works yards, materials, inventories, and other property reasonably necessary for direct construction and maintenance.

Section 2: Ordinary Delivery Method

Direct public execution shall be the ordinary method of carrying out Interlink works. External contracting of substantial design or construction work shall be supplementary and exceptional rather than the default method of delivery.

Section 3: Grounds for External Contracting

The Administrator may authorize external contracting only where a written determination finds that direct execution is not reasonably practicable or would materially prejudice the project because of a specialized capability unavailable within the Administration, a temporary lack of sufficient internal capacity, an emergency or urgent deadline, a need for specialized equipment or technology, or another substantial technical or operational reason making external performance necessary or clearly preferable.

Section 4: Procurement of Supplies

The procurement of materials, equipment, software, specialized components, or ordinary supplies shall not by itself constitute contracting out the construction or development of a project.

Section 5: Contractor Compliance

Every contractor and subcontractor performing work for the National Interlink Administration shall comply with the Civil Code and all applicable labor, wage, payment, working-time, safety, and employment laws. No contract may be used to avoid obligations that would otherwise apply to lawful labor performed on an Interlink project.

Section 6: Retention of Public Authority

The use of an external contractor shall not transfer the statutory authority or public responsibility of the National Interlink Administration. The Administration shall retain authority over project approval, route selection, design acceptance, inspection, standards, completion, and final acceptance of the work. A contractor shall not exercise compulsory land-acquisition authority, regulatory authority, or Administration Order authority unless a law expressly provides otherwise.

Section 1: Acquisition Authority

The National Interlink Administration may acquire land, easements, rights-of-way, access rights, buildings, structures, or other property interests reasonably necessary for the development, construction, protection, maintenance, or improvement of the National Interlink, subject to the Constitution, the Civil Code, and other applicable law.

Section 2: Public Land and Consensual Arrangements

Where reasonably practicable, the Administration shall first seek to use existing public land, existing corridors, voluntary purchase, exchange, negotiated easements, or other consensual arrangements. The existence of private property along a technically desirable route shall not, by itself, prevent that route from being studied or proposed.

Section 3: Route and Land Impact Statement

Before seeking compulsory acquisition, the National Interlink Administration shall prepare a Route and Land Impact Statement identifying the proposed route or site, the private land and structures affected, reasonable alternative routes or designs considered, and the principal reasons for selecting the proposed route. The Statement shall address, as applicable, engineering feasibility, safety, network connectivity, route efficiency, travel speed or capacity, construction difficulty, construction and maintenance cost, expected delay, future expansion, and the amount of private land or structures that would be affected.

Section 4: Less-disruptive Alternatives

The Administration shall make reasonable efforts to develop and evaluate alternatives that reduce the loss of private land and structures. This duty shall require genuine consideration of less-disruptive routes, but shall not require selection of an alternative merely because it avoids private property.

Section 5: Notice and Owner Proposals

An owner whose land or structure would be subject to compulsory acquisition shall be given reasonable notice and may submit an alternative route, alignment, design, access arrangement, or other proposal intended to reduce or avoid the acquisition. The National Interlink Administration shall evaluate such proposal in good faith and shall include the proposal and its response in any subsequent court proceeding concerning the acquisition.

Section 6: Judicial Authorization and Required Findings

No private land or structure shall be compulsorily acquired under this Chapter without authorization from a court of competent jurisdiction. The National Interlink Administration shall bear the burden of establishing to the satisfaction of the court that:

(a) the acquisition serves a lawful National Interlink purpose;

(b) the property interest sought is no greater than reasonably necessary for that purpose;

(c) reasonable alternatives, including alternatives submitted by affected owners, were actually considered; and

(d) the selected route or site is reasonably justified when the reduction of private land loss offered by alternatives is weighed against engineering feasibility, safety, network connectivity, route efficiency, speed or capacity, construction and maintenance cost, delay, future expansion, and other material project considerations.

Section 7: Assessment of Alternative Routes

The existence of a physically possible route that avoids a particular parcel or structure shall not, by itself, defeat compulsory acquisition. A court may authorize the proposed route where avoidance would cause a material and disproportionate loss of engineering quality, safety, network function, routing efficiency, speed, capacity, constructability, maintainability, or other substantial public benefit when compared with the private land loss avoided.

Section 8: Compensation and Registration

Compensation, title transfer, registration, and other property consequences of compulsory acquisition shall be governed by the Civil Code and other applicable law. The National Interlink Administration shall coordinate with the National Land Administration for the lawful registration of acquired land or property interests.

Section 9: No Automatic Annexation

The sentence in Title 4, Chapter 1, Article 1, Section 6 of the Civil Code providing that Interlink right-of-way land shall be annexed and become public land shall not cause automatic annexation merely because a route, frame, pillar, station, access point, or supporting work is planned or placed. Private land shall become public land only after negotiated transfer or a final court authorization under this Article, satisfaction of compensation and other conditions required by law, and registration of the resulting public interest.

Section 10: Existing Structures and Dual Approval

Where an existing structure is affected, the approval of the Emperor required by the Civil Code and the court authorization required by this Article shall both be obtained for compulsory destruction, removal, substantial alteration, or acquisition. Neither approval shall substitute for the other.

Section 1: Maintenance and Renewal Duties

The National Interlink Administration shall maintain the National Interlink in a condition reasonably suitable for its intended public function and shall conduct inspection, repair, renewal, replacement, capacity improvement, and preventative maintenance as necessary.

Section 2: Temporary Closures and Access

For construction, maintenance, safety, or emergency purposes, the National Interlink Administration may lawfully close, restrict, divert, or temporarily alter the use of Interlink infrastructure and may establish temporary routes or access arrangements, subject to superior law and reasonable measures to preserve essential connectivity where practicable.

Section 3: Modernization and Improvement

The National Interlink Administration may modernize, widen, realign, reconstruct, replace, or otherwise improve existing Interlink works where reasonably necessary to improve capacity, safety, durability, routing, connectivity, maintenance, or future development.

Section 1: Leadership

The National Railway Administration shall be led by the Administrator of the National Railway Administration. Its second in command shall be the Deputy Administrator of the National Railway Administration.

Section 2: Parent Ministry and Appointments

The National Railway Administration shall be under the Ministry of Transport. Appointments for Administrator and Deputy Administrator shall be recommended by the Minister of Transport and approved by the Emperor.

Section 1: Railway Jurisdiction

The National Railway Administration shall be the specialized national authority responsible for the planning, development, construction, operation, maintenance, improvement, safety, and administration of the National Railway System, except for railway infrastructure formally designated as part of the National Interlink and therefore placed under the National Interlink Administration.

Section 2: National Railway Infrastructure

The National Railway System may include railway lines, corridors, stations, stops, terminals, depots, yards, crossings, bridges, tunnels, access works, railway equipment, signaling and control infrastructure, maintenance facilities, and other works reasonably necessary for national railway service.

Section 1: Railway Powers

The National Railway Administration shall have authority to:

(a) plan and administer the National Railway System;

(b) survey and study routes, corridors, stations, terminals, yards, depots, crossings, bridges, tunnels, and other railway facilities;

(c) prepare feasibility studies, engineering work, technical designs, construction plans, service plans, and capacity or expansion plans;

(d) design, construct, reconstruct, expand, improve, repair, maintain, and operate railway infrastructure under its jurisdiction;

(e) establish railway service patterns, route classifications, technical standards, safety standards, connection requirements, operating procedures, and maintenance requirements by Administration Order where authorized by the Ministry of Transport;

(f) own, acquire, operate, and maintain construction and maintenance equipment, facilities, materials, depots, yards, workshops, and other property necessary for railway functions;

(g) employ, assign, and organize works crews, technical staff, operational staff, inspectors, and maintenance personnel;

(h) regulate connection to or use of National Railway infrastructure in accordance with lawful safety, technical, access, capacity, and operating requirements;

(i) acquire land or property interests for National Railway projects in accordance with the safeguards incorporated from Title 2, Chapter 6, Article 7;

(j) contract external persons or entities where permitted by this Chapter; and

(k) exercise other railway powers assigned by law, Imperial Order, or lawful Policy Order of the Ministry of Transport.

Section 2: Direct Execution and External Contracting

Direct public execution shall be the ordinary method for substantial work where the Administration possesses reasonable internal capacity. The Administration may request development or construction support from the Ministry of Infrastructure. Substantial external contracting shall be supplementary and shall require a written determination of specialized need, temporary lack of capacity, emergency, specialized technology or equipment, or another substantial operational reason. Contractors and subcontractors shall comply with the Civil Code and all applicable labor laws.

Section 3: Compulsory Acquisition Safeguards

Where compulsory acquisition of private land or structures is necessary for a National Railway project, the Administration shall follow the procedural and judicial safeguards established for the National Interlink Administration under Title 2, Chapter 6, Article 7, with the necessary substitutions for railway purposes.

Section 4: Connections to National Railways

A local, private, or other non-national railway may connect to or use National Railway infrastructure only in accordance with lawful safety, technical, access, capacity, and operating requirements established by the Administration or the Ministry of Transport.

Section 1: Leadership

The National Highway Administration shall be led by the Administrator of the National Highway Administration. Its second in command shall be the Deputy Administrator of the National Highway Administration.

Section 2: Parent Ministry and Appointments

The National Highway Administration shall be under the Ministry of Transport. Appointments for Administrator and Deputy Administrator shall be recommended by the Minister of Transport and approved by the Emperor.

Section 1: Highway Jurisdiction

The National Highway Administration shall be the specialized national authority responsible for the planning, development, construction, operation, maintenance, improvement, safety, and administration of the National Highway System.

Section 2: National Highway Infrastructure

The National Highway System may include nationally designated highways, roads, streets, bridges, tunnels, interchanges, junctions, crossings, shoulders, barriers, drainage, signs, lighting, rest areas, access works, pedestrian or cycling connections, maintenance facilities, and other road infrastructure reasonably necessary for the national network.

Section 3: Designation, Classification, and Ownership

A road owned or controlled by the Imperial Government may be designated, reclassified, or removed from the National Highway System by Policy Order of the Minister of Transport after consultation with the National Highway Administration. A locally controlled or privately owned road shall not be transferred into Imperial ownership merely by classification and may enter the National Highway System only through lawful agreement, transfer, acquisition, or other authority.

Section 1: Highway Powers

The National Highway Administration shall have authority to:

(a) plan and administer the National Highway System;

(b) survey routes and prepare highway, road, bridge, tunnel, interchange, junction, and corridor plans;

(c) establish route, design, construction, safety, maintenance, traffic-control, and technical standards by Administration Order where authorized by the Ministry of Transport;

(d) design, construct, reconstruct, expand, realign, improve, repair, maintain, and operate National Highway infrastructure;

(e) manage temporary closures, diversions, access restrictions, and traffic arrangements required for construction, maintenance, safety, or emergency operations;

(f) designate, reclassify, or remove Imperial Government roads from the National Highway System through the procedure established by this Chapter;

(g) own, acquire, operate, and maintain works crews, equipment, materials, depots, maintenance facilities, signs, barriers, lighting, drainage works, and other property necessary for the National Highway System;

(h) acquire land or property interests for National Highway projects in accordance with the safeguards incorporated from Title 2, Chapter 6, Article 7;

(i) provide technical assistance or construction support to other road authorities where lawfully authorized;

(j) contract external persons or entities where permitted by this Chapter; and

(k) exercise other highway powers assigned by law, Imperial Order, or lawful Policy Order of the Ministry of Transport.

Section 2: Direct Execution and External Contracting

Direct public execution shall be the ordinary method for substantial work where the Administration possesses reasonable internal capacity. The Administration may request development or construction support from the Ministry of Infrastructure. Substantial external contracting shall be supplementary and shall require a written determination of specialized need, temporary lack of capacity, emergency, specialized technology or equipment, or another substantial operational reason. Contractors and subcontractors shall comply with the Civil Code and all applicable labor laws.

Section 3: Compulsory Acquisition Safeguards

Where compulsory acquisition of private land or structures is necessary for a National Highway project, the Administration shall follow the procedural and judicial safeguards established for the National Interlink Administration under Title 2, Chapter 6, Article 7, with the necessary substitutions for highway purposes.

Section 4: Roads outside the National System

Roads and streets not included in the National Highway System shall remain under the lawful authority of their existing owner or competent government, without preventing technical assistance, funding, or construction support from the Ministry of Transport, National Highway Administration, or Ministry of Infrastructure where lawfully authorized.

Section 1: Ministerial Leadership and Acting Authority

The Ministry of Interior shall be led by the Minister of Interior.

The Deputy Minister of Interior shall be the Ministry's second in command and shall act for the Minister during the Minister's absence or incapacity, subject to any contrary direction of the Emperor.

Section 1: Purpose and Jurisdiction

The Ministry of Interior shall be the principal Ministry responsible for domestic civil administration, territorial and settlement administration, civil registration, electoral administration, organization registration and recognition, civilian corrections, labor protection and enforcement, and national civil policing, and for coordinating national land and protected-land administration within the Totemian Empire.

Section 2: Administrative Leadership

The Ministry shall exercise unified administrative leadership over the domestic records and functions assigned to it by law and shall implement the Constitution, Acts of Parliament, Imperial Orders, the Civil Code, and other applicable law within its jurisdiction.

Section 3: Ministry Powers

The Ministry of Interior shall have authority to:

(a) exercise unified administration over domestic civil, territorial, settlement, civil-registration, electoral, organization-registration, civil-corrections, labor-protection, national land, protected-land, and public-security matters assigned to it by law;

(b) direct and supervise the Office of Territorial Administration, Office of Civil Registration, National Electoral Administration, National Organizations Administration, Civil Corrections Administration, State Labor Protection Administration, National Gendarmerie and Police Administration, National Land Administration, and National Parks and Reserves Administration;

(c) administer settlement-charter applications and exercise the settlement-chartering authority vested in the Minister of Interior by the Constitution;

(d) maintain the Territorial and Settlement Register, Settlement Registry, Civil Registry, Imperial Register of Electors, and Unified Register of Organizations through the competent organs of the Ministry;

(e) receive, examine, and determine applications for registration or official recognition where the Civil Code or another law assigns the decision to the Totemian Government and does not designate another competent authority;

(f) require subnational governments, localities, and competent state organs to provide official administrative information reasonably necessary for functions assigned to the Ministry;

(g) coordinate authoritative domestic records with IBTE, Ministry of Finance, National Land Administration, and other competent state organs without displacing records legally maintained by those organs;

(h) issue Policy Orders governing matters within the Ministry's jurisdiction;

(i) direct administrative inspections, reviews, reporting, and coordination of subordinate Offices and Administrations; and

(j) exercise other domestic civil-administration powers conferred by law or Imperial Order.

Section 1: Ministerial Organs

The Ministry shall include the Office of Territorial Administration and the Office of Civil Registration. The National Electoral Administration, National Organizations Administration, Civil Corrections Administration, State Labor Protection Administration, National Gendarmerie and Police Administration, National Land Administration, and National Parks and Reserves Administration shall be Administrations of the Ministry.

Section 2: Temporary Personnel Assignments

The Minister may assign available Ministry personnel to support an election, registration drive, inspection, or other temporary domestic-administration requirement. A temporary assignment shall not transfer the officer's permanent office or create a new organizational unit.

Section 3: Coordination of Overlapping Functions

The Minister shall coordinate the Ministry's organs where their functions overlap, including territorial status, civil status, citizenship, voter eligibility, organization status, civil custody, labor protection, land, protected lands, public security, identity verification, and domestic records.

Section 1: Establishment

There is established within the Ministry of Interior an Office of Territorial Administration.

Section 2: Leadership and Personnel

The Office shall be led by the Director of Territorial Administration. The Deputy Director of Territorial Administration shall be second in command. Both officers shall be appointed and removable at will by the Minister of Interior unless the Emperor directs otherwise. Other personnel may be styled Territorial Administration Officers or receive functional titles by Policy Order.

Section 3: Territorial and Settlement Register

The Office shall maintain the Territorial and Settlement Register for subnational governments, localities, settlements, and other territorial units recognized by law. The Register may record official names, legal classifications, governing authorities, principal officeholders, lawful boundaries, governing instruments, administrative parents, and current legal status.

Entries shall record legal facts established by competent authority. Subnational governments, localities, and competent state organs shall provide official information reasonably necessary to keep the Register accurate, including lawful changes in officeholders, names, charter status, and boundaries.

Section 4: Coordination with Land Administration

The Office shall coordinate with the National Land Administration where territorial or settlement records depend upon registered parcels, coordinates, land boundaries, ownership records, or other authoritative land information.

Section 1: Chartering Function and Registry

The Ministry shall administer the settlement-chartering function assigned to the Minister of Interior by the Constitution and shall maintain the Settlement Registry as part of the Territorial and Settlement Register.

Section 2: Applications

An application for a settlement charter shall be filed with the Office of Territorial Administration and shall identify the proposed name and classification, the applicable subnational government or locality, the location or boundaries, the proposed governing arrangement, and any other information required by law or Policy Order.

Section 3: Examination

The Office shall examine the application for completeness, duplication, territorial conflict, consistency with registered land and boundary records, and compliance with lawful settlement classifications. It shall prepare the matter for decision by the Minister and may require correction of incomplete or materially inaccurate information.

Section 4: Decision and Reasons

A settlement charter may be approved by the Minister of Interior by signature or directly by the Emperor. The Minister may refuse an application that does not comply with law and shall state the principal reasons in the administrative record.

Section 5: Commencement and Registration

An approved charter shall take effect on the date stated by the approving authority or, if no date is stated, upon lawful approval. The Office shall enter the charter into the Settlement Registry without undue delay.

Section 6: Amendment, Reclassification, and Dissolution

A material amendment or reclassification shall be recorded through an amended charter or other lawful instrument approved by the Minister or the Emperor unless another law provides a different procedure. Dissolution or involuntary loss of charter status shall occur only under competent legal authority.

Section 1: Establishment

There is established within the Ministry of Interior an Office of Civil Registration.

Section 2: Leadership and Personnel

The Office shall be led by the Registrar-General of the Totemian Empire. The Deputy Registrar-General shall be second in command. Both officers shall be appointed and removable at will by the Minister of Interior unless the Emperor directs otherwise. Other personnel may be styled Civil Registrars or receive functional titles by Policy Order.

Section 3: Civil Registry

The Office shall maintain the Civil Registry for civil-status records assigned to the Ministry by law, including civil marriages and divorces, citizenship applications and oaths, and other records concerning the legal status of natural persons.

Section 4: Citizenship Records

The Office may receive, examine, process, and preserve citizenship applications and oath records required by the Constitution or other law. It shall provide authoritative citizenship and civil-status information to the National Electoral Administration and other competent state organs where authorized by law.

Section 5: Marriage and Divorce

Civil marriage and divorce registration shall be administered under the Civil Code without compelling a religious organization to perform or recognize a religious marriage contrary to its lawful doctrine.

Section 6: Fiduciary Registrar

The Registrar-General shall designate a Civil Registrar as Fiduciary Registrar to maintain the Register of Estates and Trusts, register instruments and status changes, and certify fiduciary authority under Title 1, Chapter 2. The designation creates no separate office or Administration and may be held with another civil-registration assignment.

Section 1: Administrative Records and Access

The Ministry may maintain and use domestic administrative records reasonably necessary for its statutory duties and may receive information from other state systems where access is authorized by law.

Section 2: Authoritative Records

The Ministry shall respect the authoritative record maintained by the organ legally responsible for the underlying information. Financial records shall remain authoritative in IBTE and Treasury systems, organization status shall remain authoritative in the Unified Register of Organizations, and parcel ownership and land valuation records shall remain authoritative in the National Land Administration where law so provides.

Section 3: Demographic and Financial Information

Where law authorizes demographic or civil information, the Ministry may administer the portion within its jurisdiction. Financial information needed for a lawful function shall be obtained from the competent financial authority.

Section 4: Accuracy, Preservation, and Confidentiality

The Ministry shall maintain procedures for correcting administrative errors, recording amendments, preserving official records, and protecting personal, confidential, restricted, electoral, organization, and law-enforcement information. Disclosure shall occur only where permitted or required by law.

Section 1: Establishment

There is established under the Ministry of Interior the National Electoral Administration.

Section 2: Leadership

The Administration shall be led by the Administrator of the National Electoral Administration, who shall also hold the functional title of Chief Electoral Registrar. The Deputy Administrator shall also hold the functional title of Deputy Chief Electoral Registrar and shall be second in command. Both officers shall be recommended by the Minister of Interior and appointed by the Emperor without a fixed statutory term.

Section 3: Election Personnel

The Administration may appoint Returning Officers, Election Officers, Poll Officers, and other temporary election personnel for a particular vote. A permanent officer may hold more than one electoral function where the Administrator determines that the assignments can be performed competently.

Section 1: Imperial Register of Electors

The National Electoral Administration shall maintain a single Imperial Register of Electors derived from the Civil Registry and other authoritative records. Only registered citizens who satisfy the qualifications established by the Constitution and other law may be entered as electors. A Policy Order shall not create a new qualification or disqualification for voting or candidacy.

Section 2: Conduct of Elections and Public Votes

The Administration shall conduct general and special elections, public referendums, recalls, and other public votes assigned to the Imperial Government. It may receive candidate filings and ballot petitions; verify eligibility and petition signatures; issue election calendars and public notices; prepare ballots and voting instructions; designate polling arrangements; secure voting systems and ballot materials; conduct the vote; count and tabulate valid votes; reconcile voter and ballot records; conduct an administrative audit or recount; preserve the election record; and publish and certify the administrative result.

Section 3: Coordination of Authoritative Records

The Office of Civil Registration and Office of Territorial Administration shall provide the citizenship, identity, civil-status, and territorial information required to maintain the register and conduct a vote. Each Office shall remain responsible for the authoritative records within its jurisdiction.

Section 4: Final Legal Effect of Results

A general-election result, parliamentary return, or other result requiring confirmation or approval by the Emperor shall not acquire final legal effect until that constitutional requirement is satisfied. A referendum or recall shall take effect as provided by the Constitution and other law.

Section 5: Ballot Secrecy and Electoral Integrity

Voting shall be secret. The register, ballots, count, audit, and certification records shall be protected against unauthorized alteration, duplication, disclosure, destruction, or interference. Candidate access and administrative treatment shall be applied according to law without favoritism by the Administration.

Section 6: Corrections, Recounts, and Referrals

The Administrator may correct a clerical or tabulation error on the record, investigate an administrative irregularity, order a recount where reasonably necessary, and refer suspected criminal conduct to the National Gendarmerie and Police Administration or a competent prosecutorial authority. The Emperor and courts of competent jurisdiction may require production of the election record according to law.

Section 7: Campaign-law Administration

The Administration shall administer and enforce the election-law functions assigned to it by Title 1, Chapter 3, including campaign-law filings and disclosures, complaints, administrative investigations, evidence-preservation measures, corrective orders, civil election penalties, criminal referrals, and petitions for candidate disqualification to the extent authorized by that Chapter. Final candidate disqualification shall remain a judicial function.

Section 1: Application and Administration

The National Electoral Administration shall apply this Article to referendums, recalls, and other public votes decided between 2 alternatives, whether conducted on paper or electronically. Candidate elections shall follow their applicable voting method.

Section 2: Required Ballot Information

Each legislative proposition shall display, in order, its proposition number, applicable referral designation and subject, an official title identifying the measure and the legal provisions concerned, a descriptive title summarising its principal provisions, and the separate statements of effect prescribed by Sections 4 and 5. The descriptive title shall state the proposed legal change in concise, neutral, declarative language.

The statements of effect shall be followed by the instruction “Select 1 choice” and equally prominent selectable choices marked “IN FAVOR” and “AGAINST”. The applicable approval and legal-effect notice shall appear separately. Recall, retention, and other questions shall follow Sections 6 and 7.

Each proposition or question shall remain distinguishable from the others. Its identifying information, titles, statements of effect, voting choices, and notices shall appear as distinct elements separated by clear spacing. The voter shall be able to read all required information before casting the vote.

Section 3: Referral Designations

A measure referred by Parliament shall bear the designation “Referred to the People of the Totemian Empire by the Parliament of the Totemian Empire”, followed by “Relating to [subject]”. A measure referred by the Emperor shall use “Referred to the People of the Totemian Empire by His Imperial Majesty the Emperor”, followed by the subject.

A measure initiated by citizen petition shall use “Proposed by petition of the People of the Totemian Empire”, followed by the subject. Where the petition seeks approval or rejection of an identified enactment, the designation shall use “Referendum requested by petition of the People of the Totemian Empire”.

A citizen-initiated recall shall use “Recall requested by petition of the People of the Totemian Empire”. A parliamentary recall shall use “Recall referred to the People of the Totemian Empire by the Parliament of the Totemian Empire”. Each designation shall identify the officeholder and office concerned.

Section 4: Standard Statements of Effect

Each statement shall begin with the applicable prescribed words and be completed with a concise explanation of the actual legal consequence:

“A vote IN FAVOR shall have the effect of [principal consequence of approval].”

“A vote AGAINST shall have the effect of [principal consequence of rejection].”

Where rejection leaves the existing law unchanged, the default statement shall be “A vote AGAINST shall have the effect of retaining existing law relating to [subject].” For a constitutional proposition, it shall be “A vote AGAINST shall have the effect of retaining the existing constitutional provisions relating to [subject].” The subject shall be specified in each completed statement.

The statements shall accurately explain the principal changes, material exceptions, and consequences needed to understand each alternative. Where rejection would prevent commencement, end or revive a provision, or produce another result, the statement shall explain that result. Where no relevant law exists, it shall describe the existing legal position. The explanations shall be neutral and shall be read with the approval and legal-effect notice under Section 8.

Section 5: Laws, Amendments, and Repeals

For a proposed new law, the statement shall read “A vote IN FAVOR shall have the effect of enacting [official title] to [principal legal changes].” The statement AGAINST shall use the applicable existing-law form in Section 4.

For a proposed amendment, the statement shall read “A vote IN FAVOR shall have the effect of amending [identified instrument or provisions] to [principal legal changes].” The statement AGAINST shall identify the existing law or constitutional provisions that would be retained.

For a proposed repeal, the statements shall read “A vote IN FAVOR shall have the effect of repealing [identified law or provisions]” and “A vote AGAINST shall have the effect of retaining [identified law or provisions].”

Where an enactment already passed is submitted for approval or rejection, the statements shall explain whether each outcome would bring it into force, maintain it, prevent its commencement, or end its operation. Any resulting suspension, revival, or transition shall be described where material.

Section 6: Recall Questions

A recall shall ask “Shall [name] be removed from the office of [office] by recall?” The officeholder and office shall be identified in full. Each officeholder shall be presented as a separate question where required by Article 20 of the Constitution.

The statements shall read “A vote IN FAVOR shall have the effect of removing [name] from the office of [office] by recall” and “A vote AGAINST shall have the effect of rejecting the recall of [name] from the office of [office].” The applicable approval and certification requirements shall be stated under Section 8. Any election of a replacement shall be presented as a separate electoral contest.

Section 7: Other Binary Questions

For another lawfully authorised binary vote, the ballot shall identify the proposed action and explain the consequences of approval and rejection using the prescribed statements of effect. Where a question is used, it shall state the proposed action directly. An advisory vote shall be prominently designated “Advisory” and its statements shall explain the recommendation made by each outcome.

A retention vote, where authorised by law, shall ask “Shall [name] be retained in the office of [office]?” The statements shall explain the actual consequences of retention and non-retention under the law establishing that vote.

Section 8: Approval, Certification, and Protection Notice

The ballot shall state the applicable approval threshold, including the required percentage or fraction and the votes or electorate used to calculate it, together with the certification and commencement conditions governing legal effect. The National Electoral Administration shall use the threshold prescribed for the particular vote by Article 20 of the Constitution or another applicable constitutional provision.

For an ordinary-law proposition, the ballot shall also state: “Notice: A law approved by public referendum may not be amended, repealed, suspended, or weakened by Parliament for 90 days after certification unless the change is approved by another public referendum.” Where a ballot contains more than 1 ordinary-law proposition, the notice may appear once before that group if its application to every proposition in the group is clear.

Section 9: Publication and Accuracy

The National Electoral Administration shall prepare the ballot wording from the complete authorised proposal and official referral records. Before voting opens, it shall publish the final ballot wording, the complete proposal or recall question, the applicable legal authority, and voting instructions within the constitutional timetable.

Before publication, the Administration shall compare each title, summary, statement of effect, and notice with the submitted text and applicable law. It shall verify the referral designation, principal changes, material exceptions, consequences of rejection, approval threshold, and commencement conditions. The prescribed statements shall be completed with the actual subject and consequence. A correction shall be published before the corrected wording is used.

Section 10: Full Text Links on Government Developed Platforms

Where a government developed platform, as defined in Article 6, Section 1, is used, each legislative proposition shall display a clearly labelled hyperlink beneath its approval and legal effect notice reading “Read the full text of Proposition [number]”, with the proposition’s actual number inserted.

The hyperlink shall provide access to the complete authorised legislative text submitted to the vote, including every schedule or annex forming part of that text. The linked version shall correspond exactly to the proposition on the ballot.

Opening or closing the linked text shall preserve the elector’s unsubmitted selections. The text shall remain accessible throughout voting and shall be preserved with the Ballot Record under Article 6, Section 14.

Section 1: Nominations and Uncontested Returns

The National Electoral Administration shall maintain the list of eligible candidates for the ordinary elected seats in the House of Commons. The list shall include incumbent ordinary elected members automatically entered under Article 12, Section 8 of the Constitution, unless they withdraw or cease to qualify. Other eligible citizens may apply within the same published nomination period, whether independent or affiliated with a political organization. Party affiliation shall not be a condition of candidacy.

Every applicant for an ordinary elected Commons seat, including each incumbent automatically nominated for reelection, shall possess an active National ID recorded in the Civil Registry. Before certifying a nomination, the National Electoral Administration shall verify the person's legal name, electoral eligibility, and identification status against the authoritative records of the Ministry of Interior. An administrative error may be corrected before the applicable nomination deadline. A person whose ID is not active shall not be certified as eligible while that deficiency remains. Nomination and ballot identification shall use the verified legal name, not an account username, title, or nickname.

The Administration shall publish the election calendar and nomination requirements before nominations open, allow at least 7 calendar days for nominations, and publish the final candidate list at least 3 calendar days before polling opens. Candidates shall receive equal filing opportunities. The calendar shall identify the seats to be filled, the withdrawal deadline, and the time for correcting filing defects.

Where eligible candidates do not outnumber the ordinary elected seats to be filled, the Administration shall return them unopposed on the scheduled election date. Otherwise, it shall conduct a secret nationwide ballot by single transferable vote (STV). Returns and results shall be submitted for Imperial confirmation and the prescribed parliamentary oath.

Section 2: Ballot and Preferences

Each registered elector shall have 1 ballot carrying an initial value of 1 vote. The elector may rank 1 or more distinct eligible candidates, using 1 for the first preference, 2 for the second, and consecutive numbers thereafter. An elector may rank every candidate on the ballot and shall not be limited by the number of seats being filled, whether in a general election or a by-election. No elector shall be required to rank every candidate. Later preferences shall be used only when a transfer reaches them, and candidates who are no longer continuing shall be skipped in favor of the next ranked continuing candidate. Ballots shall give candidates equal presentation and permit partial rankings. Replacement digital submissions shall be governed by Article 6, Section 12.

Section 3: Electoral Quota

The electoral quota shall be the whole number obtained by dividing the total number of valid ballots by the number of ordinary elected seats being filled plus 1, disregarding any fraction, and then adding 1. The quota shall be fixed for the count. Blank or wholly invalid ballots shall be excluded. For a general election filling 15 ordinary elected seats, the divisor shall be 16. A ballot shall not be invalid merely because it ranks fewer candidates than the number of seats.

Section 4: Counting and Transfers

Each valid ballot shall first be credited to its highest-ranked continuing candidate. A continuing candidate is one who has not been elected, excluded, or lawfully withdrawn from the count. A candidate whose total reaches or exceeds the quota shall be declared elected.

Surpluses shall be transferred using the weighted inclusive Gregory method. For an elected candidate, each ballot’s current value shall be multiplied by the candidate’s surplus divided by the total vote value credited to that candidate. The resulting fraction shall pass to the next ranked continuing candidate. The balance shall remain credited to the elected candidate. If no further continuing preference is available, the transferable fraction shall be recorded as exhausted.

Surpluses shall be processed from largest to smallest before any exclusion. Where no surplus remains to be transferred and seats remain unfilled, the continuing candidate with the lowest vote total shall be excluded, and each ballot credited to that candidate shall transfer at its current value to its next continuing preference. If none remains, its value shall be recorded as exhausted.

The count shall continue until all seats are filled or the number of continuing candidates equals the number of unfilled seats, when those candidates shall be declared elected. Ties affecting an election, exclusion, or transfer order shall be resolved by comparing totals at the most recent earlier stage at which they differed. If no such stage exists, the Returning Officer shall determine the tie by a publicly recorded drawing of lots.

Section 5: Vacancies and the Vice Chancellor’s Seat

The Vice Chancellor’s reserved seat shall be excluded from the ordinary election and quota calculation. Candidates on a Chancellery ticket shall be excluded from the parliamentary candidate list in accordance with Article 3, Section 5 of the Constitution. The Commons election shall be counted, certified, and submitted for Imperial confirmation independently of the Chancellery election. If an ordinary elected member is later appointed Vice Chancellor, the ordinary seat shall become vacant upon assumption of that office and be filled under this Section. The reserved seat shall be filled through the office of Vice Chancellor.

An ordinary elected vacancy arising during a term shall be filled by a nationwide by-election within 21 calendar days after it arises, unless the next general election falls within that period. The elected member shall serve the remainder of the parliamentary term. The nomination, uncontested-return, and single transferable vote (STV) rules shall apply according to the number of vacancies being filled.

Where seats remain vacant because insufficient eligible candidates have applied, applications shall remain open. The Administration shall arrange a by-election within 21 calendar days after receiving a valid application, subject to the same exception for an approaching general election. If no valid ballot is cast in a contested election, no contested seat shall be awarded on that poll; the Administration shall conduct a fresh poll within 14 calendar days.

Section 6: Counting Rules, Records, and Review

Before nominations open, the Administration shall publish uniform implementing rules for ballot validity, withdrawals, count sequencing, numerical precision, rounding, and recounts. The rules shall preserve every unambiguous usable preference, prevent any ballot from acquiring additional value through transfer or rounding, and give effect to Sections 2–4. A defect in a later ranking shall not invalidate an earlier unambiguous ranking.

The Administration shall publish the number of valid and rejected ballots, the quota, each stage’s candidate totals, transfers and exhausted values, any tie decision, and the provisional and certified results. It shall preserve the records needed to reproduce the count while maintaining ballot secrecy. Counting software shall implement the published rules and permit independent verification. Candidates may request a recount on stated grounds of material error or irregularity and seek expedited judicial review. No implementing rule shall change the number of seats, the electoral quota, the transfer method, or the constitutional confirmation requirements.

Section 7: Ballot Presentation, Voting Instructions, and Voting Arrangements

(A) Candidate Identification and Alphabetical Ordering

Each candidate shall be displayed by their verified legal name, prominently and in larger text, with their registered political party or "Independent" displayed directly beneath in smaller legible text. No title, honour, rank, office, parliamentary designation, professional or academic title, internal party position, ID number, System ID, account identifier, or residence shall be displayed. A generational suffix within the legal name shall not be prohibited as an office or title.

Candidates shall be grouped alphabetically by the officially registered names of their parties and alphabetically by surname, then given name, within each group. Independents shall be grouped under "Independent" and sorted by the same rules. The Administration shall publish neutral conventions for compound surnames and single legal names. Party officials, incumbents, and endorsed candidates shall have no priority. Printed order shall not determine voter preference.

(B) Preferences and Ballot Format

Each candidate shall have a clearly identifiable means of receiving a numerical preference. Electors may rank one, several, or all candidates, without regard to the number of seats. Preferences shall be consecutive and distinct, beginning at 1. The same candidate shall not receive multiple preferences and the same ranking shall not be assigned to different candidates by the ballot design. Lawful partial rankings remain valid to the extent of their unambiguous usable preferences.

(C) Required Prominent Instructions

The following instructions shall appear prominently before the candidate list, with the heading and principal instructions in bold, subject to equivalent changes of wording necessary for the voting medium:

"HOUSE OF COMMONS — HOW TO VOTE

You are electing Members of the House of Commons. There are 15 ordinary elected seats at a general election. You have ONE transferable vote.

Choose the candidate you most want elected as your FIRST preference. Then, if you wish, select your SECOND preference, followed by your THIRD and later preferences, in the order you prefer. You may stop whenever you wish.

You may rank one, several, or every candidate. You do NOT have to rank 15 candidates simply because 15 seats are available.

Your first preference receives your vote initially. If a candidate receiving your vote is eliminated, your vote passes to your next-ranked candidate still competing. If your candidate is elected with more votes than required, part of your vote's value may be transferred to your next available preference.

Your chosen ORDER determines where your vote can transfer. Ranking more candidates does not give you more votes, divide your vote among all the candidates you rank, or weaken your first choice. Use each preference number only once. Leave blank any candidate you do not want to rank. Review your choices and their order before you submit your ballot."

An automatically numbered digital ballot may describe selecting candidates in sequence instead of writing preference numbers, but shall convey the same legal meaning without referring to controls the platform does not provide. In a by-election, the Administration shall replace the general-election statement of 15 seats with the actual number of ordinary elected seats being filled, and shall adapt any explanation of surplus transfers to the applicable number of seats and lawful counting method. No ballot instruction shall misstate the number of seats contested or describe a function unavailable in the voting medium.

(D) Additional Explanation

The Administration shall make an example available to every elector explaining that a ballot ranking A first, B second, and Z third initially counts for A; if A is eliminated, the vote transfers to B if B is still continuing, otherwise to Z if Z is continuing. The explanation shall cover surplus-value transfers, the skipping of elected or excluded candidates, and exhaustion when no ranked continuing candidate remains. Voters shall not be required to calculate transfers themselves.

(E) Platform Authorization and Neutrality

The National Electoral Administration may authorize paper ballots, an internally developed digital system, a suitable external electronic voting platform, or another arrangement consistent with the electoral law. Lack of suitable government infrastructure, the independence of an external operator, and other reasonable electoral-administration grounds may be considered when choosing a platform. An external voting platform or paper ballot may use a layout suited to its medium, subject to the substantive requirements of this Section. Before approval, the Administration shall verify that it can display all eligible candidates, accept every lawful preference without an artificial limit based on the number of seats, keep votes secret and secure, implement the counting rules, allow correction before submission, and retain auditable counting records. Use of an external service shall not transfer legal authority over election certification or ballot eligibility to the service provider.

(F) Government-Developed Digital Interface

Where the Government develops a dedicated digital ballot interface, it shall use the following standard for ranked voting:

(a) A candidate-selection area headed "Find candidates" and a preference-review area headed "Your preferences" shall appear side by side where screen size permits. On smaller screens, both areas shall remain readily accessible, with a visible summary of the number of preferences selected.

(b) Electors shall be able to search by legal name and filter by political party, including "All parties" and "Independent". Clearing a search or filter shall restore the prescribed candidate order. Searching, filtering, or moving between areas shall preserve existing preferences.

(c) Selecting "Rank" beside a candidate shall add that candidate as the next preference and assign the next consecutive number automatically. Every eligible candidate may be ranked. An already ranked candidate shall be clearly identified and shall not be added twice.

(d) The preference-review area shall display the selected candidates in order, with their legal names, affiliations, preference numbers, and the total number ranked. Each entry shall provide controls to move it up, move it down, or remove it. Changes shall automatically renumber the remaining preferences. These controls shall be accessible without drag-and-drop. A "Clear rankings" control shall require confirmation before removing all preferences.

(e) Before final submission, the elector shall be shown the complete ordered list for review and correction. Submission shall require a separate affirmative action. The interface shall explain that the elector has 1 transferable vote and may stop ranking at any point.

An external voting platform or paper ballot may use another layout where it preserves all substantive voting rights and accurately records the elector's chosen order.

(G) Paper Voting, Accessibility, and Review

A paper ballot shall provide a numerical ranking field for every candidate, on multiple pages where necessary. All voting methods shall provide accessible instructions and an opportunity to check or correct selections before final submission. The Administration shall publish the operative instructions and medium-specific rules before voting opens. No such rules shall change the number of Commons seats, the quota, vote-transfer procedure, or the constitutional guarantees.

Section 1: Joint Electoral Tickets

The Chancellor and Vice Chancellor shall be elected jointly through one nationwide electoral ticket consisting of one eligible candidate for each office. Both candidates shall consent before registration. No person may stand on more than one ticket or for both offices at the same election. Candidates may be from the same or different political organizations or may be independent, subject to lawful eligibility and nomination requirements.

Each Chancellor candidate and Vice Chancellor candidate shall possess an active National ID issued through the Civil Registry and shall have their legal identity and ID status verified by the National Electoral Administration before their candidacy is accepted. This requirement shall apply independently to each member of a joint ticket, including candidates standing without party affiliation. The official legal name recorded in the Civil Registry shall be used for nomination, ballot identification, and certification. A candidate who does not meet the requirement shall be given a reasonable opportunity to correct a registry or identification error before the nomination deadline, but shall not be certified as eligible while the deficiency remains.

A candidate for Chancellor or Vice Chancellor shall not stand for election to Parliament at the same general election or at another election whose nomination or polling period overlaps that Chancellery election. Before registration for a Chancellery election, each candidate shall withdraw any such parliamentary candidacy, including an automatic nomination for reelection. The National Electoral Administration shall exclude that person from the corresponding parliamentary candidate list. Participation in a Chancellery electoral retry shall continue the same candidacy for this purpose.

Each registered citizen eligible to vote shall be entitled to one ballot in the Chancellery election. A vote for a ticket applies jointly to its Chancellor and Vice Chancellor candidates. For purposes of this Article, an eligible registered citizen is a citizen lawfully entitled to vote in that election. Replacement digital submissions shall be governed by Article 6, Section 12.

Section 2: Determination of Voting Method

The National Electoral Administration shall determine the method by the number of eligible tickets at the opening of polling: (a) one ticket shall be returned unopposed, subject to Imperial confirmation; (b) exactly two tickets shall be decided by simple majority voting, each eligible registered citizen selecting one ticket; and (c) three or more tickets shall be decided by single-winner preferential voting through the instant-runoff method of transferable preferences.

A ticket shall win a direct two-ticket contest only by receiving more than half of the valid votes cast. Where no ticket is eligible, the Administration shall reopen nominations and arrange a fresh election under the applicable election calendar. The voting method shall not change during counting solely because a ticket is excluded.

Section 3: Preferential Ballots and Transfers

Where preferential voting applies, each eligible registered citizen may rank tickets in order of preference, assigning 1 to the preferred ticket, 2 to the next preferred ticket, and so on. Ranking more than one ticket shall be optional. A ballot with a clear first preference shall remain valid notwithstanding an omitted or defective later preference, to the extent that an unambiguous preference can be given effect.

Every valid ballot shall initially carry one vote allocated to its highest-ranked continuing ticket. A ticket receiving more than half of the continuing valid votes shall win. If no ticket has that majority, the ticket with the fewest votes shall be excluded. Each of its ballots shall transfer at its existing value to the highest-ranked ticket that remains in the count. A ballot without a further continuing preference shall be exhausted and excluded from subsequent majority calculations. No ballot shall gain additional value through transfer or be credited to more than one continuing ticket in any round.

Counting and transfers shall continue until one ticket has more than half of the continuing valid votes or only one ticket remains, subject to Section 4. Each transfer shall apply jointly to both candidates comprising the ticket.

Section 3A: Chancellery Candidate Identification and Ballot Standards

(A) Joint Ticket Identification

Each ticket shall display its Chancellor candidate and Vice Chancellor candidate together as a single electoral choice, identifying each by the office contested and verified legal name recorded in the Civil Registry. Each legal name shall appear prominently, with that candidate's own registered political party or "Independent" directly beneath in smaller legible text. The candidates may have different affiliations. Titles, honours, ranks, other offices, credentials, internal party positions, National ID numbers, and personal account identifiers shall be omitted.

(B) Instructions for Preferential Voting

Where 3 or more eligible tickets stand at the opening of polling, the following instructions shall appear prominently before the ticket list, with the heading and principal instructions in bold:

"CHANCELLOR AND VICE CHANCELLOR — HOW TO VOTE

You are electing 1 Chancellor and Vice Chancellor together. Each ticket contains a candidate for each office. You have 1 vote.

Choose the ticket you most want elected as your 1st preference. Then, if you wish, select your 2nd preference, followed by your 3rd and later preferences, in the order you prefer. You may rank 1, several, or every ticket, and may stop whenever you wish.

Your vote initially counts for your 1st preference. If no ticket has more than half of the votes still in the count, the ticket with the fewest votes is eliminated. Its votes transfer to each voter's next-ranked ticket still competing. If you have no further preference still competing, your vote takes no further part in the count. This process continues under the counting and deadlock rules.

Your chosen order determines where your vote can transfer. Ranking another ticket does not weaken your 1st preference or give you another vote. Each preference applies to both candidates on that ticket. Review the tickets and their order before submitting your ballot."

Instructions shall describe the controls actually provided. A paper ballot shall provide a numerical preference field for every ticket and instruct electors to write distinct consecutive numbers beginning at 1.

(C) Shared Digital Interface Standard

For preferential voting, the government-developed interface standard in Article 4, Section 7(F) shall apply to joint tickets. The selection area shall be headed "Find tickets"; the preference-review area shall be headed "Your preferences". Searching shall match either candidate's legal name, and party filtering shall include a ticket where either candidate has the selected affiliation. Each selection and preference-list entry shall identify both candidates, their respective offices, and their individual affiliations. Ranking, reordering, or removing an entry shall affect the whole ticket.

(D) Other Voting Methods and Platforms

Where exactly 2 eligible tickets stand at the opening of polling, the ballot shall prominently instruct: "Choose 1 ticket for Chancellor and Vice Chancellor. Your choice applies to both candidates on that ticket. Review your choice before submitting your ballot." A government-developed interface shall display 2 selectable ticket cards, side by side where screen size permits and stacked on smaller screens. Each card shall identify both candidates under paragraph (A). Selecting a card shall select the whole ticket and replace any previous choice. The interface shall display the selected ticket, permit the elector to change or clear that choice, and provide a separate review and final submission. Where 1 eligible ticket stands, the Administration shall publish its unopposed return and the requirement for Imperial confirmation under Section 2.

The National Electoral Administration may authorize an external voting platform or paper ballot under the platform, accessibility, secrecy, review, and audit requirements of Article 4, Section 7. An external platform may use another layout while preserving every lawful ticket preference and the prescribed counting method. The Administration shall publish uniform instructions appropriate to each voting method and medium before polling opens.

Section 4: Electoral Deadlocks

An electoral deadlock exists where the last two continuing tickets receive equal valid vote totals, no valid vote is cast in a contested election, or an unresolved exclusion tie prevents the lawful determination of a winner. An exclusion tie shall first be resolved by comparing the tied tickets' totals in the most recent preceding round in which they differed. If no such difference exists, no random drawing, arbitrary exclusion, or selection by lot shall determine the outcome; the election shall be declared deadlocked.

Section 5: Public Electoral Retries

Following certification of an electoral deadlock, a first additional nationwide public election shall be held. Polling shall open within 5 calendar days after certification, remain open for 48 continuous hours, and be certified within 2 calendar days after polling closes. If that election also fails to determine a winner, a second and final additional public election shall be held under the same deadlines, measured from certification of the first retry.

Only tickets still in contention at the unresolved stage of the original count may contest the retries. The procedures in Section 2 shall apply to the number of continuing tickets; where two remain, the contest shall be by simple majority, and where three or more remain, it shall use transferable preferential voting. No more than two additional public elections may be held for the same original electoral deadlock. If the second retry fails, Section 6 shall apply.

Section 6: Extraordinary Electoral Resolution

When the second additional public election fails to determine the successful ticket, the Emperor shall consult the people of the Totemian Empire and, within 1 calendar day after certification of that result, select and publicly declare any 1 of the 6 methods prescribed by Section 7. No method shall take precedence over another. The Emperor shall publish the consultation undertaken, the method chosen, and the reasons for that choice. Consultation is not an additional public election or a referendum.

Each selected method shall be completed within 2 calendar days after its declaration, subject to the final selection procedure in Section 8. The overall resolution period shall end 7 calendar days after certification of the second failed public electoral retry. If a selected method has not produced a valid result by its deadline, Section 8 shall apply.

Section 7: Authorized Extraordinary Resolution Methods

(a) Tic-Tac-Toe Contest. The Chancellor candidates of the two final competing tickets may determine the successful ticket through a best-of-three tic-tac-toe contest. The first to win two decisive games wins; drawn games shall not count. Before play begins, both Chancellor candidates and both Vice Chancellor candidates must be informed of the rules and consequences and give explicit, voluntary consent, with a continuing right to withdraw before the contest is decided. The Emperor shall supervise the contest personally or through an expressly appointed Imperial representative. The games and result shall be formally recorded.

(b) Duel. The Chancellor candidates of the 2 final competing tickets may determine the successful ticket through a best-of-3 duel. The terms shall be agreed by both participants and approved by the Emperor. Both Chancellor candidates and both Vice Chancellor candidates shall be informed of the terms, risks, and electoral consequences and give express, voluntary consent before the duel begins. Consent may be withdrawn before the contest is decided. The Emperor or his expressly appointed representative shall supervise the duel. The first candidate to win 2 decisive rounds shall determine the successful ticket.

(c) Emergency Parliamentary Decision. The newly constituted Parliament shall decide between the remaining tickets at an emergency joint sitting of the House of Commons and House of Lords. Only members of that newly elected or appointed Parliament who have lawfully assumed office and taken their oaths may vote; members of the preceding dissolved Parliament have no vote by virtue of their former membership. Each participating member shall cast one vote in a combined tally. A ticket receiving a simple majority of the valid votes cast shall be selected. Abstentions and absences shall not be counted. This special constitutional electoral procedure is not an ordinary bill or resolution and requires no Chancellor approval.

(d) Privy Council Decision. The Emperor may refer the remaining tickets to His Imperial Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council. Members entitled to vote shall vote under its lawful procedures. A ticket receiving a simple majority of the valid votes cast shall be selected, and the result shall be recorded and transmitted to the Emperor.

(e) Direct Imperial Selection. The Emperor may select one of the remaining tickets directly after consultation with the people. The Emperor shall identify the Chancellor and Vice Chancellor candidates together in an authenticated public Imperial declaration.

(f) Decision by the Four Major Political Parties. The Emperor may refer the remaining tickets to the four major political parties of the Totemian Empire, determined by their legal recognition or, in the absence of an established designation, by the greatest verified registered memberships as of the date of the original election. Each party shall appoint one authorized representative and exercise one vote for one remaining ticket; the four votes shall be counted together. A ticket receiving a simple majority of valid votes cast shall be selected. No party shall have more than one vote. The record and result shall be provided to the Emperor.

Section 8: Failure of an Extraordinary Resolution Method

If the chosen method cannot proceed because a required consent is withheld or withdrawn, fails to produce the required majority or decisive result, or reaches its deadline without a valid result, the Emperor shall, after renewed consultation with the people, select and declare another authorized method within 1 calendar day, subject to the final selection deadline. Selection of another method shall not restart the overall resolution period.

If no successful ticket has been determined by the end of the 6th calendar day after certification of the second failed public electoral retry, the Emperor shall consult the people and determine the successful ticket by direct Imperial selection no later than the end of the 7th calendar day. A method still pending at the end of the 6th day shall end without a result and give way to that final selection. A failed extraordinary method shall not authorize a third public electoral retry.

Section 9: Certification and Assumption of Office

The National Electoral Administration shall publish and preserve the voting method, eligible tickets, valid and invalid votes, first-preference totals, every exclusion and transfer, exhausted ballots, ties, retry results, any extraordinary selection and its procedures, and the provisional and certified result. Ballot secrecy shall be maintained and the records shall permit independent verification and lawful recount or review.

A successful ticket, whether elected, returned unopposed, or selected through a lawful extraordinary method, shall be submitted for Imperial confirmation. Following confirmation, its candidates shall be recognized as Chancellor-elect and Vice Chancellor-elect and shall assume office after the prescribed oaths in accordance with Article 3 of the Constitution. If an ordinary inauguration date has passed while the election remained unresolved, assumption of office shall occur promptly upon confirmation and the oaths.

Section 10: Special Elections and Continuity

Where a special election fills both Chancellery offices, this Article shall apply to joint tickets. Where a special election under Article 20 of the Constitution fills only the office of Chancellor, eligible individual candidates shall replace joint tickets for purposes of Sections 2–9 and the sitting Vice Chancellor shall remain in office unless independently removed or disqualified by law. For a single-office contest, consent and participation requirements for ticket members in Section 7(a) and (b) shall apply to the two final Chancellor candidates alone. The parliamentary candidacy restriction in Section 1 shall also apply to a single-office contest.

A deadlocked Chancellery election shall not suspend the separately confirmed parliamentary election. Members of the newly constituted Parliament may assume their seats and participate in Section 7(c) regardless of whether the Chancellery election has concluded. The reserved Commons seat shall be held by the person lawfully holding the office of Vice Chancellor and shall be vacant while that office is vacant.

Section 1: Application and Voting Platforms

This Article shall apply to elections, referendums, recalls, and other public votes held by ballot of registered electors under Totemian law, including national, subnational, and local contests. It shall govern preparation, registration, procurement, testing, voting, processing, counting, audit, certification, and preservation of records, including services supplied by external providers.

A dedicated digital voting platform developed by or specifically for the Government is a government-developed platform for this Article. An existing external service authorised by the National Electoral Administration is an external platform. The Administration may select a lawful voting arrangement according to its suitability and the requirements of this Article.

Section 2: Totemian Electoral Security and Verifiability Standard

The Administration shall prescribe and publish the Totemian Electoral Security and Verifiability Standard. It shall specify verifiable technical requirements, responsible functions, assessment procedures, and the dated editions applicable to each voting method and component. Its minimum requirements shall incorporate and require compliance with the following applicable standards:

(a) the Council of Europe Recommendation CM/Rec(2017)5 for electoral secrecy, equality, verification, observation, and independent examination;

(b) the applicable software-independence, auditability, integrity, access-control, and usability requirements of VVSG 2.0;

(c) NIST VTS 200-1 for election-infrastructure risk management, NIST SP 800-218 version 1.1 for secure development, and the applicable Level 3 requirements of OWASP ASVS version 5.0.0 for critical election web applications, subject to any statutory transition expressly applicable to client authenticator hardware;

(d) NIST SP 1500-20, SP 1500-101, SP 1500-103, and SP 1500-100 revision 2 for interoperable ballot definitions, event records, cast-vote records, and results;

(e) RFC 3339 for exchanged timestamps, NIST SP 800-53 revision 5 controls AU-8 and AU-9 for time records and their protection, and the time-assurance requirements in Section 13.

The Standard shall identify the scope and applicability of each adopted requirement and the evidence needed to demonstrate compliance. An equivalent measure or later edition shall require a published technical assessment and independent examination. A version fixed by law shall be changed only by the authority and procedure required under that law. Requirements governing a poll shall be settled before it opens; emergency corrections shall be recorded, independently reviewed, and applied consistently without retrospectively changing voter entitlements or the counting rule.

Section 3: Responsible Officers and Separation of Duties

The Chief Electoral Registrar shall designate the responsible Returning Officer, qualified independent reviewers, and record custodians. Their functions and material conflicts of interest shall be recorded. An independent reviewer shall not examine work for which that person was responsible or have a material candidate or campaign conflict. A qualified person outside the Administration may be appointed for that function.

Critical operations involving ballot definitions, election software, opening keys, primary evidence, or certification shall require recorded authorisation by at least 2 distinct persons. Custody and access shall be limited to the functions assigned. Reviewers shall submit their findings without alteration by the persons whose work is reviewed.

Section 4: Examination and Preparation

Before first use, after material changes, and before each poll, the system and its operation shall undergo examination appropriate to the change and risk. Examination shall cover approved software and dependencies, authentication, ballot presentation, all permitted preferences, accessibility, secrecy, administrator privileges, verification, counting, recovery, and protection against interference. Where Title 1, Chapter 7, Article 9 of the Civil Code is in force, every covered digital electoral system, including an external platform, shall comply with its WCAG 2.1 Level AA requirements. The Administration shall verify that compliance before authorizing use. This requirement applies to the complete electoral process presented through the system, including authentication, ballot instructions, access to the submitted text, selection, correction, review, submission, and confirmation, while preserving secrecy and independent choice.

The Returning Officer shall record the approved build and ballot configuration, verify the authoritative candidate and elector information, conduct tests with known results and defective or interrupted inputs, and confirm the opening, closing, and recovery arrangements. Material changes and their tests shall be identifiable in the election record.

Section 5: Ballot Evidence and Secret Choices

Electronic voting shall provide evidence permitting the lawful recording, inclusion, and counting of ballots to be verified independently of the recording and counting software. The method shall use voter-verifiable primary records or an independently examined end-to-end verification protocol appropriate to the contest.

The protocol shall separate identity and participation information from secret selections and prevent the recovery of identified choices through administrative access, account recovery, or custody of counting keys. Counting shall use anonymous ballot evidence or verified aggregate computation. Any anonymisation, mixing, or decryption necessary for counting shall be independently verifiable. Anonymisation shall remove recoverable identity correlations before individual selections are decrypted for counting or tally review.

Authenticated evidence sufficient for verification shall be preserved in separate custody outside the exclusive control of the operating host and its administrator. Custodians may use protected offline media or physical records. Where paper is primary evidence, the elector shall be able to inspect the human-readable choices before casting the record into secure custody.

Section 6: Processing, Reconciliation, and Exports

The Administration shall account for submissions received, accepted, rejected, superseded, anonymised, counted, or awaiting determination. Each material exclusion or correction shall have a recorded lawful basis and independently verifiable supporting evidence. Receipt, acceptance, effective-ballot status, and final inclusion shall be recorded as distinct events.

The record shall include approved configurations, examinations, ballot evidence, reconciliations, complete counting stages, custody and access records, incidents, corrections, audit findings, and certification. It shall support documented machine-readable exports and readable tables or spreadsheets. Identity records and secret preferences shall be separated in storage, exports, and access permissions. Public release and record interfaces shall comply with Sections 14 and 15.

Section 7: Verification Before Certification

Before administrative certification, an independent reviewer shall reconcile the preserved evidence and independently recompute the result for every seat, ticket, or question. Verification shall cover lawful replacements and exclusions, each material transfer, exhausted value, quota or majority calculation, precision rule, and tie decision. Reusing production totals alone shall not constitute independent recomputation.

A complete independent recount against the preserved primary evidence shall be the default. A sampling audit may be authorised only under a published method independently validated for the precise counting rule, capable of verifying every reported winner or outcome, with a stated risk limit and escalation to the necessary further examination or full recount. Material discrepancies shall be resolved before the affected result is certified. The method, findings, and resolution shall be published subject to ballot secrecy.

Eligibility, participation, and replacement checks shall use protected administrative records or privacy-preserving proofs. Tally verification shall use anonymised ballot evidence or verified aggregate computation. The verification method shall demonstrate the correspondence of eligible effective submissions and counted evidence without disclosing a link between an identified elector and unencrypted selections.

Audit identifiers shall be independent of National ID numbers, account identifiers, private receipt references, and publicly observable submission order. Identifying timestamps, network addresses, device data, and other correlating metadata shall be removed or protected before selection evidence is made available for tally review. Reviewers shall receive only the evidence necessary for their assigned functions. Review assignments and released datasets shall not combine identity-linking material with unencrypted choice evidence. Access to verification records shall not authorise reconstruction or disclosure of identified choices.

Before evidence or exports are released, the Administration shall independently assess whether individual records, distinctive rankings, small groups, or combinations of datasets would reveal choices. The public package shall use privacy-preserving proofs, safe aggregation, delayed release, or necessary redaction while preserving meaningful verification. An audit requiring protected ballot evidence shall use controlled access and publish its method, checks, findings, and nonidentifying verification evidence.

Section 8: Incidents and Judicial Directions

The Administration shall preserve incident evidence and assess the effect on eligibility, secrecy, availability, timing, and the result. Protective action shall be reasoned, recorded, proportionate to the affected process, and preserve unaffected votes so far as practicable.

Where a material incident prevents required verification within a statutory certification period, the Administration shall promptly apply to a court of competent jurisdiction for directions. The court may order protective measures and the shortest necessary extension, giving written reasons and providing expedited consideration. Recounting, restoration, suspension, or a replacement poll shall follow the applicable law and any lawful judicial direction.

Section 9: Preservation and Production

Before polling, the Administration shall publish a retention schedule covering the official evidence and protected personal records. Evidence necessary for verification shall be preserved through the applicable challenge periods and final resolution of pending recounts, investigations, or proceedings requiring it. Access, transfer, and lawful destruction shall be recorded. Published result summaries and audit reports shall be retained as permanent public records.

The Emperor and courts of competent jurisdiction may require production of lawful election records, subject to the constitutional secrecy of identified choices. Production shall use verification evidence that preserves that secrecy.

Section 10: Individual Participation Lookup

A government-developed platform shall provide an individual participation lookup during and after active voting, separate from secret ballot records. An authenticated registered elector may inspect their own status and may request the participation status of another elector for a specified ballot, contest, or question by supplying that person's complete National ID number, recorded first name, and designated surname. The service shall return only the single matching participation record. It shall provide no voter directory, name-only search, partial-number search, suggested identities, or bulk participation listing.

For this Section, the National ID number is the stable person identifier assigned by the Office of Civil Registration, distinct from a credential-issuance reference, seal reference, PIN, or account identifier. The name fields shall correspond to the authoritative registry meanings under the applicable National ID legislation. Renewal, replacement, or expiry of a credential shall not erase the person's earlier participation records or create another person record.

The requesting elector shall satisfy the authentication required for their own lawful access. The target number and matching particulars shall identify only the limited participation record; they shall confer no access to the person's credential record, private voting history, authenticators, or secret choices. The requester shall not be required to obtain or enter another person's PIN, passkey, or recovery material.

The response shall show only the ballot and contest or question, and whether a submission is recorded or awaits verification. A confirmed blank submission shall establish participation. It shall omit selections, rankings, blank or nonblank status, replacement counts, submission times, confidential identifiers, and links to secret ballot evidence. A failed or incomplete match shall not return suggested corrections or disclose the unmatched identity particulars.

Identifying participation detail shall be withheld to the extent necessary where its combination with released results or other records would identify choices. The owner shall retain private access to their own status. The service shall apply proportionate query limits and anti-enumeration controls, protect query particulars from public logs and shared caches, and record authorised use without linking the lookup to secret selections. Identifying lookup fields shall be transmitted in a protected request body and excluded from URLs, public telemetry, and publicly accessible request logs.

Section 11: Private Voting Records

A government-developed platform shall provide each elector with a private record of that elector's digital submissions. It shall show the ballot and question, submitted selections or rankings, receipt and acceptance information, replacement history, the effective submission, and the outcome of inclusion verification. A submission shall not be described as finally counted merely because it was received.

Selection history shall be encrypted under material controlled by the elector and accessible through authenticated voter-side processing. Administrators shall hold no key, recovery mechanism, or impersonation function enabling them to read that history. Counting keys and personal-history keys shall be separate. Account recovery may restore participation access and prospective voting without revealing earlier choices; recovery of encrypted choice history shall depend on material controlled by the elector.

The elector shall have private access while the records are retained and an opportunity to retain an encrypted personal copy before lawful deletion. Official receipts shall establish submission and processing status without certifying an identified elector's choices to third parties. Personal choice history shall remain a private reference record. Independent examination shall assess the verification protocol, software delivery, administrator compromise, recovery, and risks of coercion arising from continuing access.

Section 12: Replacement of Digital Votes

On a government-developed platform, an elector may submit replacements for an identified contest or question as often as desired before its replacement cutoff. The cutoff shall be 30 minutes before the published closing instant. No replacement first received at or after that cutoff shall be accepted. If the voting period is 30 minutes or less, replacement voting shall be unavailable. An initial submission shall remain permitted until closing.

A replacement shall require affirmative confirmation and operate only upon the identified contest or question. Other effective submissions shall be preserved. The platform shall display the replacement cutoff and closing time and prominently advise an elector making an initial submission during the final 30 minutes that further changes will be unavailable.

Only the latest accepted lawful submission received within its applicable deadline shall be effective for each elector and contest or question. The protected receipt sequence shall determine the order and whether a submission is initial or a replacement, regardless of the order in which processing finishes. Concurrent or pending requests shall not bypass the cutoff by being described as initial submissions.

A confirmed blank replacement shall supersede the earlier submission and be treated as blank under the applicable counting rule. A failed, rejected, or incomplete attempt shall leave the preceding accepted submission effective. Earlier submissions shall be excluded from the count but preserved to the extent necessary for reconciliation, verification, and the private record.

A valid initial submission received before closing, or a valid replacement received before the replacement cutoff, may complete validation and durable recording afterward. The system shall distinguish a receipt awaiting validation from confirmed acceptance. A late replacement shall not cancel the existing effective submission.

An external platform may offer replacement voting under these rules where authorised before voting opens. Where voting channels are combined, the Administration shall publish and test a lawful procedure for channel changes and priority that ensures only 1 effective ballot per elector and contest. Channel changes shall preserve secrecy and shall not permit an existing vote to be replaced during the final 30 minutes.

Section 13: Trusted Electoral Time

The Administration shall designate a UTC-traceable time reference and publish each poll's opening, replacement-cutoff, and closing instants in UTC and the official local time with its applicable offset. Exchanged time records shall conform to RFC 3339. The technical Standard shall prescribe timestamp resolution, the maximum permitted uncertainty, reference checks, drift monitoring, and bounded operation during loss of a reference.

Where network time is used, it shall use authenticated synchronisation through NTP with Network Time Security under RFC 8915 or an independently examined equivalent. A locally managed system may use a validated local time reference with documented calibration, drift bounds, and witnessed checks. The approved method shall demonstrate that its claimed accuracy is maintained throughout polling.

Each complete authenticated submission shall receive a protected receipt sequence and a timestamp at the designated intake. Receipt, acceptance, durable recording, and later evidence timestamping shall retain their actual distinct times. A monotonically increasing sequence shall determine the order of submissions, including those with equal displayed times. Sequence continuity shall be protected across restarts. An elector's device clock shall not determine timeliness or replacement order.

Clock corrections, source changes, loss of synchronisation, restarts, and their effects shall be recorded and independently examined. A correction shall preserve the original records and shall not retrospectively alter their sequence or the published deadline. Where uncertainty could affect whether a submission preceded the replacement cutoff or closing, the submission and timing evidence shall be preserved for expedited determination under rules published before polling, subject to judicial review. It shall remain provisional until resolved.

Where cryptographic timestamp tokens are used, they shall comply with RFC 3161 and the applicable policy and security requirements of ETSI EN 319 421 version 1.3.1, or an independently examined equivalent. The election record shall identify the issuer, source, accuracy, validation material, and limitations of the attestation. A later token shall attest the existence of the protected data at that later time and shall not replace the actual intake record or constitute proof that the submission was timely received.

Section 14: Ballot Records and Live Public Verification

A government-developed platform shall provide a public page designated a Ballot Record for each official ballot and an index designated Ballot Records. Each record shall have a stable public Ballot ID, shared by submissions made using that official ballot. Each contest or question within it shall have a stable identifier. A Ballot ID shall be distinct from an elector's identity, private receipt, or individual submission reference.

The page shall be accessible without authentication and available before voting opens, throughout active voting, and afterward under the retention rules. It shall publish the approved ballot and rules, candidates or options, voting method, opening time, replacement cutoff, closing time, software and configuration identification, test and approval records, public operating events, recorded corrections, audit reports, certification, and the verification methods and evidence suitable for public release.

Public events shall be published as they occur, with their actual event and publication times, a protected public-event sequence, and any delay or service interruption identified. The record shall retain authenticated versions and corrections without silently overwriting earlier published material. Signed manifests and preserved copies shall permit independent comparison and detection of inconsistent versions. The public-event sequence shall be separate from private submission sequences.

During active voting, live publication shall be confined to nonidentifying operational information and verification material safe for that stage. Candidate or option totals, partial tallies, and records capable of linking a person to secret selections shall remain sealed until the relevant contest or question closes. Counting stages and permitted results shall then be published as they become available. Raw per-voter logs shall not be made public merely because they form part of the protected election record.

The page shall provide a downloadable, documented verification package containing the public records, their authenticated versions, relevant verification software or independently reproducible checking instructions, and privacy-preserving evidence sufficient to check the recorded outcome under the approved method. A record digest or signature alone shall not constitute proof of correct eligibility, inclusion, or counting. Any published commitment to secret ballot information shall use an independently examined hiding construction appropriate to the protocol.

The same Ballot Record page shall provide a public view, an authenticated individual participation lookup, and an owner-only private-record view, each subject to its required permissions. The public response shall contain only public material; protected information shall be retrieved separately under the required authorisation and voter-side protection. Role-specific visibility shall be enforced by the service rather than by hiding fields already delivered to an unauthorised viewer.

Section 15: Verification and Record APIs

A government-developed platform shall provide documented, versioned application programming interfaces for the public Ballot Records, individual participation lookup, and authorised private record functions. Documentation shall identify the data schema, stable identifiers, release stages, authentication and authorisation requirements, query limits, pagination, error responses, and verification procedures applicable to each interface.

Public verification interfaces shall provide read-only access to the same approved public data and downloadable evidence available on the Ballot Record. Protected interfaces shall enforce server-side authorisation for each requested record, property, and action. Knowing a Ballot ID, National ID number, or receipt reference shall not confer authority to retrieve a private record or alter a vote. The participation interface shall accept only the limited individual query permitted by Section 10.

The interfaces shall use protected transport, validated inputs, fresh and appropriately restricted credentials for protected operations, replay and request-forgery protections where applicable, bounded requests, and proportionate resource and query limits. The service shall separate public, participation, personal-history, and restricted-audit permissions. Shared caches, public error responses, telemetry, and public logs shall exclude protected particulars and secret selections.

Audit and service accounts shall have separately authenticated credentials restricted to their lawful functions. Public access shall not expose administrative controls or bypass the elector's required authentication, private decryption material, replacement cutoff, or voting deadline. Verification traffic shall be managed to preserve capacity for lawful voting and record access.

Before use and after material changes, independent examination shall test cross-account access, object and property authorisation, enumeration, secret leakage, cache behaviour, replay, rate limits, clock-boundary handling, and consistency between the page, API, exports, and authenticated record versions. Assessment shall apply the relevant ASVS requirements and address the risks described in the OWASP API Security Top 10, 2023 edition.

Section 1: Establishment

There is established under the Ministry of Interior the National Organizations Administration.

Section 2: Leadership

The Administration shall be led by the Administrator of the National Organizations Administration. The Deputy Administrator shall be second in command. Both officers shall be recommended by the Minister of Interior and appointed by the Emperor without a fixed statutory term.

Section 3: Registration Authority and Meaning of Organization

The Administration shall be the central registration and recognition authority for organizations operating in or under the law of the Totemian Empire. For this Chapter, an organization means a structured body, enterprise, association, institution, or undertaking acting under a common name or purpose, whether or not its legal form grants personality separate from its members or owners.

Section 4: Organization Categories

The Administration's jurisdiction shall include:

(a) economic organizations, including sole proprietorships, individual or household businesses, general partnerships, limited partnerships, limited liability partnerships, limited liability companies, corporations, cooperatives, joint ventures, state-owned enterprises, branches, representative offices, and other enterprise forms recognized by law;

(b) social organizations, including nonprofit corporations and other nonprofit, charitable, public-benefit, advocacy, professional, labor, cultural, scientific, educational, mutual-aid, civic, membership, and community organizations, foundations, and social-service institutions;

(c) political parties, political groups, campaign organizations, and other political organizations;

(d) religions, churches, temples, religious bodies, faith organizations, and other religious organizations; and

(e) another class of organization assigned by law or Imperial Order.

Section 5: Registration Classes and Filing Standards

The Minister may use Policy Orders to establish registration classes and filing standards within these categories. A registration class shall identify the organization's ownership or membership form, governing structure, liability model, and legal capacity and shall not create a tax, immunity, or property rule contrary to the Civil Code or superior law.

Section 1: Unified Register and Registration Numbers

The National Organizations Administration shall maintain the Unified Register of Organizations as the authoritative register of official organization status within the Totemian Empire. Each approved organization shall receive a unique organization registration number.

Section 2: Applications

An application shall state the proposed name, organization category and legal form, lawful purpose or business scope, principal address, founders or owners, controlling persons, principal officers, authorized representatives, governing instrument where applicable, capital or ownership information where applicable, and other information required by law or Policy Order.

Section 3: Examination and Status Changes

The Administration shall examine applications, prevent materially deceptive or conflicting names, verify required persons and documents, classify the organization, approve or refuse registration, record changes in name or status, and register mergers, conversions, dissolutions, and closures. A refusal, suspension, or cancellation shall state its legal and factual basis in the administrative record.

The National Organizations Administration shall refuse the registration, recognition, or proposed renaming of a political party or other political organization whose official name, abbreviation, or electoral designation would reasonably cause an elector to mistake it for the absence of political party affiliation. The designation "Independent" and expressions such as "No Party", "No Political Party", "No Party Affiliation", "Unaffiliated", "Nonpartisan", "No Label", and "No Labels" are protected against such misleading use. Confusing translations, spelling variations, abbreviations, and the addition of a word such as "Party" shall not defeat this protection.

The Administration shall apply an objective likelihood-of-confusion standard and provide written reasons for refusal. An applicant may offer a distinguishable replacement name and pursue ordinary administrative or judicial review. Independent candidates shall not be represented as a registered political party.

Section 4: Recognition of Foreign Enterprise Forms

The Administration shall accept for processing an enterprise form lawfully recognized under the law of the United States or the People's Republic of China. It shall register the enterprise under the nearest Totemian form or, where no adequate equivalent exists, as an Other Recognized Enterprise after recording its ownership, control, liability model, and legal capacity. The use of a foreign form or label shall not import foreign law into the Totemian Empire.

Section 5: Legal Effect of Registration

Registration establishes the official name, category, status, and recorded powers of an organization. It shall grant separate legal personality, limited liability, perpetual succession, tax treatment, electoral rights, eligibility for public funds, or another special status only where the registered form and applicable Totemian law provide that consequence. Registration of a sole proprietorship or other unincorporated undertaking shall not separate the undertaking from its owner unless law expressly provides otherwise.

Section 6: Political and Religious Recognition

Official recognition of a political or religious organization under the Civil Code shall be determined and recorded through this Administration. Religious registration shall be administered consistently with the Constitution, and the Ministry shall not determine theological truth or compel religious doctrine. Political registration shall not authorize the Ministry to direct a political organization's lawful internal platform or candidate choices unless another law expressly provides otherwise.

Section 7: Recognition Fees

For recognition governed by Title 1, Chapter 1, Article 5 of the Civil Code, the Administration shall approve the application before any fee is collected. The Central Revenue Administration shall collect the required recognition fee, credit it to the Collections Fund, and notify the Administration when payment is complete. Recognition takes effect upon full payment.

Section 8: Corrections, Inspections, and Adverse Decisions

The Minister, Administrator, or an authorized Registration Officer may require correction of a materially incomplete, false, or outdated filing and may conduct a registration inspection. The Minister or Administrator may refuse, suspend, or cancel registration for fraud, material falsehood, unlawful purpose, dissolution, abandonment, serious or repeated violation of registration duties, a legal disqualification, or another ground established by law or Imperial Order. The Emperor may direct any registration or recognition action within the constitutional authority of the Crown.

Section 9: Personnel and Internal Units

The Administration may style personnel as Registration Officers or Compliance Officers. One officer may perform both functions. Additional internal units shall be created only where approved under Title 2, Chapter 4 and operationally necessary.

Section 10: Certification to IBTE

Upon final registration or recognition of an organization, the Administration shall certify its class and authorized representatives to the Imperial Bank of the Totemian Empire (IBTE). The registration itself shall authorize the organization accounts required by the Civil Code, and IBTE shall create or activate them without a separate eligibility application or approval by the Ministry of Finance. The Administration shall certify later changes in status or representation.

Section 11: Public Register and Restricted Information

The public register may display an organization's name, registration number, category, legal form, status, principal address, principal officers, and lawful scope. Personal identifiers, protected ownership information, classified records, security information, and other restricted material shall be disclosed only as authorized by law.

Section 1: Establishment and Continuity

There is established within the Ministry of Interior the National Gendarmerie and Police Administration. It shall constitute the administrative organization of the National Gendarmerie and Police established by Imperial Order 48 and shall continue as the national police and civil law-enforcement agency of the Totemian Empire and as a branch of the Imperial Armed Forces under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Interior.

Section 2: Leadership and Appointments

The Administration shall be led by the Commissioner-General of the National Gendarmerie and Police. The Deputy Commissioner-General shall be second in command. For Title 2, Chapter 4, those officers shall respectively exercise the offices of Administrator and Deputy Administrator.

The Commissioner-General and Deputy Commissioner-General shall be recommended by the Minister of Interior and appointed by the Emperor without a fixed statutory term.

Section 3: Ministerial Direction

The Minister shall exercise unified ministerial leadership over national civil policing and may issue Policy Orders governing police administration, national enforcement priorities, personnel standards, training, records, coordination, and other matters within the Ministry's jurisdiction. The Commissioner-General shall exercise operational command in accordance with law and lawful superior orders. Neither officer may obstruct an Imperial command or a lawful judicial order.

Section 4: Constables and Internal Organization

Sworn peace officers shall be styled Constables. The Commissioner-General may establish supervisory ranks, specialist assignments, investigative titles, commands, stations, detachments, and other internal police units by Administration Order. A Constable assigned principally to criminal investigation may be styled a Detective. A member of the Imperial Armed Forces lawfully appointed as a Constable may retain the person's military rank separately from police rank.

Section 1: National Police Jurisdiction

The Administration shall exercise national civil law-enforcement jurisdiction throughout the Totemian Empire. It shall prevent, stop, detect, and investigate violations of law; maintain public order; protect persons and property; receive reports and requests for assistance; execute warrants and court orders; apprehend persons lawfully wanted or subject to arrest; preserve evidence and crime scenes; assist courts and competent authorities; and perform other duties assigned by law.

Section 2: Subnational and Local Law

Where a law of a subnational government or locality is in force and capable of police enforcement, the Administration may enforce that law within the applicable jurisdiction unless competent legal authority has assigned enforcement exclusively to another body.

Section 3: Concurrent Jurisdiction and Assistance

Subnational governments and localities may maintain their own law-enforcement bodies according to law. Authorities possessing concurrent jurisdiction shall coordinate enforcement and may provide mutual assistance.

Section 1: Investigative Powers

Within its lawful jurisdiction, the Administration may:

(a) receive and register reports, complaints, accusations, requests for assistance, and voluntary surrenders;

(b) open and conduct investigations into suspected violations of law;

(c) question and interview persons, obtain statements, and request information or records according to law;

(d) collect, secure, examine, preserve, and document evidence and maintain the chain of custody of seized or recovered property;

(e) execute arrest warrants, search warrants, summonses, court orders, and other lawful judicial process;

(f) arrest or detain a person where authorized by warrant or where probable cause exists and law permits arrest without a warrant;

(g) temporarily secure or control a scene where reasonably necessary to protect persons, preserve evidence, prevent an offense, apprehend a suspect, or restore public order;

(h) issue citations, notices, summonses, or other police process where authorized by law;

(i) pursue, locate, apprehend, and transport fugitives or other persons lawfully sought by competent authority; and

(j) request or provide lawful assistance to another state organ, police authority, emergency body, or court.

Section 2: Searches, Seizures, and Prosecution

Searches and seizures shall comply with the Constitution, warrants issued by competent courts, and other applicable law. A matter requiring prosecution shall be transmitted with the relevant evidence and police record to a competent prosecutorial authority.

Section 1: Arrest and Initial Appearance

A Constable making an arrest or detention shall record the legal basis and material circumstances. A person taken into custody shall be brought before a judge for an initial appearance within twenty-four to forty-eight hours after arrest, as required by Imperial Order 48, and shall be informed of the charges. If the person cannot afford legal representation, the court shall appoint a public defender no later than the plea stage. Any more protective requirement of superior law shall control.

Section 2: Police Records

The Administration shall maintain accurate records of arrests, detentions, warrants, seized property, evidence, transfers of custody, and other material police actions.

Section 3: Use of Force

A Constable may use force only where lawful and reasonably necessary to perform a police duty. The degree of force shall be proportionate to the threat, resistance, or lawful objective. Lethal force may be used only where authorized by law and reasonably necessary to protect a person against an imminent threat of death or serious bodily injury, or under another legal standard expressly authorizing lethal force.

Section 1: Oath of Allegiance

Every Constable shall take the oath of allegiance required by law before exercising sworn police authority.

Section 2: Training Requirements

No Constable shall exercise independent police powers until completing at least two hours of approved law-enforcement training. The Commissioner-General may establish additional or recurring requirements according to assignment, rank, or operational need.

Training shall include police authority, constitutional search and seizure, warrants, arrest and detention, evidence handling, use of force, public-order duties, report writing, and obligations to courts and other competent authorities.

Section 3: Discipline and Misconduct

The Commissioner-General shall maintain personnel discipline, operational review, complaint handling, and investigation of police misconduct and may appoint, assign, transfer, suspend, discipline, or remove ordinary personnel according to law and applicable Policy Orders and Administration Orders.

Section 4: Ministerial Review

The Minister may direct an administrative inspection or review and require reports concerning police operations, training, discipline, staffing, complaints, or other matters within ministerial oversight.

Section 1: Internal Police Structures

The Commissioner-General may establish police stations, territorial commands, patrol units, criminal-investigation teams, specialist units, temporary task groups, and other internal structures necessary for national policing. Their organization, areas of responsibility, staffing, and command relationships may be established by Administration Order.

Section 2: Local Cooperation

The Administration may enter operational arrangements with subnational governments and localities for joint patrols, investigations, prisoner or evidence transfer, emergency assistance, communications, training, and other lawful police cooperation.

Section 3: Emergency Deployment

During a serious disturbance, major criminal incident, emergency, or other substantial public-security need, the Commissioner-General may temporarily concentrate or redeploy police personnel and resources as necessary for the national response, subject to lawful superior direction.

Section 1: Establishment and Custodial Responsibility

There is established within the Ministry of Interior the Civil Corrections Administration, which shall be the central civilian organ for imprisonment, pretrial detention after commitment to a corrections facility, custodial transfer, rehabilitation, and reintegration throughout the Totemian Empire.

Section 2: Corrections Objectives

The Administration shall protect society and carry out lawful judgments while preserving secure and humane conditions, productive discipline, education, health, and the restoration of persons to useful social life.

Section 1: Leadership and Succession

The Commissioner-General of Civil Corrections shall exercise the office of Administrator. The Deputy Commissioner-General of Civil Corrections shall exercise the office of Deputy Administrator. Their command, appointment, removal, direction, and succession shall be governed by Title 2, Chapter 4 and by any direct order of the Emperor.

Section 2: Service Grades and Assignments

The civil corrections service grades, in descending order, shall be Commissioner-General, Deputy Commissioner-General, Facility Commandant, Senior Correctional Officer, and Correctional Officer. A Facility Commandant shall command an assigned facility. Rehabilitation, health, education, records, transport, and other specialist duties are functional assignments and do not create additional service grades.

Section 1: Corrections Services

The Administration shall include the Custody and Facility Operations Service and the Rehabilitation, Education, and Reintegration Service. The first shall administer secure custody, facilities, classification, transport, safety, and discipline. The second shall administer education, work and vocational programs, health coordination, social reintegration, and post-release preparation.

Section 2: Leadership and Combined Assignments

The Commissioner-General may place either Service under the Commissioner-General, Deputy Commissioner-General, a Facility Commandant, or another qualified officer. One person may lead both Services, command more than one facility, or hold another compatible assignment when staffing requires. No additional permanent command office is created unless lawfully staffed and funded.

Section 1: Corrections Powers

The Civil Corrections Administration shall have authority to:

(a) receive and hold a person committed by a legally effective judgment, detention order, other lawful process, or direct Imperial authority;

(b) operate, secure, inspect, consolidate, and close civilian prisons, jails, remand centers, detention centers, transport units, and assigned community-supervision programs;

(c) maintain the central civil custody register, calculate terms of custody, classify prisoners, designate facilities, and order custodial transfer;

(d) search prisoners, visitors, vehicles, property, and controlled areas; seize contraband; prevent escape, violence, self-harm, disorder, and unlawful communication; and use reasonable and proportionate force where necessary for a lawful corrections purpose;

(e) establish lawful rules of discipline, movement, visitation, correspondence, property, work, education, health, safety, and facility administration;

(f) provide food, shelter, sanitation, necessary health care, exercise, communication, education, vocational preparation, and other conditions required by law and available resources;

(g) escort and transfer persons in custody and require police assistance where necessary for security;

(h) inspect every civilian confinement facility and issue binding correction orders within its jurisdiction;

(i) collect custody statistics, investigate escapes and serious incidents, preserve evidence, and refer suspected offenses to a competent investigative or prosecutorial organ; and

(j) issue Administration Orders and exercise necessary and incidental authority within the express custodial powers of this Article.

Section 1: Commitment Records and Legal Authority

Before accepting a person for imprisonment, the Administration shall record the legal authority, the committing body, the term and conditions of custody, and any assent of the Emperor or His authorized representative required by the Constitution for long imprisonment. It shall promptly seek clarification from the committing court or Imperial authority when the authority or term is materially uncertain.

Section 2: Execution of Orders and Release

The Administration shall execute legally effective court orders and Imperial directions concerning custody, access, transfer, treatment, or release. It shall not alter a sentence, extend confinement through discipline, or hold a person after lawful authority expires. A person shall be released promptly upon expiration of the term, pardon, commutation, dismissal, or other controlling order.

Section 3: Counsel, Courts, and Complaints

Access to counsel, courts, authorized inspectors, and lawful complaint procedures shall not be obstructed. Facility security measures may regulate the time, place, and manner of access but shall not defeat the right or controlling order.

Section 1: Unified Civilian Facilities

All permanent civilian imprisonment facilities of the Totemian Government shall form one system under the Civil Corrections Administration. A subnational government or locality may operate a civilian facility only under law or written authorization of the Administration and remains subject to national registration, standards, inspection, and binding correction orders.

Section 2: Investigative Holding and Transfer

The National Gendarmerie and Police Administration, Ministry of State Security, and other investigative organs may maintain short-term holding rooms necessary to an arrest, interrogation, transfer, or active operation. A person who requires continued civilian confinement shall be transferred to the Civil Corrections Administration without unnecessary delay.

Section 3: Military Custody and Civilian Transfer

Military prisoners and military confinement facilities fall under the Military Corrections Service. A civilian held temporarily by military authority shall be transferred to the Civil Corrections Administration when the military basis for custody ends, unless a court or the Emperor directs otherwise.

Section 1: Establishment and Jurisdiction

There is established within the Ministry of Interior the State Labor Protection Administration, which shall be the central organ for labor inspection, wage enforcement, protection of labor rights, and public enforcement of the labor provisions of the Civil Code, the Elara Totem Act, and other applicable law.

Section 2: Labor Protection Objectives

The Administration shall defend the dignity and social value of labor power, ensure that wages and lawful working conditions are honored in practice, and prevent private capital, public administration, contractual form, or organizational status from being used to evade the rights of workers.

Section 1: Leadership and Succession

The Commissioner-General of Labor Protection shall exercise the office of Administrator. The Deputy Commissioner-General of Labor Protection shall exercise the office of Deputy Administrator. Their command, appointment, removal, direction, and succession shall be governed by Title 2, Chapter 4 and by any direct order of the Emperor.

Section 2: Essential Operational Positions

The essential operational positions shall be Chief Labor Protection Officer, Chief Labor Counsel, Labor Protection Officer, and Labor Counsel. These are functional positions and not separate organs or service grades. The Commissioner-General or Deputy Commissioner-General may concurrently hold either chief position, and one qualified person may hold both chief positions when staffing requires.

Section 1: Inspection and Enforcement Units

The Administration shall include the Labor Inspection Service and the Labor Enforcement Office. The Labor Inspection Service shall receive complaints, inspect workplaces and records, determine compliance, calculate unpaid amounts, and supervise corrective action. The Labor Enforcement Office shall prepare enforcement cases, represent the Administration, and coordinate prosecutions and judicial remedies.

Section 2: Personnel Assignments and Additional Units

The Commissioner-General may assign personnel between the two units, establish temporary inspection teams, and combine compatible functions. No additional permanent principal unit shall be created without approval of the Emperor.

Section 1: Labor Protection Powers

The State Labor Protection Administration shall have authority to:

(a) enforce laws governing wages, hours, breaks, payment, employment terms, government work, public works, the Elara Wage, coercion, retaliation, and the legal classification of labor relationships;

(b) receive confidential complaints, begin inspections on its own initiative, and prioritize a workplace, sector, project, employer, or pattern of conduct;

(c) enter and inspect a workplace during operating hours or at another reasonable time; examine working conditions; and separately question workers, employers, managers, contractors, and witnesses;

(d) require production and preservation of payroll, time, contract, classification, payment, safety, communication, and other records reasonably relevant to a labor matter;

(e) determine violations, calculate unpaid wages and other amounts, and issue rectification, payment, record-preservation, anti-retaliation, and compliance orders where authorized by law;

(f) monitor compliance, conduct follow-up inspections, publish nonclassified guidance and aggregate findings, and maintain official labor-enforcement records;

(g) institute and conduct civil or administrative enforcement proceedings and seek restitution, unpaid wages, damages, fines, injunctions, reinstatement, record correction, and other remedies authorized by law;

(h) investigate suspected criminal labor violations, preserve evidence, and refer or present the matter to a competent Procurator; and

(i) issue Administration Orders and exercise necessary and incidental authority within the express inspection and enforcement powers of this Article.

Section 1: Inspection Credentials and Cooperation

An authorized Labor Protection Officer shall display official credentials when conducting a compulsory inspection. An employer, officer, contractor, or organization subject to inspection shall provide lawful access, truthful information, and required records and shall not conceal, destroy, falsify, or remove material evidence.

Section 2: Confidentiality and Protection against Retaliation

The Administration may protect the identity of a complainant, witness, or cooperating worker to the extent consistent with a fair proceeding and a controlling court order. No person may discharge, demote, threaten, blacklist, reduce compensation, alter duties adversely, or otherwise retaliate because a person asserted a labor right, supplied information, refused an unlawful waiver, or participated in an inspection or proceeding.

Section 3: Independent Worker Remedies

An inspection or Administration order shall not prevent a worker from bringing a claim directly before the Judiciary or pursuing another remedy provided by law.

Section 1: Labor Counsel and Proceedings

A Labor Counsel may file and conduct a civil or administrative labor-enforcement action in the name of the Administration. A Labor Counsel may conduct a criminal prosecution only upon written designation or referral by the Chancellor's Special Procuratorate, the Office of the Chief State Security Procurator within its jurisdiction, another prosecutorial authority established by law, or the Emperor.

Section 2: Criminal Referrals and Police Assistance

The Administration shall refer suspected ordinary crimes to the Chancellor's Special Procuratorate or another competent organ and state-security offenses to the Ministry of State Security. The National Gendarmerie and Police Administration shall provide field security, compulsory assistance, arrest support, and ordinary criminal investigation when lawfully requested. Such assistance shall not transfer labor jurisdiction from the Administration.

Section 3: Interorgan Verification and Coordination

The Administration may coordinate with the Ministry of Finance, IBTE, National Organizations Administration, public-works authorities, and subnational governments and localities to verify employment, organization status, public funds, payments, and compliance.

Section 1: Administrator and Deputy Administrator

The National Land Administration shall be led by the Administrator of the National Land Administration.

The National Land Administration’s second in command shall be the Deputy Administrator of the National Land Administration.

Section 1: Parent Ministry and Appointments

The National Land Administration shall be under the Ministry of Interior, with appointments for leadership being recommended by the Minister of Interior and approved by the Emperor.

Section 2: Oversight and Policy Orders

The National Land Administration shall be overseen by the Minister of Interior and shall, when requested or ordered, respond to and execute Policy Orders from its oversight parent.

Section 1: Land-administration Jurisdiction

The National Land Administration shall be the national administrative authority responsible for land and parcel registration, land records, land valuation where assigned by law, and the administration of land transactions placed within its jurisdiction.

Section 2: Statutory Powers

The National Land Administration shall have authority to:

(a) establish and maintain authoritative records of registered parcels, ownership, transfers, property interests, and other land information assigned by law;

(b) receive, examine, process, approve, record, or refuse land requests, registrations, transfers, and sales in accordance with the Civil Code and other applicable law;

(c) conduct land audits, surveys, record examinations, and other administrative reviews necessary to verify registered land information;

(d) determine fair market value or other official land values where the Civil Code, an Act of Parliament, an Imperial Order, a court, or another competent legal authority assigns that function to the Administration;

(e) develop transparent land-valuation metrics, formulas, standards, and methods by Administration Order and apply them consistently within its jurisdiction;

(f) record easements, rights-of-way, consent agreements, acquisitions, protected designations, and other property interests or restrictions where registration is required by law;

(g) record and maintain the enacted boundaries, legal designation, ownership status, and property interests of National Parks and National Reserves established under Title 2, Chapter 16;

(h) provide certified land, boundary, ownership, and valuation records to courts and competent state organs where lawfully required;

(i) correct, update, reconcile, and preserve land records in accordance with lawful evidence and applicable procedure; and

(j) exercise other land-administration powers assigned by law or Imperial Order.

Section 3: Transparency of Valuation Methods

Valuation metrics and methods established by the Administration shall be transparent. The Administration shall publish or otherwise provide a public explanation of those metrics and methods and shall provide a further explanation when lawfully required by Parliament, the Emperor, a court, or another competent authority.

Section 1: Administrator and Deputy Administrator

The National Parks and Reserves Administration shall be led by the Administrator of the National Parks and Reserves Administration.

The Administration’s second in command shall be the Deputy Administrator of the National Parks and Reserves Administration.

Section 1: Parent Ministry and Appointments

The National Parks and Reserves Administration shall be under the Ministry of Interior, with appointments for leadership being recommended by the Minister of Interior and approved by the Emperor in accordance with Title 2, Chapter 4.

Section 2: Oversight and Policy Orders

The Administration shall remain under the oversight of the Minister of Interior and shall comply with lawful Policy Orders issued by its parent Ministry.

Section 1: Protected-land Jurisdiction

The National Parks and Reserves Administration shall exercise unified administration, supervision, protection, and enforcement over National Parks and National Reserves lawfully established within the Totemian Empire. The Administration shall strictly implement the Acts of Parliament, Imperial Orders, court orders, provisions of the Civil Code, and other applicable law governing those lands and shall perform its duties within the authority granted by law.

Section 2: Statutory Powers

The National Parks and Reserves Administration shall have authority to:

(a) administer National Parks and National Reserves established by Act of Parliament or Imperial Order;

(b) maintain and implement enacted boundaries, official maps, signs, notices, access conditions, use restrictions, permissions, and other legal requirements governing protected lands;

(c) maintain administrative, boundary, permit, incident, damage, inspection, and enforcement records required for the administration of protected lands;

(d) administer approvals, inspections, registrations, and permits where such requirements are established by law;

(e) conduct supervision and inspection of activities within National Parks and National Reserves;

(f) take temporary control measures authorized by Title 2, Chapter 16, Article 5 where an emergency, fire, imminent danger, active law-enforcement operation, hazardous condition, or immediate threat requires urgent action;

(g) issue Administration Orders and implementing procedures strictly within authority delegated by superior law;

(h) direct and maintain the National Parks and Reserves Enforcement Division and permanent routine enforcement capacity;

(i) commence and conduct proceedings through Enforcement Counsel or another legally authorized officer where Title 2, Chapter 16, Article 8 or other law confers such authority;

(j) coordinate authorized construction, maintenance, restoration, access, transport, and infrastructure work affecting National Parks and National Reserves; and

(k) provide factual records, surveys, maps, ownership information, enforcement information, and technical assistance when lawfully requested by Parliament, the Emperor, a court, or another competent authority.

Section 3: National Status and Ordinary Parks

An ordinary public park, civic open space, landscaped area, or other recreational land shall not become a National Park or National Reserve merely because it is publicly owned, scenic, wooded, recreational, or commonly called a park. National status exists only where it has been expressly created by an Act of Parliament or an Imperial Order.

Section 4: National Parks

For purposes of this Chapter, a National Park is land or water expressly designated as a National Park by an Act of Parliament or an Imperial Order. Its legal purpose, permitted uses, restrictions, public access, facilities, and other governing conditions shall be determined by the establishing law and other applicable superior law.

Section 5: National Reserves

For purposes of this Chapter, a National Reserve is land or water expressly designated as a National Reserve by an Act of Parliament or an Imperial Order. Its legal purpose, permitted uses, restrictions, access rules, and other governing conditions shall be determined by the establishing law and other applicable superior law.

Section 6: Limits on Administrative Designation

The Administration may not create, alter, or abolish a National Park, National Reserve, enacted boundary, or substantive land restriction unless superior law expressly grants that authority. It may provide factual records, surveys, maps, and technical assistance requested by a competent authority, but that assistance does not confer designation or policy authority.

Section 1: Establishing Authority

A National Park or National Reserve may be legally established only by an Act of Parliament or an Imperial Order. The National Parks and Reserves Administration, Ministry of Interior, or any other subordinate organ shall not create or propose the legal creation of a National Park or National Reserve by Policy Order, Administration Order, management plan, administrative direction, map, announcement, recommendation, or other subordinate instrument.

Section 2: Required Contents of the Establishing Instrument

The establishing Act or Imperial Order shall state the official name and whether the land is a National Park or National Reserve; shall state the legal purpose and any substantive restrictions or permissions intended to govern the land; shall designate the National Parks and Reserves Administration as the administering and enforcing authority unless superior law provides otherwise; and shall contain or expressly incorporate as an annex a final Boundary Coordinate Schedule.

Section 3: Boundary Coordinate Schedule

The final Boundary Coordinate Schedule shall contain ordered coordinate points sufficient to close and reproduce the legal boundary of each protected area or disconnected protected zone. Where a descriptive map, image, written description, or marker conflicts with the enacted coordinate schedule, the enacted coordinate schedule shall control unless the establishing Act or Imperial Order expressly provides another rule of interpretation.

Section 4: Boundary Changes and Clerical Corrections

A material movement, expansion, reduction, or redrawing of an enacted protected-area boundary shall require a later Act of Parliament or Imperial Order. Administrative surveying, mapping, or correction of a transcription error may improve the representation of an enacted boundary but shall not substantively change the land included within it.

Section 5: Reduction, Conversion, and Abolition

A material reduction of a protected area, conversion of a National Reserve into a less restrictive category, or abolition of a National Park or National Reserve shall require an Act of Parliament or Imperial Order. No Policy Order, Administration Order, management plan, permit, or other subordinate instrument may accomplish such action.

Section 6: Registration and Implementation

The National Land Administration shall register the enacted boundaries and land status of every National Park and National Reserve. After designation, the National Parks and Reserves Administration shall maintain and enforce the protected status according to the establishing Act or Imperial Order and shall provide the National Land Administration with implementation records reasonably necessary for registration.

Section 7: Public and Private Land

Government-owned land may be included within a National Park or National Reserve without compensation to another owner. Privately owned land shall not become subject to a National Park or National Reserve designation unless the owner has given written consent to the protected designation or the required property interest has been lawfully acquired with compensation as provided by this Article.

Section 8: Written Owner Consent

Written owner consent may permit the owner to retain private title while accepting the protected designation and agreed management restrictions. The consent shall identify the parcel or affected property interest and shall be recorded with the National Land Administration together with the protected-area boundary and any material conditions of the agreement.

Section 9: Agreed Consideration

Where the owner voluntarily accepts a negotiated purchase price, easement price, compensation amount, or other agreed consideration in writing without contesting valuation, no separate fair-market-value determination by the National Land Administration shall be required.

Section 10: Authorization for Non-consensual Acquisition

Where private land or a property interest must be acquired without the owner's voluntary agreement in order to establish the National Park or National Reserve, the establishing Act of Parliament or Imperial Order shall expressly authorize the acquisition of the identified property interest and shall provide or identify a lawfully available source of payment sufficient to compensate the affected owner. Parliament may appropriate the required money within the same establishing Act.

Section 11: Compensation and Valuation

Compensation for a contested or non-consensual acquisition under this Article shall be based upon fair market value determined by the National Land Administration. If the National Land Administration is unable to act because of vacancy, incapacity, legal conflict, or operational unavailability, the Minister of Interior shall make or commission the fair-market-value determination. The affected owner may challenge the legality or amount of a compulsory acquisition before a court of competent jurisdiction as provided by the Constitution and applicable law.

Section 12: Payment before Final Transfer

No compulsory transfer of private title or protected management interest under this Article shall take final effect until the required compensation has been paid to the owner or lawfully tendered or deposited for the owner's benefit in a manner that makes the compensation available to the owner.

Section 13: Identification and Recording of Private Interests

The establishing Act or Imperial Order shall identify every privately owned parcel or property interest requiring consent or acquisition with sufficient specificity to connect it to the enacted Boundary Coordinate Schedule. The National Land Administration shall record the resulting consent, acquisition, ownership status, and protected designation after the legal requirements of this Article have been satisfied.

Section 1: Day-to-day Administration

The Administration shall exercise unified day-to-day administration over each National Park and National Reserve in strict accordance with the Act of Parliament or Imperial Order establishing it and with other applicable law. It shall establish and improve the administrative systems necessary for the implementation of those laws, including boundary records, official maps, signs and notices, patrol arrangements, lawful access control, permit administration where a permit is required by law, maintenance schedules, incident records, damage records, and enforcement procedures.

Section 2: Uses and Access Conditions

The Administration shall strictly implement the uses, restrictions, permissions, and access conditions established by competent legal authority. Public access, recreation, construction, resource use, research, restoration, and other activities shall be permitted, restricted, or prohibited only in accordance with the establishing law and other applicable law. The Administration shall not substitute its own policy preference for a rule that Parliament or the Emperor has enacted.

Section 3: Supervision and Enforcement

Within National Parks and National Reserves, the Administration shall supervise, inspect, investigate, and address unlawful construction, extraction, resource removal, dumping, pollution, fires, vehicle use, waterway alteration, destruction of protected features, trespass, and other violations within its jurisdiction. Administration Orders may prescribe enforcement procedures but may not create a substantive offense, prohibition, protected-land category, boundary, or permanent land-use restriction unless superior law delegates that power.

Section 4: Approvals and Permits

Where applicable law requires approval, inspection, registration, or a permit from the Administration, the Administration shall examine the matter in accordance with the legal standards governing that activity and may approve, deny, condition, suspend, or revoke the authorization as provided by law. The Administration shall not create a permit requirement merely because it considers such a requirement desirable.

Section 5: Emergency Control Measures

Where an emergency, fire, imminent danger, active law-enforcement operation, hazardous condition, or immediate threat to protected land requires urgent action, the Administration may take temporary control measures reasonably necessary to protect persons, preserve evidence, prevent further damage, and maintain order. Such temporary measures shall be promptly lifted when the grounds for them cease and shall not be used to establish a permanent restriction that has not been authorized by law.

Section 1: Infrastructure Works and Management Jurisdiction

Where permitted by the establishing Act or Imperial Order and other applicable law, the Ministry of Infrastructure may plan, design, construct, repair, or maintain trails, paths, bridges, visitor facilities, access works, drainage, landscaping, utilities, restoration works, protective structures, and other physical improvements within a National Park or National Reserve. The National Parks and Reserves Administration shall administer and supervise such work to the extent required by law, but shall not independently authorize a class of development that the governing law prohibits.

Physical construction or maintenance by the Ministry of Infrastructure shall not transfer management jurisdiction over the protected area away from the National Parks and Reserves Administration.

Section 2: Project Compliance

A road, railway, metro, waterway, Interlink work, utility, or other infrastructure project within or through a National Park or National Reserve shall comply with the establishing Act or Imperial Order, the Civil Code, court orders, and other applicable law, together with lawful administrative requirements issued solely for their implementation. The Administration shall enforce those requirements according to law. Any compulsory acquisition of private property required for such a project shall remain governed by otherwise applicable law.

Section 3: Transport Authority and Coordination

The Ministry of Transport, National Interlink Administration, National Railway Administration, and National Highway Administration shall retain their powers under Title 2, Chapters 5 through 8 but shall coordinate with the National Parks and Reserves Administration where a transport project may materially affect a National Park or National Reserve.

Section 1: Local and Subnational Protected Lands

Subnational governments and localities may establish and administer local parks, reserves, conservation areas, or other protected lands under their lawful authority. Such areas shall not become National Parks or National Reserves merely by use of similar terminology.

Section 2: Limits of National Jurisdiction

The designations National Park and National Reserve under this Chapter shall refer only to protected areas established under Title 2, Chapter 16, Article 4. The Administration shall not exercise jurisdiction over a local or subnational park merely because similar terminology is used. It may provide assistance or cooperate with a subnational government or locality where lawfully requested or directed, but such cooperation shall not transfer ownership, jurisdiction, or control unless competent legal authority expressly provides otherwise.

Section 1: Establishment and Enforcement Function

There shall be established within the National Parks and Reserves Administration a National Parks and Reserves Enforcement Division. The Division shall be the permanent internal law-enforcement body responsible for routine enforcement within National Parks and National Reserves and shall not constitute a separate Ministry, Administration, court, or state organ.

Section 2: Leadership

The Division shall be led by a Chief Parks Enforcement Officer, who shall be appointed and removable at will by the Administrator of the National Parks and Reserves Administration. The Chief Parks Enforcement Officer shall organize and direct enforcement work in accordance with law and lawful Policy Orders and Administration Orders. Law-enforcement personnel of the Division shall be styled Parks Enforcement Officers. Personnel lawfully authorized to conduct litigation on behalf of the Administration shall be styled Enforcement Counsel.

Section 3: Applicable Law and Enforcement Responsibility

The Division shall strictly enforce Acts of Parliament, Imperial Orders, the Civil Code, court orders, lawful Policy Orders and Administration Orders implementing superior law, and other applicable legal provisions within National Parks and National Reserves. It shall have primary day-to-day responsibility for maintaining order, protecting enacted boundaries and protected property, enforcing lawful access and land-use restrictions, preventing and stopping violations, and ensuring the implementation of the legal measures governing those lands.

Section 4: Investigative Powers

Within its lawful jurisdiction, the Division may conduct patrols and inspections; investigate suspected violations; question or interview persons as permitted by law; collect, secure, and preserve evidence; inspect permits and authorized activities; issue citations and lawful orders to cease, correct, remove, repair, or restore unlawful conditions where such orders are authorized by law; execute warrants and court orders; and take other enforcement measures expressly authorized by law.

Section 5: Arrest and Custody

A Parks Enforcement Officer may arrest or take into custody a person within a National Park or National Reserve where probable cause exists to believe that the person committed an arrestable offense within the jurisdiction of the Division, or where arrest is authorized by warrant, court order, or other applicable law. Arrest powers shall be exercised prudently and in accordance with law. A person taken into custody shall be brought before a judge within twenty-four to forty-eight hours after arrest and shall receive any representation required by law.

Section 6: Searches and Compulsory Process

Searches, seizures, compelled production of records, entry into constitutionally protected private areas, and execution of warrants by the Division shall be conducted strictly in accordance with the Constitution, the Civil Code, and other applicable law.

Section 7: Oath and Training

Before independently exercising arrest, search, seizure, or compulsory enforcement authority, every Parks Enforcement Officer shall take an oath of allegiance to the Emperor and complete approved training concerning legal authority, warrants, evidence, arrest and custody, use of force, report writing, and obligations to courts. The minimum initial training shall not be less than that required for a Constable.

Section 8: Force and Operational Records

A Parks Enforcement Officer may use force only where lawful, reasonably necessary, and proportionate to the threat, resistance, or lawful objective. The Division shall maintain records of arrests, custody, warrants, searches, seized property, evidence, use of force, and transfers of custody, and shall maintain disciplinary procedures for misuse of enforcement authority.

Section 9: Proceedings and Remedies

The National Parks and Reserves Administration, acting through Enforcement Counsel or another legally authorized officer, may directly commence and conduct civil, administrative, or criminal proceedings within the jurisdiction assigned by law; seek injunctions, restoration orders, damages, forfeitures, penalties, or other lawful remedies; and appear before courts of competent jurisdiction without requiring approval from the Chancellor's Special Procuratorate.

Section 10: Concurrent Jurisdiction

The jurisdiction of the Division shall be concurrent with the jurisdiction of the Chancellor's Special Procuratorate and any other competent law-enforcement or prosecutorial authority. The National Parks and Reserves Administration shall maintain permanent capacity for routine and continuing enforcement within National Parks and National Reserves.

Section 11: Territorial Limits

The Division shall have no general enforcement jurisdiction outside National Parks and National Reserves. Authority outside those lands shall exist only where another law expressly extends the Division's jurisdiction or where Parks Enforcement Officers lawfully assist another competent authority.

Section 12: No Independent Lawmaking Authority

The Division is an enforcement body and not a lawmaking body. It shall have no authority to create or propose a National Park or National Reserve, alter an enacted boundary, establish a new substantive land-use restriction, or formulate protected-land policy except for internal enforcement procedures authorized by law. Imprisonment, damages, forfeitures, and other judicial remedies requiring judicial judgment shall be imposed only by a court of competent jurisdiction.

Section 1: Minister and Deputy Minister

The Ministry of Finance shall be led by the Minister of Finance.

The Ministry of Finance’s second in command shall be the Deputy Minister of Finance.

Section 1: Official Names and Treasury Identity

The official institutional name of this Ministry shall be the Ministry of Finance. Its alternative formal state style shall be His Imperial Majesty's Treasury. The short names MOF, HIM Treasury, and the Treasury may be used interchangeably with the full official name.

His Imperial Majesty’s Treasury is the Ministry of Finance, not a separate state organ or financial institution.

Section 2: Fiscal Responsibilities

The Ministry of Finance shall possess primary responsibility for fiscal administration, budgeting, appropriations administration, public spending, Treasury fund ownership and management, revenue administration, public-debt administration, and the financial administration of the Imperial Government, subject to the Constitution and superior law.

Section 3: Ministry Powers

The Ministry of Finance shall have authority to:

(a) prepare, administer, monitor, and report upon the fiscal plans, budgets, appropriations, expenditures, and financial position of the Imperial Government as assigned by law;

(b) administer Treasury-owned funds and determine their lawful fiscal purpose, allocation, and authorized use subject to appropriations and superior law;

(c) issue lawful Treasury instructions concerning payments, transfers, payroll, allocations, fund movements, and other fiscal operations for execution through the Treasury Operations Administration and IBTE;

(d) exercise ministerial leadership over the Treasury Operations Administration and Central Revenue Administration;

(e) establish, maintain, administer, and account for the Ministry of Finance General Fund, Central Salary Fund, Collections Fund, Imperial Reserve Fund, and other Treasury funds lawfully placed under the Ministry;

(f) establish fiscal, accounting, Treasury, reporting, fund-control, and financial-administration procedures by Policy Order;

(g) administer public revenue functions assigned to the Ministry and supervise the collection and accounting of such revenue through the Central Revenue Administration;

(h) administer public debt and exercise the powers established by Title 2, Chapter 17, Article 4;

(i) require financial reports, records, reconciliations, and other information from subordinate bodies and public bodies where lawfully necessary for fiscal administration;

(j) coordinate with IBTE concerning public-fund operations, Treasury transactions, public debt, material conversion where the Civil Code assigns a Treasury function, and fiscal-monetary matters; and

(k) exercise other fiscal and Treasury powers conferred by law or Imperial Order.

Section 1: Required Treasury Funds

The following Treasury funds shall be maintained by the Ministry of Finance:

(a) the Ministry of Finance General Fund, as required under Title 2, Chapter 4, for lawful discretionary expenditure and financial administration of the Ministry;

(b) the Central Salary Fund, for salaries, wages, stipends, and other authorized compensation of public personnel;

(c) the Collections Fund, for taxes, levies, fees, collections, and other public revenue pending lawful transfer, allocation, or use; and

(d) the Imperial Reserve Fund, established by Imperial Order 49 as the principal fund of the Empire and administered by His Imperial Majesty's Treasury. It shall hold public money reserved for future fiscal use, contingencies, national development, defense, revenue shortfalls, and later lawful allocation. It is not a foreign-exchange reserve, monetary reserve, or currency-backing account.

Section 2: Crown Treasury and Sovereign's Fund

Imperial Order 49 also establishes the Crown Treasury of Omnislavia and the Sovereign's Fund. The Crown Treasury of Omnislavia shall remain the royal treasury of the Kingdom of Omnislavia, held in right of the Crown by the Emperor in his capacity as King of Omnislavia and subordinate to His Imperial Majesty's Treasury as provided by that Order. The Sovereign's Fund shall remain the personal fund of the Emperor and shall not be treated as public revenue, a Ministry General Fund, or property of IBTE.

Section 3: Continuity of Imperial Order 49

The Imperial Reserve Fund, Crown Treasury of Omnislavia, and Sovereign's Fund shall retain the allocations, ownership, purposes, control, and restrictions established by Imperial Order 49 until lawfully changed by the Emperor. They shall be maintained as three distinct funds and shall not be merged through accounting or banking administration.

Section 4: Authoritative Fund Records

The Ministry shall maintain an authoritative fiscal record of every active fund established or continued by Imperial Order. A fund shall be administered according to its establishing Order and any later lawful amendment.

Section 5: Banking Classifications

Treasury funds may be recorded as distinct fund classifications or balances within the centralized banking and account system operated by IBTE. A separate legal purpose for a fund shall not create a separate banking institution, regional balance, or duplicate account balance.

Section 1: Meaning of Public Debt

For purposes of this Article, public debt means any bond, loan, borrowing, credit obligation, guarantee, or other repayable financial obligation lawfully assumed, issued, guaranteed, or recognized by the Imperial Government or another public body subject to this Article. Ordinary unpaid invoices, wages, or routine accounts payable shall not constitute public debt unless formally converted into a repayable debt instrument or otherwise designated by law.

Section 2: Treasury Authority

The Ministry of Finance shall possess primary authority over the administration of public debt, subject to the Constitution, Acts of Parliament, Imperial Orders, and other superior law.

Section 3: Public Debt Register

The Ministry of Finance shall maintain a Public Debt Register recording, to the extent applicable, the debtor public body, creditor, principal amount, interest or other financing cost, maturity, payment schedule, guarantees, outstanding balance, and status of each public debt obligation.

Section 4: Debt-administration Powers

Subject to law, the Ministry of Finance may:

(a) administer and enforce debt ceilings or borrowing limits established by law or Imperial Order and recommend additional ceilings or limits to the competent authority;

(b) approve or deny borrowing by ministries, administrations, public bodies, subnational governments, localities, or state-controlled entities where another law requires Treasury approval;

(c) issue, administer, service, redeem, or retire public debt where the creation of such debt has been lawfully authorized;

(d) refinance, consolidate, restructure, exchange, extend, or otherwise reorganize public debt, including by renegotiating financing costs, maturities, and payment schedules where lawfully permitted;

(e) establish Public Debt Replacement Programs to replace high-cost, short-term, concealed, irregular, or otherwise harmful public debt with standardized or more sustainable obligations, provided that replacement shall not duplicate the principal of the debt being replaced;

(f) require public bodies subject to its authority to disclose debts, guarantees, arrears, contingent obligations, and other information reasonably necessary for public-debt administration;

(g) prohibit, suspend, or refer for investigation any concealed, off-ledger, sham, or evasively structured public borrowing intended to avoid lawful debt controls;

(h) establish reporting, accounting, disclosure, and repayment procedures for public debt; and

(i) coordinate with IBTE regarding debt conditions that may affect the monetary system, financial stability, credit conditions, or the wider economy.

Section 5: Separate Authorization to Create Debt

No borrowing, debt issuance, guarantee, or assumption of debt shall be authorized solely by this Article where another law, appropriation, Imperial Order, or superior authority is required for the creation of that obligation.

Section 1: Authority to Issue a CFA

The Minister of Finance, or the Deputy Minister while lawfully acting as Minister, may issue a Currency Forfeiture Authorization (CFA) only to execute an Imperial Order, court order, final judgment, voluntary surrender, or statutory forfeiture authorized by Title 1, Chapter 1, Article 4 of the Civil Code.

Section 2: Required Particulars and Signature

Every CFA shall identify the source, amount, destination, superior authority, case or order reference, recorded reason, and signing officer. A Treasury officer may prepare the record, but no other officer may sign a CFA unless an Act of Parliament or Imperial Order expressly authorizes that officer.

Section 3: Limits on Legal Effect

A CFA shall not determine guilt, create a forfeiture ground, or convey greater title than the superior authority permits.

Section 1: Administrator and Deputy Administrator

The Treasury Operations Administration shall be led by the Administrator of the Treasury Operations Administration.

The Treasury Operations Administration’s second in command shall be the Deputy Administrator of the Treasury Operations Administration.

Section 1: Parent Ministry and Appointments

The Treasury Operations Administration shall be under the Ministry of Finance, with appointments for leadership being recommended by the Minister of Finance and approved by the Emperor.

Section 1: Treasury Operations Purpose

The Treasury Operations Administration shall administer the operational use of public funds owned or controlled by the Ministry of Finance.

Section 2: Operational Powers

The Treasury Operations Administration shall have authority to:

(a) execute lawful Treasury payment, transfer, payroll, allocation, and fund-movement instructions;

(b) administer the operational use of Treasury funds in accordance with the fiscal purpose and authorization determined by the Ministry of Finance;

(c) maintain Treasury transaction records, payment records, fund classifications, schedules, reconciliations, and other operational financial records;

(d) initiate, submit, process, reconcile, and verify Treasury transactions through the centralized banking and account system of IBTE;

(e) administer payroll and compensation payments charged to the Central Salary Fund or another lawfully designated Treasury fund;

(f) coordinate with IBTE to resolve technical, account, transfer, payment, reconciliation, and public-fund operating matters;

(g) establish Treasury operating procedures and internal controls by Administration Order where authorized by the Ministry of Finance; and

(h) exercise other Treasury-operational powers assigned by the Minister of Finance, this Code, or other applicable law.

Section 3: Limits on Monetary Authority

The Treasury Operations Administration shall administer the fiscal side of Treasury transactions but shall not possess authority over monetary policy, currency issuance, or financial supervision merely by reason of administering public funds.

Section 4: Execution of Currency Forfeitures

The Treasury Operations Administration shall record and carry out the Treasury-side receipt, classification, or transfer of currency after IBTE executes a valid Currency Forfeiture Authorization. It shall not issue a Currency Forfeiture Authorization or adjudicate ownership.

Section 5: Tax Revenue Release Execution

The Treasury Operations Administration shall administer and submit Revenue Release Authorizations issued under Title 5, Chapter 7 for processing by IBTE and shall maintain the Treasury transfer, reconciliation, and execution records.

Section 1: Administrator and Deputy Administrator

The Central Revenue Administration shall be led by the Administrator of the Central Revenue Administration.

The Central Revenue Administration’s second in command shall be the Deputy Administrator of the Central Revenue Administration.

Section 1: Parent Ministry and Appointments

The Central Revenue Administration shall be under the Ministry of Finance, with appointments for leadership being recommended by the Minister of Finance and approved by the Emperor.

Section 1: Revenue-administration Purpose

The Central Revenue Administration shall administer the collection of taxes, levies, fees, and other public revenue assigned to the Ministry of Finance.

Section 2: Collection and Accounting Powers

The Central Revenue Administration shall have authority to:

(a) receive, collect, process, and account for taxes, levies, fees, assessments, and other public revenue lawfully assigned to it;

(b) credit collected revenue to the Collections Fund unless another law designates a different destination;

(c) maintain records of assessments, amounts due, payments, collections, refunds, arrears, and other revenue information required by applicable law;

(d) reconcile collected revenue with Treasury and IBTE records;

(e) issue notices, payment instructions, administrative demands, or other collection documents where authorized by the law establishing the underlying payment or by lawful Policy Order;

(f) examine and verify records or payment information where such examination is authorized by the law governing the revenue being administered;

(g) coordinate with the Ministry of Finance, Treasury Operations Administration, and IBTE concerning collection, payment, accounting, and reconciliation procedures; and

(h) exercise other revenue-administration powers assigned by law or by lawful Policy Order of the Ministry of Finance.

Section 3: Other Assigned Operational Functions

Where there are no taxes, levies, fees, or other collections requiring administration, the Administration may perform other operational functions lawfully assigned by the Ministry of Finance.

Section 4: Intergovernmental Tax Attribution and Release

The Central Revenue Administration shall exercise the tax-classification, attribution, release-review, and Revenue Release Authorization functions assigned by Title 5, Chapter 7.

A Revenue Release Authorization transfers already attributed public revenue for execution and shall not constitute the creation of a tax or a new appropriation.

Section 1: Governor and Deputy Governor

The Imperial Bank of the Totemian Empire, hereinafter IBTE, shall be led by the Governor of IBTE, who shall be IBTE's principal executive officer and chair the Imperial Banking Council.

There shall be one Deputy Governor of IBTE. The Deputy Governor shall assist the Governor and may be assigned responsibility for monetary policy administration, banking operations, currency and account-system administration, debt stability, regional banking administration, internal administration, or other IBTE functions by Policy Order or other lawful written direction of the Governor.

Section 2: Appointment and Removal

The Governor shall be appointed and removable at will by the Emperor, after receiving the advice of the Minister of Finance and the Privy Council, and shall serve at His Imperial Majesty's pleasure. Such advice shall be advisory and shall not bind the Emperor. The office of Governor shall have no fixed statutory term.

The Deputy Governor shall be appointed and removable at will by the Governor with the consent of the Emperor. An appointment or removal by the Governor shall not take legal effect until the Emperor has consented. The office of Deputy Governor shall have no fixed statutory term.

Section 3: Council Composition

There shall be an Imperial Banking Council of IBTE. The Council shall consist of:

(a) the Governor of IBTE;

(b) the Deputy Governor;

(c) one additional Governor appointed by the Chancellor, hereinafter the Chancellor's Governor;

(d) the Minister of Finance, who shall hold an ex officio voting seat and may designate the Deputy Minister of Finance to exercise that seat during the Minister's absence; and

(e) the six Regional Governors established under Title 2, Chapter 20, Article 14, each of whom shall hold an ex officio voting seat by virtue of regional office.

Section 4: Chancellor's Governor

The Chancellor's Governor shall be appointed and removable at will by the Chancellor, subject to the Emperor's supreme authority to confirm, reject, suspend, or terminate the appointment, and shall have no fixed statutory term. The appointment shall terminate when the appointing Chancellor leaves office unless the succeeding Chancellor expressly reappoints the same person. A vacancy in the Chancellor's seat shall not prevent the Council from operating where quorum is otherwise present.

Appointment as the Chancellor's Governor shall not make that person the head or deputy head of IBTE and shall not give that person independent authority to issue Policy Orders, command IBTE personnel, determine monetary policy, direct a Regional Bank, approve a loan, or alter an account except through a lawful decision of the Council or a delegation made under this Chapter.

Section 5: Council Functions and Institutional Limits

The Imperial Banking Council provides collective governance, regional representation, and regulatory supervision. It approves Banking Council Orders; IBTE-wide lending, credit, conversion, purchasing, organizational, administrative, and operational frameworks or programs; and other matters reserved by this Chapter. It oversees regional banking, reviews financial and institutional reports, budgets, and accountability, and advises the Governor.

Regional Governors shall participate in Council decisions as representatives of regional operating conditions but shall exercise their vote in the interest of IBTE and the Totemian financial system as a whole. Council membership shall not create independent regional monetary authority.

The Council shall not displace the monetary-policy authority vested in the Governor under Title 2, Chapter 20, Article 5 or the advisory role of the Monetary Policy Committee under Title 2, Chapter 20, Article 6. The Council shall not alter appropriations, determine the fiscal use of Treasury-owned funds, or exercise a power reserved by law to the Emperor, a court, the Ministry of Finance, or another authority.

Section 6: Voting Rights and Acting Members

Each voting member shall possess one vote. Proxy voting shall not be permitted except where this Chapter expressly allows another officeholder to exercise an ex officio seat while lawfully acting for the member. A Deputy Regional Governor who is lawfully acting as Regional Governor during a temporary absence or incapacity may exercise that regional Council seat for the duration of the acting appointment.

Section 7: Meeting Methods

The Council may meet in person, by authenticated electronic communication, or through a formally circulated written vote. Participation by electronic means shall have the same legal effect as physical attendance where the identity and vote of the member can be reliably recorded.

Section 8: Ordinary Quorum and Resolutions

Six eligible voting members shall constitute the ordinary quorum of the Council. Ordinary Council Resolutions shall be decided by a simple majority of votes cast at a meeting possessing quorum. For an ordinary Council Resolution only, the member presiding shall have a casting vote in the event of a tie.

Section 9: Adoption of Banking Council Orders

An Order of the Imperial Banking Council shall require not fewer than six affirmative votes when six or more eligible voting members are lawfully in office. Abstention, absence, or a vote against shall not count as an affirmative vote. No casting vote shall be used to adopt, amend, repeal, or ratify a Banking Council Order.

Section 10: Reduced-membership Procedure

Where fewer than six voting members are lawfully in office and eligible to vote because of vacancies, incapacity, or a legally required recusal, the Council may act under a reduced-membership procedure only if at least four eligible members participate. Action under that procedure shall require the unanimous vote of every eligible member then available and shall include, among the participating members: the Governor or Deputy Governor; either the Minister or Deputy Minister of Finance exercising the Finance seat or the Chancellor's Governor; and at least one Regional Governor or Deputy Regional Governor lawfully acting in that office.

Temporary inconvenience, refusal to attend, failure to respond, or ordinary absence of a member whose office remains occupied shall not by itself activate the reduced-membership procedure. Reasonable efforts shall be made to contact and permit remote participation by every member whose vote is required.

Section 11: Fewer than Four Eligible Members

If fewer than four eligible voting members are lawfully in office, the Council shall not adopt a permanent Banking Council Order through the ordinary or reduced-membership procedures. Existing Banking Council Orders, Policy Orders, delegations, appointments, accounts, loans, programs, and other lawful IBTE operations shall continue in force, and the Governor or acting Governor may continue ordinary executive administration subject to this Chapter and other applicable law.

Section 12: Minimal-membership Procedure

Where two or three eligible voting members are lawfully in office, they may act under a minimal-membership procedure if the Governor or acting Governor participates. Action under this procedure shall require the unanimous affirmative vote of every eligible voting member then lawfully in office. The members may adopt a Provisional Banking Order, Council Resolution, or other temporary collective decision reasonably necessary for continuity of IBTE. A Provisional Banking Order shall not constitute a permanent Banking Council Order and shall not permanently amend or repeal one.

Section 13: Provisional Banking Orders

During a staffing deficiency, a Provisional Banking Order may temporarily exercise a function ordinarily requiring a Banking Council Order or Council approval when reasonably necessary to maintain lawful IBTE operations. It may establish, modify, suspend, or continue banking, lending, regulatory, or operating requirements, or approve Council-reserved programs, transactions, or organizational actions whose delay would materially impair IBTE. It shall identify the staffing deficiency, authority, necessity, affected provisions or programs, and expiration date.

Section 14: Sole-Governor Continuity Authority

While the Governor or acting Governor is the sole eligible voting Council member because all other seats are lawfully unoccupied, Sole-Governor Continuity Authority applies automatically without an emergency finding, and IBTE remains fully operational. The Governor may exercise any Council function reasonably connected to ordinary or strategic IBTE operations, including regulatory, approval, organizational, credit, lending, purchasing, programmatic, regional, and supervisory functions. A generally applicable rule or Council-reserved action under this authority shall issue as a Governor's Continuity Order, not a Banking Council Order.

Section 15: Governor's Continuity Orders

A Governor's Continuity Order shall state the facts establishing the sole-Governor staffing condition, the legal authority relied upon, the measures adopted, and how those measures relate to the lawful operation of IBTE. The Governor shall not be required to characterize ordinary understaffing as an emergency or prove that restoration of Council membership is imminent. The Governor shall transmit the Order to the Emperor as soon as practicable and ordinarily within twenty-four hours after issuance. The Emperor may affirm, amend, suspend, revoke, or replace the Order at any time.

Section 16: Expiry and Renewal of Provisional Orders

Unless earlier revoked, replaced, or ratified, a Provisional Banking Order expires within thirty days and may be renewed in thirty-day periods by the same unanimous minimal-membership procedure while the staffing deficiency continues. Renewals after the first shall state the continuing need and be sent promptly to the Emperor. A Governor's Continuity Order remains effective during a sole-Governor condition, subject to a recorded thirty-day review and short continuation certification to the Emperor; no new emergency finding is required.

Section 17: End of Sole-Governor Authority

When a second eligible voting member enters office, Sole-Governor Continuity Authority ends for new actions. Existing Governor's Continuity Orders remain effective for seven days unless sooner ratified, replaced, amended, or revoked under the procedure then available. Two or three eligible members use unanimous minimal-membership procedure; four or five use reduced-membership procedure; and six or more use ordinary Council procedure. Failure to ratify does not invalidate completed lawful actions.

Section 18: Limits on Staffing-deficiency Orders

Neither a Provisional Banking Order nor a Governor's Continuity Order may amend this Code; alter statutory Council composition, quorum, voting requirements, or the number of Regional Banks; extend the Governor's tenure or compensation; grant the Governor another seat or vote; use Treasury funds without lawful fiscal authority; extinguish lawful debt; permanently waive, amend, or repeal a Banking Council Order; create a permanent exemption from superior law; or override superior law or a court order.

Section 19: Performance of Vacant Functions

During a material staffing deficiency, the Governor may personally perform, or temporarily assign a qualified IBTE officer to perform, an administrative or operational function of a vacant IBTE office where this Chapter does not expressly require the function to be exercised by a distinct named officeholder. One person may temporarily perform more than one operational function when reasonably necessary for continuity, but no person shall acquire more than one Council vote, count more than once toward quorum, or manufacture additional Council membership merely by holding or performing multiple offices or functions.

Section 20: Vacancies and Appointments

A vacancy shall not invalidate Council action where the applicable quorum and voting requirement has otherwise been satisfied. Appointing authorities shall fill Council vacancies without unreasonable delay. Where a Regional Governor seat becomes vacant, the Governor shall ordinarily appoint a replacement within fourteen calendar days. If the vacancy cannot reasonably be filled within that period, the Governor shall record the reason and report the vacancy to the Emperor and the remaining Council members.

Section 21: Recusal and Personal Interests

No Council member shall vote on a matter involving that member's own removal, discipline, compensation, or direct personal financial interest. A required recusal shall be entered in the voting record. A member shall not be removed, left unappointed, suspended, directed not to participate, or induced to recuse for the purpose of manufacturing or defeating quorum or altering the voting threshold required by this Chapter. Nothing in this paragraph shall limit the Emperor's constitutional authority to appoint, remove, suspend, or direct IBTE officers or Council members.

Section 22: Voting Records

Every formal Council vote shall be recorded. The record shall identify the matter considered; the members participating; each affirmative vote, negative vote, abstention, and recusal; whether ordinary, reduced-membership, or minimal-membership procedure was used; and the final decision. A written or electronically authenticated vote shall be preserved as part of the Council record. Provisional Banking Orders and Governor's Continuity Orders shall likewise be preserved in the official records of IBTE.

Section 23: Implementation of Council Resolutions

A lawful Council Resolution concerning a matter within the Council's authority shall be implemented by the Governor through Policy Order, written direction, appointment action, or other lawful instrument where implementation is required. A Banking Council Order shall be adopted and promulgated according to Title 2, Chapter 20, Article 10. No Council action shall override a lawful directive of the Emperor.

Section 24: Governor's Executive Command

The Governor shall have general command and superintendence over IBTE, subject to the Constitution, superior law, lawful decisions of the Council within its jurisdiction, and the lawful directives of the Emperor. The Governor shall direct IBTE's personnel, internal organization, regulatory administration, and execution of its statutory functions except where a power is expressly reserved to another authority.

Section 25: Acting Succession

Where the Governor is absent, incapacitated, or the office is vacant, the Deputy Governor shall exercise the powers of Governor until the Governor returns or the Emperor appoints or designates another person. If both offices are vacant or unavailable, the Emperor may designate an acting Governor.

Section 26: Imperial Advice and Privy Council Membership

The Governor shall be an ex officio monetary and financial advisor to the Emperor and a member of His Imperial Majesty's Most Honorable Privy Council under Title 2, Chapter 4. The Governor may attend and speak on IBTE, monetary, and financial matters. Privy Council membership shall not subject an IBTE decision to Council vote or diminish the Governor's statutory authority.

Section 1: Official Name and Short Name

The official institutional name of the central bank is the Imperial Bank of the Totemian Empire. The authorized statutory short name is IBTE. The full name shall be used in the Chapter heading, establishment and continuity provisions, the institutional seal, Banking Council Orders, credentials, and formal state instruments; IBTE may be used in ordinary statutory and administrative text.

Section 2: Central-bank Status and Governing Authority

The Imperial Bank of the Totemian Empire shall be the central bank and principal monetary and financial authority of the Totemian Empire. It shall constitute a specialized state organ of the Imperial Government under the authority of the Emperor and shall remain institutionally separate from the Ministry of Finance.

IBTE shall exercise its functions under the authority of the Emperor and in accordance with the Constitution, Acts of Parliament, Imperial Orders, and other applicable law.

Section 3: Separation from the Treasury

IBTE is not His Imperial Majesty’s Treasury and shall not be construed as a subdivision, account, fund, administration, office, or banking unit of the Ministry of Finance. Custody or operation of Treasury funds by IBTE shall not convert those funds into property of IBTE.

Section 4: Institutional Organization and Reporting

IBTE shall possess its own leadership chain, personnel, internal organization, records, seal, technical systems, and administrative operations. The Governor shall report directly to the Emperor and shall not report through the Minister of Finance.

Section 5: Administrative Funding

IBTE may receive an administrative budget or other lawful funding for its operations. Such funding may be recorded within the centralized banking and account system without requiring creation of a duplicate Treasury balance or a separate banking institution. Provisions of Title 2, Chapter 4 that apply specifically to Ministries or Administrations shall not apply to IBTE unless this Chapter or another law expressly incorporates them.

Section 1: Centralized System and Authoritative Balances

IBTE shall operate the official centralized banking and account system of the Totemian Empire. The authoritative record of Totemic Shilleng held in a registered account shall be the balance recorded for that account in the official banking database or successor system lawfully operated by IBTE.

Section 2: Banking Services and Account Coverage

IBTE shall provide the official banking, account-registration, payment, transfer, and related account services of the Totemian Empire to persons, businesses, organizations, public bodies, state organs, and other account holders eligible under Totemian law. Unless superior law expressly establishes or authorizes another institution, no separate private bank, commercial bank, regional bank, payment bank, or other institution shall independently maintain an official Totemic Shilleng deposit balance outside the IBTE system.

All registered Totemic Shilleng accounts and balances shall be administered through the same centralized system regardless of whether the account holder is a private person, business, organization, Ministry, Administration, locality, subnational government, or other lawful entity. Use of a Regional Bank or another office of IBTE shall not change where an account legally exists and shall not create a regional ledger, regional balance sheet, local money supply, separate currency pool, or duplicate balance.

Section 3: Ownership of Private Balances

Administration of a person's or entity's account by IBTE shall not, by itself, make the money recorded in that account property of the Imperial Government. Ownership and lawful control of account balances shall remain determined by the Civil Code, account law, public-finance law, court orders, and other applicable law.

Section 4: Treasury Ownership and Fiscal Control

The Ministry of Finance, formally styled His Imperial Majesty's Treasury, shall retain fiscal ownership and control over public funds lawfully assigned to it. Where a Treasury fund is recorded through the IBTE system, the Ministry of Finance shall retain authority over the lawful fiscal purpose and use of the money; the Treasury Operations Administration shall administer and execute lawful fiscal instructions; and IBTE shall maintain the authoritative account record, process authorized transactions, and exercise its lawful banking and account-administration powers.

Section 5: Limits on Use of Treasury Money

IBTE shall not expend, appropriate, or redirect money owned by the Ministry of Finance on its own authority except where expressly authorized by law, Imperial Order, court order, or other lawful authority. IBTE may refuse, suspend, restrict, reverse, or hold a transaction or account action where it is unlawful, unauthorized, technically invalid, fraudulent, duplicative, or subject to a lawful banking, account, credit, or enforcement restriction.

Section 1: Central-bank Powers

IBTE shall have power, subject to law, to:

(a) formulate and implement monetary policy;

(b) issue, withdraw, manage, and regulate the Totemic Shilleng;

(c) regulate the supply and circulation of currency and, where applicable, interest rates, credit conditions, and other monetary instruments;

(d) operate and maintain the official centralized banking, account-registration, payment, transfer, and public-funds recording systems of the Totemian Empire;

(e) provide lawful banking, account, payment, transfer, lending, and related financial services to persons, businesses, organizations, public bodies, state organs, and other eligible account holders, and act as banker and fiscal agent to the Imperial Government;

(f) administer lending and credit issued by IBTE and regulate or supervise any additional financial-service institution, payment provider, lender, or other financial entity that may be separately authorized by Totemian law;

(g) establish technical, security, identity-verification, account-registration, recordkeeping, payment, transfer, lending, conversion, and operational standards for the IBTE system and for any additional financial entity lawfully subject to its authority;

(h) require reports, records, identity or entity information, account information, debt information, loan information, transaction records, or other financial information where lawfully necessary for account administration, lending, auditing, regulation, or enforcement;

(i) inspect and examine accounts, transactions, lending activity, conversion activity, IBTE operations, and any additional financial-service entity subject to its jurisdiction;

(j) open, register, maintain, verify, restrict, suspend, or close accounts and IBTE services where authorized by law, and license, authorize, restrict, suspend, or revoke any additional financial-service provider where a law permits such a provider to exist;

(k) freeze, restrict, suspend, block, or reverse accounts or transactions where authorized by law, court order, Imperial Order, or a lawful regulatory power of IBTE;

(l) issue Policy Orders within the Governor's executive authority and adopt or issue Banking Council Orders, Provisional Banking Orders, Governor's Continuity Orders, Emergency Banking Directions, and other instruments authorized by Title 2, Chapter 20, Article 10 in accordance with the procedures applicable to each instrument; and

(m) monitor debt, leverage, arrears, credit concentration, and other financial exposures capable of creating material risk to the Totemian economy or financial system;

(n) require borrowers, creditors, account holders, public bodies, and any additional financial-service entities within its jurisdiction to report debt, lending, leverage, repayment, default, concentration, and related financial-risk information where lawfully necessary;

(o) impose lawful prudential limits or conditions upon lending, borrowing, leverage, credit concentration, collateral, repayment structures, and financial exposure where necessary to protect financial stability;

(p) classify debt risks and apply debt-stability measures in accordance with Title 2, Chapter 20, Article 13;

(q) designate Priority Credit Areas and establish lawful lending targets, incentives, restrictions, preferential conditions, or other structural credit measures for the development or protection of sectors of the Totemian economy;

(r) coordinate with the Ministry of Finance in lawful public-debt replacement, refinancing, restructuring, and risk-reduction programs; and

(s) perform such other financial, banking, currency, debt-stability, credit, or regulatory functions as may be conferred by law or Imperial Order.

Section 1: Monetary-policy Functions

IBTE shall have authority to formulate and implement monetary policy for the Totemian Empire, including regulation of the money supply, currency issuance, interest rates where applicable, credit conditions, and other monetary instruments relevant to the Totemian financial system.

Section 2: Decision-making Authority

Monetary policy decisions shall be made by the Governor, with the advice of the Monetary Policy Committee.

Section 3: Limits on Direction by Other Organs

No ministry, administration, office, or other state organ shall direct the formulation or implementation of monetary policy except where expressly authorized by law, Imperial Order, or an Executive Order approved by the Emperor.

Section 1: Establishment

There shall be established a Monetary Policy Committee of the Imperial Bank of the Totemian Empire.

Section 2: Committee Membership

The Monetary Policy Committee shall consist of:

(a) the Governor, who shall preside;

(b) the Deputy Governor;

(c) the Minister of Finance or a representative designated by the Minister of Finance;

(d) the Chancellor or a representative designated by the Chancellor; and

(e) such other members as the Emperor may appoint.

Section 3: Advisory Function and Recorded Reasons

The Monetary Policy Committee shall advise the Governor on monetary policy decisions.

The advice of the Monetary Policy Committee shall not bind the Governor. Where the Governor acts contrary to a recorded recommendation of the Committee, the Governor shall record the principal reasons and transmit them to the Emperor. The Emperor may affirm, amend, suspend, reverse, or replace the decision. The Chancellor shall possess no independent power to approve, veto, or direct a monetary-policy decision except through an Executive Order approved by the Emperor or another authority expressly granted by superior law.

Section 1: Exclusive Issuance Authority

IBTE shall have the exclusive right to issue, withdraw, and regulate the Totemic Shilleng within the Totemian Empire, except as otherwise expressly provided by superior law.

Section 2: Unauthorized Issuance

No person or entity shall create, print, mint, generate, or issue Totemic Shilleng without authority of IBTE or other authority expressly established by law.

Section 3: Currency Form and Circulation

IBTE shall determine the quantity, form, denominations, technical method, security features, and circulation of the Totemic Shilleng, subject to Imperial Order and applicable law.

Section 4: Issuance Account and Monetary Records

There shall be maintained a Totemic Shilleng Issuance Account under the exclusive administration of IBTE. The Issuance Account shall record the creation, issuance, withdrawal, destruction, cancellation, or other authorized adjustment of the Totemic Shilleng.

Section 5: Non-spendable Character

The Totemic Shilleng Issuance Account shall not constitute a spendable Treasury fund, revenue account, or discretionary balance of the Ministry of Finance. Entries within the Issuance Account shall represent monetary issuance and withdrawal activity rather than an appropriation of public money.

Section 6: Migration of the Printing Account

The existing Totemic Shilleng Printing Account may be converted, renamed, or migrated into the Totemic Shilleng Issuance Account without creating a second balance or duplicating existing currency records.

Section 1: Banking-administration Jurisdiction

IBTE shall have authority to administer and protect the official banking and account system of the Totemian Empire and to regulate the use of IBTE accounts, transfers, payment functions, lending services, material-conversion services, and other IBTE services. Where another financial-service entity is expressly authorized by law, that entity shall be subject to IBTE supervision to the extent provided by law.

Section 2: Regulatory Instruments

Within its jurisdiction, IBTE may issue the instruments authorized by this Chapter for account services, payments, lending, repayment, material conversion, fraud prevention, technical operations, and system protection. A generally applicable substantive rule requires a Banking Council Order unless Title 2, Chapter 20, Article 10 authorizes a temporary Provisional Banking Order, Governor's Continuity Order, or Emergency Banking Direction.

Section 3: Information, Investigation, and Enforcement Powers

For purposes of banking administration and enforcement, IBTE may lawfully require information, verify identity and entity status, inspect records, investigate account or transaction irregularities, examine loan or conversion activity, impose lawful account or service conditions, restrict activities, suspend services, freeze or limit transactions, recover or reverse erroneous or fraudulent entries where legally authorized, and take other corrective action authorized by law.

Section 4: Notice and Review of Adverse Action

Except when immediate temporary action is reasonably necessary to prevent fraud, unlawful dissipation, material loss, or compromise of the account system, an account holder affected by a freeze, restriction, suspension, closure, blocking, or reversal shall receive written notice of the authority, reason, scope, and expected duration. Emergency action may precede notice, which shall follow as soon as practicable. The account holder may request administrative review and seek judicial review where permitted. An Imperial Order or court order shall be executed without delay.

Section 5: Organization Accounts

Upon certification by the National Organizations Administration, IBTE shall create or activate every organization account required by the Civil Code. No separate approval by the Ministry of Finance or further account application shall be required. IBTE shall maintain the account class, authorized representatives, restrictions, and status shown by the Unified Register of Organizations and lawful fiscal directions.

Section 6: Restrictions, Seizure, and Forfeiture

IBTE shall freeze, seize, or forfeit currency only on a facially valid Imperial Order, court order, Currency Forfeiture Authorization, or other authority expressly recognized by the Civil Code. IBTE shall record the source, amount, destination, legal authority, reference, reason, and executing officer for each movement.

Section 7: Judicial and Prosecutorial Referrals

Where conduct appears to constitute a violation requiring judicial prosecution or enforcement beyond the lawful administrative powers of IBTE, IBTE may refer the matter and its records to the Chancellor’s Special Procuratorate or another authority of competent jurisdiction.

Section 1: Public-fund Banking and Treasury Coordination

IBTE shall, in coordination with the Ministry of Finance and the Treasury Operations Administration, maintain and operate the centralized banking and account system through which public funds are recorded and transferred.

The Ministry of Finance shall determine the lawful fiscal purpose, allocation, and authorized use of Treasury funds. The Treasury Operations Administration shall administer Treasury transactions and instructions. IBTE shall execute or process such transactions through the centralized banking and account system, subject to law and IBTE's lawful banking, account-security, and technical authority.

Custody or maintenance of a public fund by IBTE shall not transfer legal ownership of that fund to IBTE.

The same public money shall not be treated as a separate Ministry balance and a separate IBTE balance merely because both institutions possess jurisdiction over different aspects of its administration.

Section 1: Banking Council Orders and Required Approval

An Order of the Imperial Banking Council, hereinafter a Banking Council Order, shall be the principal generally applicable regulatory instrument of IBTE. A Banking Council Order may establish, amend, or repeal rules governing persons, account holders, borrowers, public bodies, Regional Banks, or other persons or entities subject to the lawful authority of IBTE.

A Banking Council Order is required for a generally applicable rule materially affecting accounts, lending, collateral, repayment, material conversion, reporting, prudential limits, debt-risk classifications, Priority Credit Areas, IBTE-wide restrictions, or another substantive banking requirement. The continuity and emergency instruments authorized by this Article may exercise Council functions only within their stated limits.

Section 2: Governor's Policy Orders

The Governor may issue Policy Orders for internal administration and execution of existing law. Policy Orders may govern personnel, internal organization, technical procedures, work assignments, implementation of Banking Council Orders, case-management procedures, internal controls, and other matters within the executive administration of IBTE. A Policy Order shall not create, amend, suspend, or repeal a rule that is required by this Article to be established by Banking Council Order.

Section 3: Substance over Instrument Title

The legal character of an instrument shall be determined by its substance and effect. A generally applicable banking requirement shall not avoid Council approval merely because it is styled as a Policy Order, standard, directive, circular, technical rule, condition, instruction, or another form of document.

Section 4: Proposals

Any voting member of the Imperial Banking Council may propose a Banking Council Order. IBTE personnel may prepare or submit a proposed text through the Governor, Deputy Governor, a Regional Governor, or another Council member. Except where urgent action is lawfully justified, the complete proposed text shall be circulated to all voting members at least twenty-four hours before the vote.

Section 5: Adoption and Nondelegation

A Banking Council Order shall be adopted only in accordance with the voting and quorum requirements of Title 2, Chapter 20, Article 1. The Council shall not delegate its power to adopt, amend, repeal, or ratify a Banking Council Order to the Governor, Deputy Governor, an Office, a Regional Bank, a committee, or another person or body. Administrative execution of an adopted Order may be delegated according to law.

Section 6: Seal and Required Particulars

Every Banking Council Order shall prominently display the seal of IBTE and shall state at a minimum:

(a) the title “Order of the Imperial Banking Council”;

(b) a consecutive Order number and year of adoption;

(c) the statutory or other legal authority under which the Order is made;

(d) the subject, purpose, and scope of the Order;

(e) the operative rules or requirements being established;

(f) the date of adoption;

(g) the names of the Council members voting in favor, voting against, abstaining, or recused;

(h) the name of the Governor and Deputy Governor holding office on the date of adoption;

(i) the name of the reigning Emperor; and

(j) the effective date of the Order.

Section 7: Publication and Commencement

A Banking Council Order shall ordinarily take legal effect on the third calendar day after official publication by IBTE or on a later date stated in the Order. The Council may provide for immediate or earlier effect where the Order contains a written finding that delay would materially threaten the banking system, payment system, currency administration, account security, credit stability, or another substantial financial interest requiring prompt action.

Section 8: Authentication and Promulgation

The Governor shall authenticate and promulgate an adopted Banking Council Order by signature. The Governor’s signature shall certify promulgation and shall not constitute a separate power to veto an Order lawfully adopted by the Council. Where the Governor is unavailable or fails to authenticate an adopted Order within seventy-two hours, the Deputy Governor shall authenticate it. Where both are unavailable, the Council member lawfully presiding shall certify the recorded vote and promulgate the Order.

Section 9: Amendment, Suspension, and Repeal

A Banking Council Order may be amended, suspended, or repealed only by a later Banking Council Order, by superior law, or by lawful directive of the Emperor possessing sufficient legal authority. An individual Policy Order, Regional Bank instruction, internal directive, or administrative decision shall not amend or displace a Banking Council Order.

Section 10: Council Resolutions

The Council may act by Council Resolution on matters of collective governance that do not require a Banking Council Order, including organizational approvals, major internal programs, individual or case-specific approvals, reports, recommendations, appointments or designations placed within Council authority, and other internal collective decisions. A Council Resolution shall not be used to impose a new generally applicable substantive obligation where a Banking Council Order is required.

Section 11: Emergency Banking Authority

Where an immediate and substantial threat exists to the integrity of the centralized banking system, payment operations, currency administration, account security, or financial stability, and delay necessary to obtain ordinary Council approval would materially increase the threat, the Governor may issue an Emergency Banking Direction with the written concurrence of two other Council members. At least one concurring member shall be the Deputy Governor, the Minister or Deputy Minister of Finance exercising the Finance seat, or the Chancellor's Governor.

Section 12: Emergency Action with Reduced Membership

With only two eligible Council members, the Governor or acting Governor may issue an Emergency Banking Direction with the other's written concurrence. As the sole eligible Council member, the Governor may act alone if the written emergency finding states why obtaining prior Imperial approval, restoring another member, or waiting would materially increase the harm. A sole-Governor Direction shall be sent to the Emperor as soon as practicable and ordinarily within twenty-four hours.

Section 13: Sole-member Emergency Authority

No person other than the Governor or a person lawfully acting as Governor may exercise the sole-member emergency authority established by this Article. Performance of multiple vacant IBTE functions or offices shall not give another person sole-member emergency authority unless that person has lawfully become acting Governor.

Section 14: Temporary Measures and Required Findings

An Emergency Banking Direction may impose only temporary measures reasonably necessary to contain or mitigate the stated threat and shall identify the facts and legal authority supporting the emergency action. Except for a sole-Governor Emergency Banking Direction, it shall expire seven calendar days after issuance unless earlier revoked or replaced by a Banking Council Order, Provisional Banking Order, or other lawful instrument. The Council may ratify, amend, or replace the temporary measure through the procedure available under this Chapter. A substantially identical Emergency Banking Direction shall not be repeatedly reissued for the purpose of avoiding Council approval.

Section 15: Sole-Governor Emergency Expiry

A sole-Governor Emergency Banking Direction shall expire seventy-two hours after issuance unless the Emperor confirms or extends it, or unless it is earlier replaced by a Governor's Continuity Order, Provisional Banking Order, or Banking Council Order as applicable. Imperial confirmation may permit the Direction to continue for a total period not exceeding seven calendar days from its original issuance. Where the Council remains legally unable to act after that period, any continuing non-immediate measure shall proceed under the Governor's Continuity Order or Provisional Banking Order procedure rather than through repeated emergency directions.

Section 16: Banking Operations Office

There shall be maintained within IBTE a Banking Operations Office responsible for the ordinary administration and integrity of the centralized account system, account registration and maintenance, payments and transfers, public-fund banking operations, currency and conversion records, and other central banking operations assigned by the Governor.

Section 17: Credit Administration Office

There shall be maintained within IBTE a Credit Administration Office responsible for loan and credit administration, borrower and collateral records, repayment administration, debt-workout and restructuring administration, Priority Credit programs, and other credit functions assigned by the Governor.

Section 18: Regional Operations Office

There shall be maintained within IBTE a Regional Operations Office responsible for coordinating the six Regional Banks, establishing uniform regional service procedures consistent with Banking Council Orders, supporting Regional Governors, consolidating regional reports, and ensuring that regional offices operate as extensions of the same centralized IBTE system. The Governor may provide that the functions of the Central Regional Bank are physically or administratively performed through the national headquarters or the Regional Operations Office.

Section 19: Internal Organization

The Governor may, by Policy Order, establish, reorganize, combine, or dissolve subordinate teams, technical units, committees, or other internal bodies of IBTE; assign functions among them; and appoint or remove their heads unless appointment authority is reserved by law or by the Emperor. The Governor may reorganize subordinate teams within the Offices required by this Article but shall not abolish the required banking-operations, credit-administration, or regional-operations functions except as otherwise provided by law.

Section 20: Subordinate Policy Orders

The Governor may authorize internal divisions or subordinate bodies of IBTE to issue subordinate Policy Orders within delegated internal authority. Policy Orders of the Governor shall supersede conflicting subordinate Policy Orders. All Policy Orders shall comply with superior law, Banking Council Orders, and lawful directives of the Emperor.

Section 1: Institutional Independence

IBTE shall not be subordinate to the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Finance shall not be subordinate to IBTE. Each shall exercise the powers vested in it by law.

Section 2: Treasury Fiscal Authority

The Ministry of Finance shall possess primary fiscal authority over budgeting, appropriations, public spending, revenue administration, Treasury fund ownership, public-debt issuance and administration, debt refinancing and restructuring, debt repayment, and the lawful fiscal purposes for which public money is used.

Section 3: IBTE Monetary and Banking Authority

IBTE shall possess primary authority over monetary policy, currency issuance, the centralized banking and account system, payments and transfers, IBTE lending and credit administration, account supervision and enforcement, debt-risk supervision, credit conditions, leverage and exposure regulation, financial stability, and the technical operation of public-fund balances recorded within the IBTE system.

Section 4: Limits on Interference

The Ministry of Finance shall not direct IBTE’s monetary policy, currency issuance, financial-supervision decisions, internal command, or appointments except as expressly authorized by law or Imperial Order.

IBTE shall not alter appropriations, determine government spending priorities, or redirect Ministry-owned funds except as expressly authorized by law or superior legal authority.

Section 5: Fiscal and Monetary Cooperation

IBTE and the Ministry of Finance shall cooperate on public-fund administration, government transactions, public-debt administration, debt replacement and restructuring, fiscal and monetary coordination, financial-system development, and other matters in which their jurisdictions overlap.

Section 6: Jurisdictional Disputes

Any unresolved jurisdictional conflict between IBTE and the Ministry of Finance may be submitted to the Emperor for direction, without prejudice to the authority of a court to interpret the law where judicial interpretation is required.

Section 1: Reports to the Emperor

IBTE shall report to the Emperor on the state of the Totemic Shilleng, the financial system, and the performance of its functions.

Section 2: Treasury Information

IBTE shall provide the Ministry of Finance and the Treasury Operations Administration with such account statements, fund-balance records, transaction records, and Treasury information as are reasonably necessary for the lawful administration and accounting of public funds.

Section 3: Other Required Reports

IBTE shall provide such additional reports and records as may be required by law, Imperial Order, or other lawful authority.

Section 1: Monitoring of Debt and Credit

IBTE shall monitor debt and credit conditions throughout the Totemian financial system where such conditions may threaten monetary stability, financial stability, public finance, productive investment, or the orderly operation of the Totemian economy.

Section 2: Debt Risk Register

IBTE may maintain a Debt Risk Register or equivalent regulatory record containing such information as is lawfully necessary to identify material debt risks, including the identity or class of debtors and creditors, outstanding amounts, financing costs, maturities, repayment status, arrears, guarantees, collateral, concentration, and other relevant exposure information. Such information may be restricted from public disclosure where confidentiality is required by law or necessary for lawful financial supervision.

Section 3: Risk Classifications

The Imperial Banking Council may, by Banking Council Order adopted under Title 2, Chapter 20, Article 10, establish criteria for classifying a borrower, creditor, account holder, public body, debtor class, economic sector, lending product, debt portfolio, or other financial exposure as:

(a) Ordinary;

(b) Watch;

(c) High Risk; or

(d) Systemic Risk.

Section 4: Regulatory Effect of Classification

A risk classification shall be regulatory in nature and shall not by itself constitute a finding of criminal or civil wrongdoing.

Section 5: Watch Measures

Where a matter is classified as Watch, IBTE may require enhanced reporting, monitoring, examination, disclosure, or corrective planning.

Section 6: High Risk Measures

Where a matter is classified as High Risk, IBTE may, in addition to Watch measures, restrict or condition new IBTE lending or credit, require additional collateral or other financial safeguards, impose lawful account or credit conditions, limit further exposure, and require the submission and implementation of a repayment, restructuring, or risk-reduction plan.

Section 7: Systemic Risk Measures

Where a matter is classified as Systemic Risk, IBTE may exercise all measures available for lower classifications and may temporarily suspend specified forms of new IBTE lending or credit activity, establish exposure ceilings, require a formal debt-resolution or restructuring framework, require affected borrowers, creditors, public bodies, account holders, or any separately authorized financial-service entity to participate to the extent permitted by law, and coordinate necessary financial measures with the Ministry of Finance and other competent state organs.

Section 8: Priority Credit Areas

IBTE may designate sectors, activities, projects, or classes of economic development as Priority Credit Areas. The designation and any generally applicable lending targets, allocations, preferential interest or repayment conditions, reduced or waived IBTE fees, priority consideration rules, specialized loan programs, or other structural credit measures shall be established by Banking Council Order adopted under Title 2, Chapter 20, Article 10.

Section 9: Limits on Monetary Financing

IBTE shall not create or issue Totemic Shilleng solely for the purpose of satisfying an unfunded government expenditure or extinguishing a public debt unless such monetary financing is expressly authorized by an Act of Parliament, Imperial Order, or other superior law.

Section 10: Debt Extinguishment and Workouts

IBTE shall not extinguish a lawful public or private debt merely by administrative declaration unless such authority is expressly granted by law, Imperial Order, court order, or other superior legal authority. IBTE may nevertheless require affected borrowers, creditors, account holders, public bodies, or any separately authorized financial-service entity to submit, negotiate, or participate in lawful restructuring or risk-reduction measures where authorized by this Chapter.

Section 11: Division of Public-debt Responsibilities

For public debt, the Ministry of Finance shall determine whether debt is lawfully issued, refinanced, restructured, serviced, redeemed, or replaced. IBTE shall determine and regulate the monetary, banking, credit, leverage, exposure, and financial-stability consequences of that debt within its jurisdiction.

Section 1: Six Regional Banks

There shall be six Regional Banks of the Imperial Bank of the Totemian Empire, corresponding to six regional banking districts of the Empire:

(a) the Western Regional Bank;

(b) the Northwestern Regional Bank;

(c) the Central Regional Bank;

(d) the South Central Regional Bank;

(e) the Eastern Regional Bank; and

(f) the Northeastern Regional Bank.

Section 2: Branch Status and Centralized Records

The Regional Banks are territorial service and execution branches of IBTE and shall not constitute separate banks, separate state organs, independent legal persons, independent account systems, or separate issuers of currency. All Regional Banks shall form part of the same IBTE and shall use the same centralized banking database, account system, and monetary authority.

No account, balance, loan, Treasury fund, or currency holding shall legally belong to a Regional Bank merely because a person or entity uses that regional office. A Regional Bank shall not maintain an independent regional ledger, independent balance sheet, local money supply, separate currency pool, or duplicate copy of an account balance.

Section 3: Districts and Headquarters

The exact territorial district and administrative headquarters of each Regional Bank need not be fixed by this Chapter. The Governor may, by Policy Order approved by the Imperial Banking Council, establish or adjust district boundaries and administrative locations according to geography, population, settlement patterns, financial activity, operational efficiency, and other relevant considerations. The number of Regional Banks established by this Article shall not be changed by Policy Order.

Section 4: Meaning of Central Regional Bank

The Central Regional Bank is the Regional Bank serving the Central district and shall not be construed as the central headquarters, governing Council, or national policy-making office of IBTE merely because it uses the word Central in its name.

Section 5: Regional Governors

Each Regional Bank shall be headed by a Regional Governor. A Regional Governor shall be appointed and removable at will by the Governor of IBTE and shall have no fixed statutory term. Appointment to regional office shall automatically carry the voting seat on the Imperial Banking Council established by Title 2, Chapter 20, Article 1, and removal from regional office shall terminate that Council seat.

The Governor of IBTE may appoint, remove, transfer, or reassign a Regional Governor according to the operational needs of IBTE. Regional Governors shall serve at will and shall have no guaranteed period of service.

Section 6: Deputy Regional Governors

The Governor may authorize a Deputy Regional Governor or other regional leadership position where operationally necessary. Such subordinate regional officers shall be appointed and removed in the manner established by IBTE Policy Order, subject to the authority of the Council and the Governor.

Section 7: Regional Service Functions

A Regional Bank shall, within its district and subject to central law and Policy Orders, provide local execution and service for the one centralized IBTE system. Its functions may include:

(a) receive applications for account registration, verify identity, organization status, ownership, authority, and supporting documents, and submit or process approved registrations through the centralized account system;

(b) provide local assistance concerning accounts, payments, transfers, Treasury transactions, access problems, transaction disputes, and other IBTE services without creating a separate regional account system;

(c) receive loan and credit applications; verify borrower information, project information, guarantees, collateral, repayment capacity, and other facts required by IBTE policy; administer approved loans and repayments; and approve credit only where the Governor or an IBTE Policy Order has expressly delegated approval authority and limits;

(d) perform local material-conversion intake authorized by the Civil Code, including inspection, anti-fraud and ownership verification, physical receipt, recording, temporary safeguarding, and transfer of eligible materials, while any resulting Totemic Shilleng credit is issued and recorded only through the centralized IBTE account system;

(e) conduct delegated account, lending, conversion, fraud, compliance, inspection, or corrective-administration work and execute IBTE restrictions or enforcement actions within the district;

(f) coordinate with subnational governments, localities, state organs, businesses, organizations, account holders, borrowers, and other persons concerning the local execution of IBTE functions;

(g) gather, verify, analyze, and report regional information concerning credit demand, debt conditions, business activity, payment activity, account-service problems, material conversion, development needs, fraud risks, and other conditions relevant to IBTE; and

(h) execute other national banking, currency, credit, account, or operational instructions lawfully assigned by the Governor, Imperial Banking Council, or central Offices of IBTE.

Section 8: Limits on Independent Regional Authority

A Regional Bank shall not independently formulate monetary policy; change the national money supply; establish a separate currency or account database; determine an independent interest-rate policy or national credit policy; change national loan terms outside delegated authority; alter the Civil Code's currency-conversion values or limits; alter Totemic Shilleng issuance rules; override a Policy Order of the Governor; or create banking rules inconsistent with IBTE rules.

Section 9: Local Operational Instructions

A Regional Bank may issue local operational instructions only to the extent necessary to implement IBTE law, Policy Orders, technical standards, or delegated authority within its district. Any subordinate Policy Order authority shall exist only where expressly delegated under Title 2, Chapter 20, Article 10 and shall remain subject to immediate amendment, suspension, or revocation by the Governor.

Section 10: Regional Reporting

Each Regional Governor shall provide the central IBTE with regular reports on account-service conditions, credit demand, debt risks, business and development conditions, material-conversion activity, fraud or compliance issues, payment-system problems, and other significant regional matters. At least once every ninety days, each Regional Governor shall submit a regional conditions report to the Imperial Banking Council.

Section 11: Council Representation

Each Regional Governor shall hold a voting seat on the Imperial Banking Council by virtue of regional office and may be required to present regional advice or information to the Council. Regional office shall not, by itself, confer a seat or vote on the Monetary Policy Committee.

Section 12: Regional Accessibility and Purpose

The Regional Banks are intended to make the centralized IBTE physically and administratively accessible throughout the Empire, permit local verification and execution of IBTE functions, and provide continuing regional representation on the Imperial Banking Council. Regional administration shall remain subordinate to the single national banking system and shall not fragment account ownership, monetary authority, or currency administration.

Section 1: Authority to Lend

IBTE may extend loans, credit, payment accommodations, or other repayable financing to persons, businesses, organizations, public bodies, and other lawful account holders where such financing is permitted by law and consistent with IBTE's monetary, credit, debt-stability, and development functions.

Section 2: Lending Framework

The Imperial Banking Council shall establish the general IBTE-wide lending framework by Banking Council Order. The Governor shall implement that framework by Policy Order and may establish or approve specific lending programs consistent with it. The framework may establish eligibility requirements, permitted or priority purposes, principal limits, interest or financing charges, zero-interest or preferential programs, collateral or guarantee requirements, repayment schedules, maturity limits, documentation standards, underwriting or verification requirements, restructuring procedures, default procedures, and delegated approval limits.

Section 3: Loan Records

Every loan or extension of credit shall be recorded in the centralized IBTE system. The record shall identify, to the extent applicable, the borrower, original principal, financing rate or charge, date of issuance, maturity or repayment schedule, restricted purpose if any, collateral or guarantee, amounts repaid, outstanding obligation, modifications, and current status.

Section 4: Regional Loan Administration

A Regional Bank may receive and investigate a loan application, verify the applicant and supporting facts, inspect or verify proposed collateral, administer documentation and repayments, and approve or modify a loan only within authority expressly delegated by the Governor or IBTE Policy Order. A Regional Governor's Council membership shall not by itself create independent loan-approval authority.

Section 5: Public-body Borrowing and Anti-evasion

A loan or credit extended to a Ministry, Administration, subnational government, locality, state-controlled entity, or other public body shall also constitute public debt where it falls within the definition established by Title 2, Chapter 17, Article 4. The loan shall not be issued unless the public body possesses all borrowing approval or authority required by law, and the Ministry of Finance shall record and administer the resulting public debt as required by this Code.

IBTE credit shall not be structured as a sham loan for the purpose of evading an appropriation requirement, grant restriction, public-debt control, currency-issuance rule, or other law.

Section 6: Disbursement and New Credit

A loan may be disbursed from lawfully available existing IBTE funds or, where monetary law and IBTE policy authorize the extension of new credit through account entry, by an authorized credit to the borrower's account. Any extension of credit that creates new Totemic Shilleng shall be recorded as a money-supply and IBTE-credit event in the manner required by the Governor and shall create a corresponding enforceable debt owed to IBTE. Such a credit shall not be treated as Treasury revenue, a Treasury appropriation, or free public money merely because it was created through IBTE's centralized account system.

Section 7: IBTE Purchases and Property

IBTE may purchase, lease, receive, own, store, safeguard, transfer, or dispose of materials, equipment, technology, services, buildings, land, inventory, and other property reasonably necessary for IBTE operations or another lawful IBTE program. A major purchasing program may be subject to Council approval under Title 2, Chapter 20, Article 1, while ordinary operational procurement may be authorized in the manner established by the Governor.

Section 8: Lawful Funding for Purchases

An IBTE purchase shall be made only from money or other resources lawfully available to IBTE. IBTE shall not use money owned by the Ministry of Finance, another Ministry, a private account holder, or another person or entity for an IBTE purchase without lawful authority from the owner or other legal authority.

Section 9: Purchases Distinguished from Conversion

An ordinary purchase in which IBTE pays an existing Totemic Shilleng balance for goods, materials, property, or services shall not constitute currency conversion merely because the item purchased could also be eligible for conversion under the Civil Code.

Section 10: New Currency for Physical Materials

Where a transaction in substance consists of issuing or crediting newly created Totemic Shilleng in exchange for physical material under the Civil Code's currency-conversion system, the transaction shall be treated as currency conversion regardless of whether it is described as a purchase, procurement, exchange, acquisition, or another term. IBTE shall not use its purchasing power to evade the eligibility rules, official conversion values, minimum transaction requirement, monthly conversion limit, physical-receipt requirement, storage requirement, ownership rules, anti-fraud requirements, or other substantive protections of the Civil Code.

Section 11: Institutional Continuity

The Imperial Bank of Totemia established by Imperial Order 28 continues as the same legal institution under the official name Imperial Bank of the Totemian Empire. All assets, liabilities, accounts, balances, records, appointments, contracts, powers, and obligations continue without transfer or duplication. Existing references to the Imperial Bank of Totemia, another Imperial Bank, or an authorized Imperial Bank refer, as context requires, to IBTE or one of its Regional Banks or offices and do not create a separate institution.

Section 12: Treasury Assistance with Conversion

The Ministry of Finance may assist IBTE with conversion intake, verification, or custody as provided by Title 1, Chapter 1, Article 9. IBTE shall retain conversion administration, destination-account approval, banking enforcement, and exclusive currency-issuance authority.

Section 13: Regional Conversion Intake

A Regional Bank or other authorized IBTE office performing conversion intake may inspect materials, verify ownership and authenticity, receive and safeguard eligible materials, create the required conversion record, and arrange transfer to an authorized government storage location. No account shall be credited with newly issued Totemic Shilleng before the physical material required by the Civil Code has actually been received and recorded as required by law.

Section 14: Ownership of Converted Materials

Materials lawfully converted under the Civil Code shall become property of the Government as provided by that Code. Custody by IBTE or a Regional Bank shall not by itself determine which state organ may later use, transfer, sell, allocate, or dispose of those materials; such disposition shall occur only under lawful authority.

Section 15: Substantive Conversion Conditions

Eligibility for material conversion, conversion values, minimums, monthly limits, and other substantive conversion conditions shall remain governed by the Civil Code until lawfully amended.

Section 1: Minister and Deputy Minister

The Ministry of Engineering shall be led by the Minister of Engineering.

The Ministry of Engineering’s second in command shall be the Deputy Minister of Engineering.

Section 1: Technical-engineering Jurisdiction

The Ministry of Engineering shall be the principal Ministry responsible for redstone engineering, automation, circuitry, control systems, powered technical systems, mechanical or logic-based devices, and other technical engineering within the Totemian Empire.

Section 2: Engineering Powers

The Ministry of Engineering shall have authority to:

(a) research, design, prototype, construct, install, test, repair, improve, and maintain redstone systems, automation systems, circuitry, control systems, powered mechanisms, logic systems, and other technical mechanisms within its jurisdiction;

(b) conduct technical studies, experiments, trials, demonstrations, and prototype development;

(c) prepare technical designs, schematics, specifications, testing procedures, engineering methods, and operating requirements;

(d) establish technical and engineering standards within its jurisdiction by Policy Order;

(e) acquire, own, operate, and maintain technical equipment, tools, materials, workshops, laboratories, test systems, components, and inventories required for its work;

(f) employ, assign, and organize engineers, technicians, designers, researchers, builders, testers, and other technical personnel;

(g) inspect, test, verify, and certify systems where such responsibility is assigned by law, Policy Order, or project agreement;

(h) provide redstone and technical-engineering assistance to other state organs and public projects;

(i) procure materials, equipment, components, and specialist services required for technical-engineering work; and

(j) exercise other technical-engineering powers assigned by law or Imperial Order.

Section 3: Separation from Infrastructure

The Ministry of Engineering shall remain institutionally distinct from the Ministry of Infrastructure. Construction of ordinary buildings, roads, bridges, and general infrastructure shall not fall within the Ministry of Engineering merely because a project contains technical or redstone components; however, the two Ministries may cooperate on projects requiring both infrastructure construction and redstone engineering.

Section 1: Minister and Deputy Minister

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall be led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ second in command shall be the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Section 1: Foreign-affairs Responsibilities

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall be the principal Ministry responsible for the foreign relations, diplomacy, external representation, diplomatic communications, and international administrative affairs of the Totemian Empire.

Section 2: Official External Relations

The Ministry shall conduct and coordinate official relations with foreign governments, foreign public authorities, international organizations, diplomatic representatives, and other external entities recognized or dealt with by the Totemian Government. It shall exercise its functions subject to the Constitution, Imperial Orders, Acts of Parliament, lawful directives of the Emperor, and other applicable law.

Section 3: Limits on Sovereign Commitments

The Ministry shall not, merely by virtue of its foreign-affairs jurisdiction, possess authority to declare war, recognize a foreign state or government, cede territory, alter domestic law, assume public debt, appropriate public money, or otherwise exercise a power reserved by law to the Emperor, Parliament, or another competent authority.

Section 1: Foreign-affairs Powers

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall have authority to:

(a) conduct and administer diplomatic relations and official foreign communications on behalf of the Totemian Empire within authority lawfully assigned to the Ministry;

(b) represent the Totemian Empire in diplomatic meetings, negotiations, conferences, ceremonies, and other official external engagements where authorized;

(c) communicate official positions, requests, notices, protests, explanations, invitations, and other diplomatic messages approved by competent authority;

(d) negotiate, prepare, review, transmit, and administer proposed treaties, agreements, accords, memoranda, joint statements, and other international instruments, subject to Title 2, Chapter 22, Article 7;

(e) establish and administer diplomatic missions, embassies, consulates, representative offices, delegations, and other foreign posts in accordance with Title 2, Chapter 22, Article 5;

(f) maintain official diplomatic correspondence, credentials, foreign-relations records, international-agreement records, mission records, and other records necessary for the conduct of foreign affairs;

(g) coordinate official visits, diplomatic meetings, delegations, ceremonies, and communications involving foreign governments or international organizations;

(h) advise the Emperor, the Privy Council, the Chancellor, and other competent state organs on foreign relations and international matters;

(i) coordinate with other Ministries and state organs where their lawful functions involve foreign governments, international organizations, external agreements, foreign projects, or other matters materially affecting the foreign relations of the Empire;

(j) issue Policy Orders governing diplomatic administration, Ministry procedures, missions, records, personnel, communications, and other matters within the Ministry’s lawful jurisdiction; and

(k) exercise other foreign-affairs powers conferred by law, Imperial Order, or lawful direction of the Emperor.

Section 1: Consolidated Diplomatic Service

The foreign-affairs functions established by this Chapter shall ordinarily be carried out directly through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its personnel. Separate Administrations or Offices shall not be created merely to divide treaty work, consular work, citizenship assistance, diplomatic protocol, mission administration, or ordinary diplomatic relations where those functions can reasonably be performed by the same Ministry personnel.

Section 2: Director-General

Below the Minister and Deputy Minister, there shall be one principal permanent operational position, styled the Director-General of Foreign Affairs. The Director-General shall be the senior operational diplomatic officer of the Ministry, shall coordinate the ordinary diplomatic work of the Ministry and its missions, and shall remain subordinate to the Minister and Deputy Minister.

Section 3: Senior Officers and Appointment

The Minister may appoint no more than three Senior Foreign Affairs Officers at one time. Together with the Director-General, there shall therefore be no more than four principal diplomatic officers below the Minister and Deputy Minister unless a higher number is expressly authorized by an Act of Parliament or Imperial Order.

The Director-General and Senior Foreign Affairs Officers shall be appointed and removable at will by the Minister of Foreign Affairs unless the Emperor directs otherwise. They shall have no fixed statutory term.

Section 4: Functional Designations

The Minister may assign to the Director-General or to any Senior Foreign Affairs Officer one or more functional designations, including Treaty and Legal Officer, Consular and Citizenship Officer, and Protocol and Missions Officer. A functional designation shall identify responsibility and shall not create a separate office, division, Administration, or additional statutory position. The same person may hold more than one such designation at the same time, and the Director-General may directly perform any of those functions.

Section 5: Treaty and Legal Officer

A Treaty and Legal Officer shall coordinate treaty drafting, legal review, negotiation records, Full Powers, signature authority, treaty registration, amendment and termination records, and legal questions arising from foreign agreements.

Section 6: Consular and Citizenship Officer

A Consular and Citizenship Officer shall coordinate consular assistance, citizen protection abroad, citizenship-related applications and records received through the Ministry, lawful oath administration, travel or identity documents where authorized by law, and liaison with the Ministry of Interior or other competent authority responsible for the authoritative civil record.

Section 7: Protocol and Missions Officer

A Protocol and Missions Officer shall coordinate credentials, foreign diplomatic representatives, state visits, diplomatic ceremonies, mission administration, embassy and consular premises, and official diplomatic communications.

Section 8: Diplomatic Staffing Limit

The Ministry may employ additional Diplomatic Officers for mission, language, negotiating, consular, research, or support work, but the total number of persons holding Diplomatic Officer status, including the Director-General and Senior Foreign Affairs Officers but excluding the Minister, Deputy Minister, and purely administrative, technical, security, or locally hired support personnel, shall not exceed twelve at one time unless a higher number is expressly authorized by an Act of Parliament or Imperial Order.

Section 9: Mission and Functional Titles

Diplomatic Officers may receive mission or functional titles including Ambassador, Envoy, Permanent Representative, Consul-General, Consul, Chargé d’Affaires, Diplomatic Secretary, Treaty Officer, Consular Officer, or another appropriate title. Assignment of such a title shall not create a separate state organ or independent source of authority.

Section 1: Establishment and Closure of Missions

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs may establish, maintain, relocate, or close embassies, consulates-general, permanent missions to international organizations, representative missions, and other permanent foreign posts by Policy Order approved by the Emperor. The Ministry may establish a temporary delegation, negotiating mission, or special mission for a period not exceeding ninety days by written direction of the Minister where no permanent post is created and no superior law requires further approval.

Section 2: Number of Permanent Missions

The Totemian Empire shall not maintain more than six permanent foreign missions at one time unless a higher number is expressly authorized by an Act of Parliament or Imperial Order. Not more than one Totemian embassy shall be maintained in the same foreign state at the same time. A consulate-general or permanent mission shall count toward the six-mission limit.

Section 3: Embassy Staffing

A permanent embassy shall ordinarily be staffed by the Ambassador or other head of mission and no more than two additional Diplomatic Officers. A larger permanent diplomatic staff for a particular embassy shall require written approval of the Emperor. Administrative, technical, security, maintenance, or locally hired support personnel shall not count toward that mission staffing limit.

Section 4: Heads of Mission

An Ambassador, Envoy, Permanent Representative, Consul-General, or other permanent head of mission shall be appointed and removable at will by the Emperor unless superior law provides otherwise. The Minister of Foreign Affairs may recommend a person for appointment. Ordinary diplomatic and support personnel may be appointed, assigned, transferred, or removed by the Minister unless appointment authority is reserved by law or by the Emperor.

Section 5: Acting Heads of Mission

During the temporary absence, incapacity, or vacancy of a head of mission, the Minister may designate a qualified Diplomatic Officer as Chargé d’Affaires ad interim to conduct the ordinary business of the mission. The designation shall not constitute appointment as Ambassador or permanent head of mission.

Section 6: Public Reception and Priority of Access

Every permanent Totemian embassy and consulate shall maintain a public-facing reception or consular area reasonably available for official business. Access, secure support, and mission resources shall be prioritized according to urgency, security, and official responsibility.

Section 7: Imperial Priority

The Emperor, members of the Imperial Family, and persons acting on their direct instructions shall receive immediate and overriding priority.

Section 8: State-business Priority

The Chancellor, Vice Chancellor, members of the Privy Council, Ministers, and Members of Parliament acting on official business shall receive expedited state priority.

Section 9: Military and State Security Priority

Members of the Armed Forces and officers or personnel of the Ministry of State Security acting on official duty shall receive operational priority over routine business. A senior military commander or State Security organ head who is also a Privy Council member shall receive the higher priority attached to that office.

Section 10: Ordinary Access and Emergencies

Other Totemian officials and citizens shall receive reasonable ordinary access. Detention, serious danger, displacement, loss of essential documents, and comparable emergencies shall take priority over routine services within the applicable category.

Section 11: Security Screening and Restricted Areas

A mission may require secure identity verification and screening and may restrict non-public areas because of an immediate threat, operational secrecy, capacity, or the law of the receiving state. Verification shall be conducted through a secure Totemian channel where public confirmation could expose a classified assignment or protected identity.

Section 12: Competing Requests and Mission Capacity

The head of mission shall resolve competing requests within the same category by the immediacy of the threat, operational necessity, direct Imperial instruction, and the mission's lawful capacity. No rank or office requires the mission to perform an impossible or manifestly unsafe act.

Section 13: Citizenship Services Abroad

The Ministry may receive citizenship applications and supporting records abroad, administer an authorized oath, transmit the matter to the competent Totemian authority, and notify the applicant of the decision. It shall not create a duplicate authoritative civil registry.

Section 1: Generalist Diplomatic Assignments

The Ministry shall operate on a generalist diplomatic model. A Diplomatic Officer may be assigned responsibility for more than one country, organization, negotiation, treaty, consular matter, citizenship matter, protocol matter, or mission function where the Minister determines that the officer is competent to perform the combined assignment.

Section 2: Written Diplomatic Authority

The Minister may, by written diplomatic instruction, authorize the Director-General, a Senior Foreign Affairs Officer, Ambassador, Envoy, Permanent Representative, Consul-General, Chargé d’Affaires, or other Diplomatic Officer to act for the Totemian Empire in dealings with a specified foreign government, international organization, foreign authority, or diplomatic representative. The instruction may define the subject, territorial scope, duration, negotiating authority, communications authority, consular authority, and any authority to initial or sign documents.

Section 3: Authorized Diplomatic Functions

Within the scope of lawful credentials, written instructions, Full Powers, or other competent authority, an authorized Diplomatic Officer may meet and correspond with foreign officials; negotiate; present and explain approved Totemian positions; deliver and receive diplomatic notes, protests, requests, invitations, notices, and proposals; prepare draft language; initial negotiating texts where authorized; coordinate visits and delegations; assist Totemian citizens and state organs abroad; receive foreign proposals for transmission to competent authority; and perform administrative or diplomatic acts reasonably connected to the officer’s assignment.

Section 4: Ambassadors

An Ambassador shall be the principal accredited representative of the Totemian Empire to the receiving foreign state and shall supervise the embassy. An Ambassador may exercise the broad diplomatic and consular functions assigned by this Chapter and by the Ambassador’s credentials, but shall not bind the Totemian Empire beyond lawful signature authority.

Section 5: Other Mission Representatives

An Envoy or Permanent Representative shall exercise the functions assigned by the instrument of appointment, credentials, or written instructions governing the particular state, international organization, conference, or mission. A Consul-General or Consul shall principally provide consular, citizenship-related, documentary, citizen-assistance, economic, cultural, and administrative services, but may perform broader diplomatic work where separately authorized.

Section 6: Negotiation Distinguished from Binding Commitment

Authority to negotiate shall not, by itself, include authority to bind the Totemian Empire. Authority to initial a text shall identify an agreed negotiating text but shall not constitute final assent, ratification, or legal commitment.

Section 7: Reserved Sovereign Powers

Without authority required by superior law, no Diplomatic Officer shall recognize a foreign state or government; declare war or peace; transfer Imperial territory; create or assume public debt; appropriate or promise public money outside existing authority; alter domestic law; create a binding military or security guarantee; dispose of public property outside existing authority; or commit the powers, funds, property, personnel, or programs of another state organ.

Section 8: Protected-cover Assignments

The Minister of Foreign Affairs may, in coordination with the Minister of State Security or Minister of Defense as appropriate, assign an authorized State Security officer, military member, or supporting officer to a diplomatic mission under diplomatic, consular, administrative, technical, liaison, or other protected official cover. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs may also use protected cover for its own officers when the Minister determines it necessary for diplomacy, security, liaison, or protection of an authorized mission.

Section 9: Authorized Cover Conduct

A written authorization by the responsible Ministers may permit a covered officer to use an assumed identity, conceal or deny the officer's true affiliation or mission, make a false cover statement to a receiving state or foreign person, and use supporting cover records or credentials necessary to sustain the authorized identity. An act within that authorization shall be lawful under Totemian law.

Section 10: Limits on Cover Authorization

No cover authorization permits a false statement or false evidence to the Emperor or a Totemian court, fabrication of an Imperial instrument, unauthorized personal gain, or conduct outside the authorized mission. A court request concerning protected cover shall proceed under Title 3, Chapter 2, Article 8.

Section 11: Identity Protection and Sealed Records

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs may withhold a covered officer's true identity and affiliation from the receiving state, local personnel, and ordinary mission staff. A sealed true record shall remain accessible to the Emperor and to the responsible Ministers and organ heads, and to the head of mission only where operational need requires.

Section 12: Secure Communications and Withdrawal

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of State Security, and Ministry of Defense shall prepare secure communications and withdrawal or extraction measures for covered personnel. Diplomatic status, immunity, or privilege outside Totemian jurisdiction depends upon applicable international law, agreement, accreditation, and acceptance by the receiving state; this Article does not compel foreign recognition.

Section 1: International-instrument Administration

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall be the principal administrative authority for the negotiation, preparation, review, authentication, registration, custody, and diplomatic administration of treaties, agreements, accords, memoranda, joint declarations, and other international instruments of the Totemian Empire.

Section 2: Negotiations and Interorgan Coordination

The Ministry may conduct or coordinate negotiations on behalf of the Totemian Empire where authorized. Where a proposed international commitment substantially concerns the statutory jurisdiction of another state organ, the Ministry may manage the external negotiation and diplomatic communication, but shall obtain any participation, approval, concurrence, funding authority, or substantive decision legally required from that organ before its powers, funds, property, personnel, or programs are committed.

Section 3: Requirements for Binding Effect

No international instrument shall bind the Totemian Empire merely because it was drafted, negotiated, initialed, transmitted, or administratively approved by the Ministry. Final legal effect shall depend upon the signature, assent, ratification, approval, or other authorization required by the Constitution, this Code, an Imperial Order, an Act of Parliament, or other applicable law.

Section 4: Signature Authority

A Minister, Ambassador, Envoy, Permanent Representative, Director-General, Senior Foreign Affairs Officer, or other Diplomatic Officer may sign an international instrument intended to bind the Totemian Empire only where the person possesses Full Powers, Imperial authorization, diplomatic credentials expressly sufficient for signature, or other written legal authority sufficient for the particular instrument, and every other approval required by law has been satisfied. General negotiating authority does not by itself authorize a binding signature.

Section 5: Full Powers

An instrument of Full Powers shall identify the person authorized, the foreign party or international organization concerned where applicable, the particular instrument or class of instruments covered, and any material limit upon authority. Full Powers shall be issued by the Emperor or by another authority expressly empowered by law or Imperial Order.

Section 6: Administrative and Technical Arrangements

The Minister of Foreign Affairs may sign an administrative or technical arrangement that falls wholly within the Ministry’s existing lawful authority where no superior law requires another approval. Such an arrangement shall not amend domestic law, create an unauthorized appropriation, assume public debt, transfer Imperial territory, dispose of property outside existing authority, or bind another state organ without the concurrence legally required from that organ.

Section 7: Formal Requirements

Every international agreement or other formal foreign instrument executed by or through the Ministry shall comply with Title 2, Chapter 4, Article 9 and shall additionally identify the foreign party or parties, the diplomatic or legal capacity of each signatory, the authority under which each Totemian signatory acts, the date and place of signature, any required approval or ratification, the date or condition of entry into force, the duration or termination rule where applicable, and the Totemian organ principally responsible for implementation.

Section 8: Treaty Register

The Ministry shall maintain an official Register of Treaties and International Agreements recording the title, parties, signatories, signature authority, date of signature, required approvals, entry into force, duration, amendments, termination status, and responsible implementing organs.

Section 9: Incoming Diplomatic Representatives

The Ministry shall receive and administer credentials and official communications presented by foreign diplomatic representatives accredited or proposed to the Totemian Empire and may maintain an official diplomatic list. Recognition of diplomatic status and any privilege or immunity shall exist only to the extent provided by law or international agreement.

Section 10: Diplomatic Records and Confidentiality

The Ministry shall preserve diplomatic correspondence, credentials, international instruments, mission records, consular records, citizenship-related foreign-service records, and other foreign-affairs records. Confidential diplomatic records may be restricted from public disclosure where secrecy is lawfully required for negotiations, foreign relations, security, privacy, or another legitimate governmental purpose.

Section 1: Minister and Deputy Minister

The Ministry of Agriculture shall be led by the Minister of Agriculture.

The Ministry of Agriculture’s second in command shall be the Deputy Minister of Agriculture.

Section 1: Agricultural Responsibilities

The Ministry of Agriculture shall be the principal Ministry responsible for agricultural administration, agricultural development, farmer assistance, agricultural science and technology, state agricultural production, agricultural supplies, and the implementation and enforcement of laws within its agricultural jurisdiction.

The Ministry shall exercise unified administration over the agricultural functions assigned to it by law and shall establish and improve systems for crop production, farm development, agricultural inputs, technical assistance, agricultural mechanization and automation, production support, emergency agricultural supply, and the orderly development of farming within the Totemian Empire.

Section 2: Ministry Powers

The Ministry of Agriculture shall have authority to:

(a) prepare, maintain, and implement agricultural development plans and programs;

(b) administer and enforce agricultural laws, lawful Policy Orders, agricultural agreements, and Ministry programs within its jurisdiction;

(c) establish agricultural technical, administrative, production, supply, inspection, and program standards by Policy Order;

(d) organize and provide farmer assistance, agricultural extension, training, technical guidance, supply support, and production support;

(e) inspect and supervise agricultural matters where inspection or supervision is authorized by law, agreement, or Ministry program;

(f) establish, operate, manage, and support National Farms through the National Farm Administration;

(g) conduct agricultural research, trials, technical testing, demonstrations, and applied agricultural science through the National Farm Administration under the scientific direction of the Chief Agricultural Scientist;

(h) purchase, procure, lease, receive, store, transport, maintain, allocate, and distribute agricultural goods, materials, inputs, equipment, machinery, and supplies;

(i) maintain agricultural reserves, emergency stocks, seed stocks, planting materials, and other agricultural supplies required for public or productive purposes;

(j) contract persons, businesses, organizations, or other entities for agricultural labor, services, construction, transportation, storage, technical work, equipment, materials, or supplies in accordance with law;

(k) sell, donate, subsidize, exchange, or otherwise distribute agricultural output and property through the procedures established by this Chapter and Title 2, Chapter 4, Article 8;

(l) coordinate agricultural development with subnational governments and localities, other state organs, businesses, organizations, farmers, and other lawful agricultural operators;

(m) issue Policy Orders governing matters within the Ministry's agricultural jurisdiction; and

(n) exercise other agricultural powers assigned by law or Imperial Order.

Section 3: Forms of Agricultural Assistance

Agricultural assistance may include farm planning, production advice, seeds and planting materials, tools, bonemeal and other agricultural inputs, fencing, gates, lighting, storage, water systems, building materials, equipment, machinery, redstone components, automation systems, labor support, and other resources reasonably connected to agricultural development.

Section 1: Agricultural Administrations

There shall be two Administrations of the Ministry of Agriculture:

(a) the Agricultural Affairs Administration; and

(b) the National Farm Administration.

Section 2: Appointments and Ministerial Oversight

The leadership of each Administration shall be appointed in accordance with Title 2, Chapter 4. Each Administration shall remain under the oversight of the Minister of Agriculture and shall strictly implement lawful Policy Orders of the Ministry.

Section 3: Supply and Logistics Leadership

There is established within the Ministry the position of Director-General of Agricultural Supply and Logistics. The Director-General shall be appointed and removable at will by the Minister of Agriculture and shall coordinate Ministry-wide procurement, purchasing, storage, inventories, distribution, transportation, equipment, materials, and supply planning among the Ministry and its Administrations.

Section 1: Agricultural Supplies

The Ministry of Agriculture and its Administrations may purchase, lease, receive, store, transport, maintain, and distribute seeds, crops, bonemeal or bone materials, tools, fencing, gates, lighting, building materials, storage materials, equipment, machinery, redstone components, automation equipment, and other agricultural supplies reasonably necessary for their functions.

Section 2: Supply and Logistics Coordination

The Director-General of Agricultural Supply and Logistics shall coordinate inventories and movement of agricultural supplies; identify shortages and expected demand; organize storage and delivery; coordinate purchasing among the Administrations; maintain supply records; and support the establishment and operation of National Farms and approved farmer-assistance programs.

Section 3: Contracting and Compliance

The Ministry and its Administrations may contract persons, businesses, organizations, or other entities to provide agricultural labor, farming services, construction or installation work, technical services, equipment, machinery, seeds, crops, materials, transportation, storage, or other goods and services necessary for agricultural functions.

Contracts for labor or services shall comply with the Civil Code and applicable wage, payment, working-time, safety, and employment law. Procurement and contracting shall be recorded in accordance with Ministry financial and administrative procedures.

Section 4: Sales Authority

The Ministry may also sell agricultural goods, materials, supplies, output, or other property to persons or entities in accordance with Title 2, Chapter 23, Article 5 and Title 2, Chapter 4, Article 8.

Section 1: Uses of Agricultural Property

Agricultural output, seeds, planting materials, bonemeal, tools, supplies, equipment, or other property under the control of the National Farm Administration may be used for government operations, agricultural reserves, emergency response, farmer support, settlement development, economic support, public distribution, or lawful sale.

Section 2: Required Authorization for External Supply

Notwithstanding the general direct-sale authority in Title 2, Chapter 4, a sale, donation, free distribution, subsidized transfer, or other external supply of property controlled by the National Farm Administration shall be authorized through an Agricultural Supply and Distribution Agreement or an Agricultural Market Sale Authorization in accordance with this Article.

Section 3: Supply and Distribution Agreements

An Agricultural Supply and Distribution Agreement shall be a formal written instrument governing a named external supply, transfer, distribution, donation, exchange, subsidized disposition, or sale of agricultural property controlled by the National Farm Administration.

Section 4: Seal, Title, and Transaction Summary

An Agricultural Supply and Distribution Agreement shall display the official seal of the principal state organ administering the transaction.

Immediately below the seal, the instrument shall display the title "Agricultural Supply and Distribution Agreement," the official agreement number, the Date of Drafting, the principal state organ administering the transaction, the recipient, and a concise Transaction Summary stating in plain and definite terms what property is being supplied, in what quantity, on what financial basis, for what purpose, and under what principal delivery or use conditions.

Section 5: Completeness of Material Terms

The agreement shall fully and accurately state the substance of the transaction. It shall not rely upon an undefined reference, informal message, oral understanding, or separate communication for a material term. Schedules, inventories, maps, delivery tables, technical specifications, or other annexes may be incorporated where necessary, but the body of the agreement shall identify each incorporated annex and shall contain enough information to establish the essential transaction without ambiguity.

Section 6: Required Agreement Particulars

Every Agricultural Supply and Distribution Agreement shall state, at a minimum:

(a) a unique agreement number or other official identifying reference assigned under Ministry procedures;

(b) the date on which the agreement was formally drafted and opened for signature, hereinafter the Date of Drafting;

(c) the full legal or recognized name of each party and, where a party is an organization, government, business, locality, or other entity, the name and official title of the person authorized to sign for that party;

(d) the goods, materials, supplies, crops, seeds, equipment, or other property to be supplied;

(e) the quantity, maximum quantity, unit of measure, stated value, or other authorized limit applicable to each category of property supplied;

(f) whether the transfer is free, subsidized, exchanged, or sold and, where applicable, the unit price or unit value, pricing or valuation method, gross value of the property, subsidy or state-covered portion, amount payable by the recipient, exchange consideration, payment schedule, payment method, and the state account or fund to which payment shall be credited;

(g) an itemized statement of material costs borne or expected to be borne by the state in carrying out the agreement, including as applicable production or acquisition cost, packaging, storage, transportation, delivery, installation, labor, equipment use, or another material implementation cost, together with the total known or reasonably estimated public cost of the arrangement;

(h) the purpose of the arrangement;

(i) the duration, delivery schedule, authorized distribution period, or expiration of the substantive arrangement after it takes legal effect;

(j) any material delivery, storage, use, redistribution, resale, reporting, inspection, return, or other conditions applicable to the recipient; and

(k) a separate signature and signature date for every person whose signature is required by this Article.

Section 7: Recipient Signatures

Where the recipient is a natural person, that person shall sign for the recipient. Where the recipient is a business, organization, public body, subnational government, locality, cooperative, or other entity, the agreement shall be signed by the lawful head of that entity or by the officer lawfully acting in that leadership office. A subordinate employee, agent, representative, or other person shall not sign in place of the proper leadership merely for administrative convenience unless another law expressly authorizes that person to exercise the leadership authority required for the agreement.

Section 8: Government Signatures and Approval Sequence

On behalf of the National Farm Administration and Ministry of Agriculture, an Agricultural Supply and Distribution Agreement shall be signed by the Administrator of the National Farm Administration and approved by the Minister of Agriculture. The Emperor may approve or sign any agreement and shall do so where superior law or Imperial direction requires it. An acting officer may sign only while lawfully exercising the powers of the required office.

The recipient or proper recipient leadership shall sign the completed proposed agreement before governmental approval. Approval shall then proceed from the Administrator of the National Farm Administration to the Minister of Agriculture. If superior law or Imperial direction requires the Emperor's approval or signature, it shall follow the Minister's approval.

Section 9: Recording of Actual Signature Dates

Every required signer shall personally record or cause to be recorded the date on which that signer's signature was given. No signature may be backdated, predated, or treated as having occurred on a date other than the date on which approval or assent was actually given.

Section 10: Sixteen-day Signature Period

All signatures required for an Agricultural Supply and Distribution Agreement shall be completed no later than sixteen calendar days after the Date of Drafting. The Date of Drafting shall be counted as day one. The agreement shall remain proposed and shall have no legal effect until every required signature has been completed within that period.

Section 11: Expiry and Preparation of a New Agreement

If every required signature has not been completed by the end of the sixteenth calendar day, the proposed agreement shall automatically expire without legal effect. No later signature may revive, ratify, complete, or extend the expired instrument. If the parties and competent officials wish to continue the proposed arrangement, a new Agricultural Supply and Distribution Agreement shall be prepared with a new Date of Drafting and the entire signature and approval process required by this Article shall begin again.

The sixteen-day signature period shall not be extended, suspended, tolled, or restarted by inactivity, absence, administrative delay, pending review, or a partial set of signatures. A new period may begin only through preparation of a new agreement after expiration or lawful abandonment of the prior instrument.

Section 12: Material Amendments

Any material amendment after a required signature invalidates all signatures to that version and requires a newly dated agreement and restarted approval. A material amendment changes the recipient, supplied property, quantity or limit, price or consideration, purpose, duration, material conditions, or another substantive obligation. A clearly documented clerical correction that changes no substantive right, duty, quantity, value, identity, duration, or condition does not restart approval.

Section 13: Estimated Costs

Where an exact material cost cannot reasonably be determined before execution, the agreement shall state that the cost is estimated or not separately calculated, identify the basis used for the estimate or treatment, and state which party will bear the resulting cost. A material cost field shall not be left blank merely because the transaction is free or subsidized to the recipient.

Section 14: Executed Agreement Records

The Ministry of Agriculture shall preserve the final executed agreement and signature record. The executed copy shall show the seal of the principal administering state organ, the Transaction Summary, Date of Drafting, complete financial and cost statement, and the name, office or capacity, signature, and signature date of each required signer.

Section 15: Market Sale Authorizations

An Agricultural Market Sale Authorization shall identify the goods or materials approved for open sale, the quantity or stock authorized for sale, the price or pricing method, the period of authorization, and any transaction limits or conditions established for the sale program.

Section 16: Approval of Market Sales

An Agricultural Market Sale Authorization shall first be approved by the Administrator of the National Farm Administration, then by the Minister of Agriculture, and shall take legal effect upon approval by the Emperor.

Section 17: Repeated Deliveries and Transaction Records

An approved agreement or Market Sale Authorization may govern repeated deliveries or individual transactions within its approved quantity, value, purpose, duration, and other limits. Each delivery or sale shall be recorded against the applicable agreement or authorization.

Section 18: Own Receipts from Agricultural Sales

Money received from agricultural sales shall be credited to the Ministry of Agriculture General Fund as Own Receipts under Title 2, Chapter 4, Article 8 and shall remain available for the lawful functions of the Ministry of Agriculture.

Section 19: Distribution Priorities

In determining the disposition of agricultural production, the Ministry and the National Farm Administration shall give priority to state requirements, agricultural reserves and emergency stocks, support for agricultural development and farmers, economic stabilization, settlement needs, and public or targeted distribution. Market sale remains a lawful method of disposition and may be used where the approved sale advances agricultural production, efficient stock management, economic activity, or another lawful Ministry purpose.

Section 1: Eligible Recipients and Forms of Assistance

The Ministry may assist subnational governments, localities, communities, farmers, businesses, cooperatives, organizations, and other lawful agricultural operators in establishing or improving agricultural production.

Assistance may include technical plans, farm layouts, seed or crop supply, fencing, lighting, bonemeal, equipment, machinery, storage, collection systems, redstone-assisted farming, labor support, training, construction coordination, and other agricultural resources available to the Ministry.

Section 2: Infrastructure and Engineering Coordination

Where a project requires substantial infrastructure construction, the Ministry may coordinate with the Ministry of Infrastructure. Where a project requires specialized redstone engineering or automation, the Ministry may coordinate with the Ministry of Engineering. The Ministry of Agriculture shall determine the agricultural production requirements and intended agricultural use of the supported project.

Section 1: Administrative Status

The Agricultural Affairs Administration shall be the principal administrative, legal-compliance, and farmer-service Administration of the Ministry of Agriculture.

Section 2: Agricultural Affairs Powers

The Agricultural Affairs Administration shall have authority to:

(a) administer agricultural laws, lawful Policy Orders and Administration Orders, agricultural agreements, support programs, and other administrative measures assigned to it;

(b) receive, examine, process, approve, refuse, or refer applications and requests for agricultural assistance in accordance with applicable law and Ministry policy;

(c) provide farmers and agricultural projects with information, administrative guidance, program assistance, and agricultural extension services;

(d) administer grants, subsidies, supply programs, permits, registrations, or other agricultural measures where authorized by law;

(e) coordinate the delivery of Ministry assistance and agricultural supplies to approved recipients;

(f) conduct inspections where authorized by law, agreement, permit, or Ministry program;

(g) require records and information reasonably necessary for the administration of matters within its jurisdiction;

(h) issue lawful compliance notices and corrective directions and suspend or recommend suspension of Ministry assistance where authorized for material noncompliance;

(i) maintain administrative, assistance, agreement, inspection, and compliance records; and

(j) exercise other agricultural-administration powers assigned by law or lawful Policy Order of the Ministry.

Section 3: Personnel Titles

Personnel assigned principally to agricultural administration may be styled Agricultural Affairs Officers. Personnel assigned principally to direct farmer assistance, field guidance, and agricultural extension may be styled Agricultural Extension Officers. Additional functional titles may be established by Administration Order.

Section 1: Production and Research Status

The National Farm Administration shall be the principal national agricultural-production and applied agricultural-research Administration of the Ministry of Agriculture. It shall establish, operate, manage, expand, improve, and maintain National Farms and use them to conduct practical agricultural research.

Section 2: National Farm Powers

The National Farm Administration shall have authority to:

(a) establish and operate National Farms with the approval of the Minister of Agriculture;

(b) cultivate, harvest, store, process, allocate, and distribute crops and other lawful agricultural products;

(c) maintain and reproduce seed stocks, planting materials, bonemeal supplies, crop stocks, agricultural reserves, and emergency stocks;

(d) produce, acquire, store, and distribute agricultural inputs, materials, tools, equipment, and supplies;

(e) establish, build, operate, and maintain farm grids, plots, fencing, gates, lighting, water and irrigation works, paths, storage, collection systems, farm buildings, machinery, redstone mechanisms, and automatic or semi-automatic farming systems;

(f) conduct agricultural research, field trials, experimental cultivation, demonstration projects, technical testing, and applied studies;

(g) study crops, seeds, farm layouts, planting density, lighting, hydration, growing conditions, bonemeal and fertilizer use, harvesting, storage, production efficiency, and other agricultural methods;

(h) evaluate agricultural equipment, machinery, inputs, methods, and technologies for Ministry use, National Farm operations, or farmer assistance;

(i) test redstone-assisted farming, automation, collection systems, machinery, and other agricultural technology in coordination with the Ministry of Engineering, which retains primary jurisdiction over engineering design, circuitry, control systems, and technical engineering standards;

(j) establish and operate experimental plots, test areas, demonstration systems, and other practical research facilities on National Farms;

(k) appoint and direct National Farm Managers and organize National Farmers and other farm personnel;

(l) maintain production, inventory, reserve, distribution, sale, supply, productive-capacity, research, testing, and experimental records;

(m) prepare research findings, recommended practices, production guidance, and expert recommendations and provide technical advice, training, demonstrations, and field assistance;

(n) reserve agricultural output or supplies for government use, emergencies, shortages, agricultural development, farmer support, economic stabilization, settlement development, and other lawful public purposes;

(o) supply property through Agricultural Supply and Distribution Agreements and Agricultural Market Sale Authorizations in accordance with Title 2, Chapter 23, Article 5; and

(p) exercise other state agricultural-production or applied agricultural-research powers assigned by law or lawful Policy Order of the Ministry.

Section 1: Appointment and Removal

The position of Chief Agricultural Scientist is established in the National Farm Administration. The Chief Agricultural Scientist shall be appointed and removable at will by the Administrator of the National Farm Administration with the approval of the Minister of Agriculture and shall report to the Administrator.

Section 2: Scientific Functions

The Chief Agricultural Scientist shall direct and personally conduct agricultural research, trials, testing, and experimental cultivation; determine and evaluate suitable conditions for lighting, hydration, planting density, bonemeal or fertilizer use, harvesting, storage, and other farming methods; prepare findings and recommendations; advise the Ministry, Agricultural Affairs Administration, National Farm Managers, and farmers; and coordinate agricultural-technology testing with the Ministry of Engineering.

Section 3: Institutional Position and Limits

The Chief Agricultural Scientist is a position and does not constitute a separate Administration, bureau, office, service, or independent chain of command. The position does not independently issue Policy Orders or Administration Orders.

Section 1: Establishment and Control of National Farms

The Administration may establish a National Farm with the approval of the Minister of Agriculture on land owned by the Imperial Government or otherwise lawfully made available for that purpose. A National Farm shall remain under the control of the National Farm Administration unless transferred by competent legal authority.

Section 2: Farm Managers and Personnel

Each National Farm may be placed under a National Farm Manager appointed and removable by the Administrator of the National Farm Administration. A Deputy Farm Manager may be appointed where necessary. Government personnel assigned principally to cultivation, harvesting, crop production, maintenance of productive fields, or other ordinary farm work may be styled National Farmers.

Section 1: Minister and Deputy Minister

The Ministry of Infrastructure shall be led by the Minister of Infrastructure.

The Ministry of Infrastructure’s second in command shall be the Deputy Minister of Infrastructure.

Section 1: Physical-development Purpose

The Ministry of Infrastructure shall be the principal Ministry responsible for the physical development of the Totemian Empire, including infrastructure planning, construction, improvement, maintenance, renewal, and the development of places and facilities that support public, social, civic, cultural, or economic life.

Section 2: Social and Economic Development

The Ministry shall operate on the principle that physical development may promote social and economic development. Its authority shall therefore not be limited to property owned by the Imperial Government or to projects used exclusively by government offices.

Section 3: Scope of Works

The Ministry may plan, sponsor, design, construct, improve, repair, maintain, and, where lawfully assigned, operate physical infrastructure. Its jurisdiction includes transport works, waterways, public spaces, utilities, government and community facilities, places of worship, private facilities, and related supporting works.

Section 4: Ownership, Jurisdiction, and Operational Control

The jurisdiction of the Ministry concerns the physical development, construction, improvement, and maintenance of infrastructure and shall not depend solely upon whether the completed work is publicly owned, privately owned, operated by another state organ, or intended for public, community, social, cultural, or economic use. Ownership, regulatory jurisdiction, protected status, and operational control after completion shall remain governed by applicable law and the project authorization.

Section 1: National Development Plan

The Ministry may prepare and maintain a national development and infrastructure plan identifying long-term construction priorities, maintenance needs, major corridors, settlement needs, public-service needs, future infrastructure requirements, and other development objectives of the Totemian Empire.

Section 2: Project Register

The Ministry may maintain a register or pipeline of proposed, approved, active, suspended, completed, and future projects for purposes of planning, budgeting, coordination, and public administration.

Section 3: Project Initiation and Requests

The Ministry may originate projects on its own initiative and may receive project requests or proposals from the Emperor, Parliament, the Chancellor, other Ministries, Administrations, subnational governments, localities, religious organizations, nonprofit or civic organizations, businesses, other entities, or private persons.

Section 4: Project Selection and Priorities

In deciding whether and when to undertake a project, the Ministry may consider public need, social development, community benefit, economic activity, connectivity, safety, public-service access, cultural or civic value, construction feasibility, cost, available labor and materials, regional balance, future expansion, maintenance requirements, and other lawful development considerations.

Section 1: Infrastructure Powers

The Ministry of Infrastructure shall have authority to:

(a) originate, initiate, sponsor, plan, and develop infrastructure and physical-development projects within its jurisdiction;

(b) conduct or direct surveys, site studies, feasibility studies, architecture, engineering, design, cost estimation, construction planning, project scheduling, and other preparatory work;

(c) construct, reconstruct, expand, improve, repair, renew, maintain, and, where lawfully assigned, operate infrastructure and physical works;

(d) undertake or assist public, civic, community, social, cultural, economic, religious, and privately owned development projects in accordance with Title 2, Chapter 26, Article 5;

(e) develop roads, streets, paths, trails, bridges, tunnels, waterways, canals, docks, landings, utilities, drainage and water-control works, public parks, public spaces, buildings, government facilities, community facilities, transport works, and other lawful physical infrastructure;

(f) acquire, own, assign, operate, and maintain machinery, vehicles, tools, construction equipment, works yards, depots, workshops, materials, inventories, plans, designs, and other property necessary for direct development and construction;

(g) procure materials, equipment, components, property, and services and enter external contracts in accordance with Title 2, Chapter 26, Article 6;

(h) establish technical requirements, project specifications, design criteria, construction procedures, inspection requirements, maintenance standards, and other infrastructure or construction standards within its jurisdiction by Policy Order;

(i) designate Major Infrastructure Projects, appoint Project Directors, and issue or amend Project Authorizations in accordance with Title 2, Chapter 26, Article 11;

(j) conduct inspections and require project and construction records in accordance with Title 2, Chapter 26, Article 7, and direct lawful temporary suspension of affected work and require correction or remedial work in accordance with Title 2, Chapter 26, Article 12;

(k) provide survey, design, construction, project-management, maintenance, labor, materials, equipment, and other physical-development support to other state organs and lawful project recipients;

(l) enter written joint project arrangements with the Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Engineering, other state organs, and lawful project participants where coordinated execution is required;

(m) participate in land or property acquisition for infrastructure projects where acquisition authority and procedure are supplied by applicable law; and

(n) exercise other physical-development and infrastructure powers assigned by law or Imperial Order.

Section 1: Public-benefit Requirement

The Ministry may undertake or assist a project even where the completed land, building, facility, or other property will not be owned by the Imperial Government, provided that the Minister determines that the project serves a substantial lawful public, social, civic, cultural, economic, infrastructural, or community-development purpose.

Section 2: Forms and Terms of Assistance

Assistance under this Article may include planning, design, materials, labor, construction, reconstruction, repair, improvement, project management, technical assistance, or maintenance. Such assistance may be provided without charge, at a subsidized cost, on a cost-sharing basis, or on other lawful terms determined by the Ministry according to the purpose of the project and available resources.

Section 3: Written Project Record

Before substantial Ministry labor, materials, or money are committed to a project under this Article, the Ministry shall create a written project record identifying the recipient or property owner, the purpose and scope of the work, the public resources to be committed, the expected development benefit, the intended ownership of the completed work, and any continuing maintenance or use arrangement known at the time.

Section 4: Project Selection and No Automatic Entitlement

No person or entity shall possess an entitlement to free or subsidized Ministry work merely because another person or entity received such assistance. The Ministry may select and prioritize projects according to lawful development needs and available resources.

Section 5: Protection of Public Benefit

A project shall not be approved solely for private enrichment without an identified development benefit. The Ministry may impose reasonable conditions intended to preserve the stated public or social purpose of a project or to protect a substantial public investment.

Section 6: Religious Neutrality

Religious organizations and places of worship may receive assistance under the same neutral development criteria applicable to secular organizations and facilities. Assistance shall not be granted or denied for the purpose of favoring or disfavoring a religion, and any project involving a religious organization must be justified by a lawful development purpose independent of the religious doctrine of the recipient.

Section 7: Ownership and Institutional Status

Unless otherwise agreed or provided by law, Ministry participation in a project shall not transfer ownership of privately owned land or facilities to the Imperial Government, nor shall construction by the Ministry make the recipient a state organ.

Section 8: Limits on Compulsory Acquisition

Compulsory acquisition authority shall not be used primarily for the purpose of providing a project to a private recipient under this Article.

Section 1: Internal Construction Capability

The Ministry of Infrastructure shall maintain permanent internal capability sufficient to perform ordinary planning, surveying, architecture, design, engineering, construction, project management, construction logistics, inspection, repair, and maintenance required by its development program.

Section 2: Organization and Personnel

The Minister shall organize the Ministry through Offices, project teams, works crews, specialist groups, or other lawful internal arrangements so that those capabilities can be maintained and deployed. The detailed names, staffing, leadership, and procedures of such internal units may be established or changed by Policy Order except as otherwise provided by law.

The Ministry may employ or assign architects, engineers, surveyors, designers, planners, builders, construction workers, equipment operators, project managers, inspectors, maintenance personnel, and other technical or operational personnel necessary for its work.

Section 3: Ordinary Direct Execution

Direct execution by Ministry personnel shall be the ordinary method for substantial construction and development work where the Ministry possesses reasonable internal capacity. The Ministry shall not outsource substantial work merely for administrative convenience.

Section 4: Grounds for External Contracting

External contracting may be authorized by the Minister where a written finding determines that direct execution is not reasonably practicable or would materially prejudice the project because of specialized capability unavailable internally, temporary lack of sufficient capacity, an emergency or urgent deadline, specialized equipment or technology, or another substantial technical or operational reason.

Section 5: Procurement of Supplies

The procurement of materials, equipment, software, specialized components, or ordinary supplies shall not by itself constitute contracting out the development or construction of a project.

Section 6: Contractor Labor Compliance

Every contractor and subcontractor performing work for the Ministry shall comply with the Civil Code and all applicable labor, wage, payment, working-time, safety, and employment laws. No contract may be used to evade obligations applicable to labor performed on a Ministry project.

Section 7: Retention of Public Responsibility

Use of a contractor shall not transfer the Ministry’s statutory authority or public responsibility. The Ministry shall retain authority over project approval, design acceptance, standards, inspection, completion, and final acceptance.

Section 1: Project Stages and Approval

Major projects shall ordinarily proceed through such stages as planning, feasibility, design, authorization, construction, inspection, completion, and maintenance as are appropriate to the project. The Ministry may establish detailed approval procedures for major projects by Policy Order.

Section 2: Reports and Inspections

The Ministry may require cost reports, design reviews, construction inspections, completion records, maintenance plans, material records, and other project information necessary to determine whether a project remains lawful, technically sound, financially reasonable, and consistent with its approved purpose.

Section 3: Simplified Procedures

Minor works, repairs, routine maintenance, urgent works, and small community-development projects may be subject to simplified procedures established by Policy Order.

Section 4: Correction and Accountability after Completion

Completion or transfer of a project shall not prevent later correction of defective work, enforcement of warranties, recovery for misconduct, or lawful investigation of failures in design, construction, procurement, or supervision.

Section 5: Transfer and Maintenance Arrangements

Where a project is built for another state organ or a non-state recipient, the Ministry may transfer the completed work, leave ownership with the existing owner, retain maintenance responsibility, or establish another lawful arrangement according to the project authorization or written agreement.

Section 1: Integrated Infrastructure Networks

The Ministry of Infrastructure may plan and develop integrated physical networks connecting settlements, public services, economic activity, and major destinations by road, rail, metro, Interlink, waterway, pedestrian route, path, trail, bridge, tunnel, or other appropriate infrastructure.

Section 2: Physical-development Authority

The Ministry may establish, expand, reconstruct, or maintain metro systems, railways, waterways, canals, roads, paths, trails, ordinary public parks, public squares, green spaces, and related physical facilities where lawfully authorized or assigned. Such authority includes stations, stops, docks, landings, crossings, access works, drainage, landscaping, lighting, seating, shelters, recreation facilities, water features, retaining works, and other supporting infrastructure reasonably connected to the project.

Section 3: Ordinary Parks Distinguished from National Designations

An ordinary public park or green space may be planned, constructed, improved, or maintained by the Ministry of Infrastructure without becoming a National Park or National Reserve. The physical-development authority of the Ministry over ordinary public parks shall be distinct from the administration, supervision, and enforcement authority of the National Parks and Reserves Administration over National Parks and National Reserves under Title 2, Chapter 16.

Section 4: Transport-system Jurisdiction

Where a transport system or project falls within the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Transport, the National Interlink Administration, the National Railway Administration, or the National Highway Administration, the competent transport authority shall govern the network classification, transport purpose, operating requirements, safety requirements, service requirements, and continuing transport administration established by Title 2, Chapters 5 through 8.

Section 5: Infrastructure Execution of Transport Works

The Ministry of Infrastructure may nevertheless originate, survey, design, construct, reconstruct, improve, repair, or maintain the physical works of a transport project within its development mandate, whether on its own initiative or at the request of the competent transport authority. Physical development by Infrastructure shall not transfer transport-system jurisdiction away from the Ministry of Transport or its competent Administration.

Section 6: Work within Protected Lands

Where Infrastructure proposes work inside a National Park or National Reserve, the Ministry shall coordinate with the National Parks and Reserves Administration and shall comply with the establishing Act or Imperial Order, Title 2, Chapter 16, the Civil Code, court orders, and other applicable law. The National Parks and Reserves Administration shall enforce those requirements within its jurisdiction. Urgent safety work and infrastructure expressly authorized by competent legal authority may proceed in accordance with applicable law.

Section 1: Specialized Transport Administrations

The National Interlink Administration, National Railway Administration, and National Highway Administration shall remain specialized Administrations of the Ministry of Transport and shall retain the powers and duties established by Title 2, Chapters 6, 7, and 8 respectively. The Ministry of Infrastructure shall not be their parent Ministry and shall not exercise transport-policy or operational command over them merely because Infrastructure performs physical development work on their projects.

Section 2: Infrastructure Support for Transport

The Ministry of Infrastructure may fund, support, survey, design, construct, repair, maintain, or otherwise provide physical-development capacity to projects of the Ministry of Transport or its Administrations. It shall comply with lawful transport-system requirements established by the competent transport authority and shall not use its construction authority to override a route classification, safety rule, operating requirement, service decision, or other transport power vested by law in the Ministry of Transport, the National Interlink Administration, the National Railway Administration, or the National Highway Administration.

Section 3: Joint Transport Projects

For a major project materially involving both Ministries, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Ministry of Transport may establish a written joint project arrangement identifying the lead project authority, design responsibility, construction responsibility, funding, technical acceptance, ownership, operating authority after completion, and continuing maintenance responsibility. An unresolved jurisdictional dispute may be submitted to the Emperor for direction.

Section 4: Separate Engineering Jurisdiction

The Ministry of Engineering shall remain a separate Ministry responsible principally for redstone engineering and related technical systems. The Ministry of Infrastructure may request or coordinate redstone engineering, automation, circuitry, controls, or other technical work from the Ministry of Engineering for an infrastructure project.

Section 5: Joint Engineering Projects

Where a project materially involves both infrastructure development and redstone engineering, the two Ministries may establish a joint project arrangement identifying the lead Ministry, division of work, funding responsibilities, and responsibility for the completed systems. An unresolved jurisdictional dispute may be submitted to the Emperor for direction.

Section 1: Principal Technical Positions

The Ministry of Infrastructure shall maintain a permanent professional command structure sufficient to direct planning, design, construction, inspection, maintenance, and technical acceptance. The following principal technical and operational positions shall be established within the Ministry:

(a) the Chief Infrastructure Engineer;

(b) the Chief Architect;

(c) the Director of Development Planning;

(d) the Director of Construction; and

(e) the Director of Maintenance and Assets.

Section 2: Appointment and Subordination

The officers established by this Article shall be appointed and removable at will by the Minister of Infrastructure unless the Emperor directs otherwise. They shall have no fixed statutory term and shall remain subordinate to the Minister and Deputy Minister.

Section 3: Chief Infrastructure Engineer

The Chief Infrastructure Engineer shall be the principal technical engineering officer of the Ministry and shall supervise or review engineering standards, technical designs, structural and civil works, engineering calculations where applicable, technical conformity, and engineering acceptance of major works.

Section 4: Chief Architect

The Chief Architect shall be the principal architectural and spatial-design officer of the Ministry and shall supervise or review architectural design, building layout, civic and public-space design, functional planning of buildings and facilities, and architectural conformity for projects requiring such work.

Section 5: Director of Development Planning

The Director of Development Planning shall coordinate the national development and infrastructure plan, project pipeline, feasibility work, project prioritization, preliminary scope development, inter-agency planning, and preparation of projects for authorization.

Section 6: Director of Construction

The Director of Construction shall direct the Ministry’s ordinary construction organization, works crews, construction logistics, site execution, equipment deployment, materials coordination, and implementation of approved designs.

Section 7: Director of Maintenance and Assets

The Director of Maintenance and Assets shall coordinate inspection, asset-condition records, preventative maintenance, repairs, renewal, rehabilitation, and continuing maintenance programs for infrastructure for which the Ministry bears maintenance responsibility.

Section 8: Internal Organization and Combined Assignments

The Minister may organize Offices, teams, or other internal units around the positions established by this Article without creating a separate Administration. Where staffing is temporarily insufficient, the Minister may designate one qualified person to perform more than one principal function; however, for a major project, final technical acceptance shall, where reasonably practicable, be reviewed by a qualified officer who did not exercise primary day-to-day command over the construction of the work being accepted.

Section 1: Major Project Designation

The Minister may designate a substantial, strategically important, technically complex, high-cost, multi-stage, or inter-agency project as a Major Infrastructure Project. Every Major Infrastructure Project shall be governed by a written Project Authorization approved by the Minister before substantial construction begins, except where emergency works lawfully require immediate action.

Section 2: Project Authorization Particulars

A Project Authorization shall record, to the extent applicable:

(a) the official project name and principal development purpose;

(b) the project site, corridor, geographic scope, or affected facilities;

(c) the Project Director responsible for integrated execution;

(d) the approved scope of work and the principal design or technical requirements known at authorization;

(e) the lawful source of funding and the public labor, materials, equipment, or other resources expected to be committed;

(f) the owner, recipient, or state organ for whom the work is being undertaken where the project is not solely for the Ministry itself;

(g) the Ministry units, Administrations, other state organs, or outside entities assigned material responsibility for planning, design, construction, inspection, operation, or support;

(h) the intended ownership, operational authority, and maintenance responsibility following completion; and

(i) any known land acquisition, protected-land approval, transport-system approval, court authorization, or other material legal requirement that must be satisfied before the relevant stage of work proceeds.

Section 3: Appointment of Project Directors

A Project Director shall be appointed and removable at will by the Minister or, where the Minister has authorized it, by the Deputy Minister. Appointment as Project Director shall continue for the duration determined by the appointing authority and shall terminate upon removal, replacement, completion of the project, or other written direction of the Minister.

Section 4: Operational Coordination

The Project Director shall exercise unified operational coordination over Ministry personnel, project teams, works crews, assigned materials and equipment, schedules, project records, and authorized project activity within the scope of the Project Authorization. The Project Director may issue internal project instructions to personnel assigned to the project and may coordinate directly with participating state organs and project recipients as necessary for execution.

Section 5: Limits on Project Authority

A Project Director shall exercise only the authority conferred by the Project Authorization, this Code, and lawful delegations of the Minister.

Section 6: Material Project Changes

A material change to the approved purpose, geographic scope, principal recipient, ownership arrangement, or funding structure of a Major Infrastructure Project shall be recorded through an amended Project Authorization or another competent legal instrument before the change is implemented, except for temporary emergency measures necessary to protect life, property, public safety, or the work itself.

Section 7: Final Review and Acceptance

Before final acceptance of a Major Infrastructure Project, the Ministry shall conduct an appropriate technical, construction, and completion review. The Chief Infrastructure Engineer, Chief Architect, Director of Construction, Director of Maintenance and Assets, Project Director, or other qualified personnel shall certify or report upon the portions falling within their respective responsibilities. Final Ministry acceptance shall occur in the manner directed by the Minister or Deputy Minister.

Section 1: Quality Responsibility

The Ministry shall establish and improve a unified project-quality responsibility system. Responsibility for planning, design, construction, inspection, technical acceptance, maintenance, and project records shall be assigned clearly enough to determine which officer, team, contractor, or participating body was responsible for each material stage of a Ministry project.

Section 2: Labor Compliance and Anti-evasion

The Ministry shall strictly implement the Civil Code and all applicable labor, wage, payment, working-time, break, safety, and employment requirements in the direct execution of public works. Where the Civil Code requires worker, payment, or public-works records, the Ministry or other managing authority shall maintain those records accurately and in a form capable of audit.

No Ministry unit, Project Director, project recipient, contractor, subcontractor, or other participating person or entity shall use a project label, private recipient, donation arrangement, contract structure, personnel classification, or other administrative device for the purpose of evading a labor, wage, payment, or public-works obligation that would otherwise apply under the Civil Code.

Section 3: Inspection and Correction

The Ministry shall strengthen construction inspection and shall promptly correct material defects, unsafe conditions, unauthorized deviations from approved design, misuse of public materials, falsified completion records, and other serious failures discovered during construction or maintenance.

Section 4: Temporary Suspension of Work

The Minister, Deputy Minister, Chief Infrastructure Engineer, Director of Construction, Project Director, or an inspector lawfully authorized by the Ministry may direct a temporary suspension of affected work where there is a reasonable basis to believe that continued work would create an imminent safety danger, cause serious damage, materially violate an approved design or legal requirement, or conceal a substantial construction defect. A suspension under this paragraph shall be used for corrective and protective purposes and shall be reviewed or lifted when the grounds for it have been resolved.

Section 5: Truthful Certification and Remedial Work

No person shall knowingly certify as complete or compliant a work that materially fails the applicable approved design, technical standard, inspection requirement, or legal condition. The Ministry may require correction, reconstruction, replacement, further inspection, or other lawful remedial work before final acceptance.

Section 6: Enforcement Referrals

Where project records indicate fraud, theft, corruption, deliberate falsification, unlawful diversion of public materials, serious labor-law violations, or other conduct requiring enforcement beyond the Ministry’s administrative authority, the Ministry shall preserve relevant records and may refer the matter to any competent investigative, prosecutorial, financial, labor, or other enforcement authority.

Section 1: Ministerial Leadership

The Ministry of Defense shall be led by the Minister of Defense. The second in command shall be the Deputy Minister of Defense.

Section 2: Appointment and Ministerial Responsibility

The Minister and Deputy Minister shall be appointed and removable at will by the Emperor and shall serve at His Imperial Majesty's pleasure. The Minister shall be the principal Minister responsible for national defense and the ministerial administration of His Imperial Majesty's Armed Forces.

Section 3: Imperial Supreme Command

The Emperor, as Grand Marshal of the Imperial Armed Forces, shall possess supreme command, direction, and control of the Ministry of Defense, the Armed Forces, every Armed Service Command, and all military personnel. No provision of this Chapter shall limit the Emperor's constitutional authority. The Emperor may issue commands directly to any military office, formation, commander, or member without proceeding through an intermediate office.

Section 4: Marshal of the Empire

There shall be a Marshal of the Empire, who shall be the senior uniformed officer below the Emperor and the principal uniformed military advisor to His Imperial Majesty. The Marshal shall be appointed and removable at will by the Emperor and shall coordinate joint military command subject to the Emperor's direct authority. The office of Marshal shall not displace the ministerial responsibilities of the Minister of Defense.

Section 5: Chief of the General Staff

There shall be a Chief of the General Staff, appointed and removable at will by the Emperor after receiving the advice of the Minister of Defense and the Marshal of the Empire. The Emperor may direct that the Marshal concurrently serve as Chief of the General Staff where staffing or command efficiency requires.

Section 1: Unified Armed Forces

His Imperial Majesty's Armed Forces shall constitute the unified military institution of the Totemian Empire. They shall remain directly subject to the Emperor and shall be placed under the Ministry of Defense for ministerial administration, defense policy, joint planning, personnel support, logistics, procurement, readiness, military corrections, and other functions assigned by this Chapter.

Section 2: Status of Armed Service Commands

The principal military branches shall be organized as Armed Service Commands. An Armed Service Command is a military command and shall not constitute a Ministry, Administration, Office, civil agency, or separate legal person. The general provisions of Title 2, Chapter 4 governing the creation or dissolution of Administrations shall not apply to an Armed Service Command.

Section 3: Service Identity and Command

Placement under the Ministry shall not dissolve or reduce the distinct identity, traditions, ranks, internal formations, personnel, equipment, or specialist functions of a Service. Each Service shall maintain its own professional chain of command and internal military organization, subject to joint command and the supreme authority of the Emperor.

Section 1: Advisory Purpose

The Imperial Defense Council advises the Emperor and coordinates the senior leadership of the Ministry and Armed Forces. It is not a separate state organ.

Section 2: Council Membership

The Council shall consist of the Emperor, who shall preside; the Minister and Deputy Minister of Defense; the Marshal of the Empire; the Chief of the General Staff; and the commanders of the Armed Service Commands. The Emperor may appoint additional participants or exclude a participant from a particular matter.

Section 3: Defense Coordination and Advice

The Council may consider defense strategy, readiness, mobilization, senior appointments, joint operations, force development, military intelligence, defense expenditure, procurement, and other matters submitted by the Emperor or Minister. The Council shall possess no veto over the Emperor, and no meeting, quorum, or recommendation shall be required before the Emperor exercises military authority. Ordinary coordination may proceed with the available members when the Emperor is not personally participating.

Section 1: Principal Ministry Components

The principal internal components of the Ministry of Defense shall be:

(a) the Office of the Minister;

(b) the General Staff of the Imperial Armed Forces;

(c) the Defense Logistics and Materiel Directorate;

(d) the Defense Personnel and Readiness Directorate; and

(e) the Military Intelligence and Security Directorate.

Section 2: Internal Organization and Directorate Status

The Minister may organize, combine, assign, or temporarily leave internal directorates and offices unstaffed. A Directorate is an internal Ministry component, not an Administration or separate state organ.

Section 3: Directorate Functions

The Defense Logistics and Materiel Directorate shall coordinate military supply, transport, maintenance, procurement administration, stock control, and materiel support. The Defense Personnel and Readiness Directorate shall coordinate personnel records, recruitment, assignments, welfare, training administration, readiness reporting, and mobilization administration. The Military Intelligence and Security Directorate shall support defense intelligence, counterintelligence, operational security, threat assessment, and protection of military information and facilities, but shall possess no general civil police jurisdiction.

Section 4: Directors and Combined Assignments

Each Directorate may be led by a Director appointed and removable by the Minister with the approval of the Emperor. The Minister may assign one qualified person to lead or perform the work of more than one Directorate where staffing requires, without merging their legal functions.

Section 1: General Staff Functions

The General Staff shall be the permanent joint military staff responsible for converting Imperial direction into coordinated military plans and orders. It shall support strategic and operational planning, joint operations, mobilization, readiness assessment, doctrine, military communications, intelligence integration, contingency planning, and coordination among the Armed Service Commands.

Section 2: Staff Leadership

The Chief of the General Staff shall direct the General Staff and shall be the principal joint operations officer of the Armed Forces. A Deputy Chief of the General Staff may be appointed by the Emperor where staffing permits. The General Staff shall not constitute a separate Armed Service and shall not permanently absorb the personnel or internal command of a Service.

Section 3: General Staff Directives

Subject to the direct authority of the Emperor and any authority assigned to the Marshal of the Empire, the Chief may issue General Staff Directives necessary to coordinate joint plans, readiness, mobilization, exercises, operations, and common military standards. A General Staff Directive shall not alter an Imperial command or abolish an Armed Service Command.

Section 1: Armed Service Commands

The Armed Forces shall contain the following Armed Service Commands:

(a) the Imperial Army Command;

(b) the Imperial Navy Command;

(c) the Imperial Aerospace Forces Command; and

(d) the Imperial Special Operations Forces Command.

Section 2: Service Capabilities

The Imperial Army Command shall maintain land forces and land-combat capability. The Imperial Navy Command shall maintain naval forces, vessels, maritime operations, and naval capability. The Imperial Aerospace Forces Command shall maintain air, aerospace, air-defense, surveillance, aviation, and space-support capability. The Imperial Special Operations Forces Command shall maintain forces organized for special, sensitive, rapid, strategic, or unconventional operations assigned by the Emperor or joint command.

Section 3: Service Commanders

Each Armed Service Command shall be led by a Service Commander appointed and removable at will by the Emperor. The Army, Aerospace Forces, and Special Operations Forces may be commanded by a General or another officer designated by the Emperor. The Navy shall be commanded by an Admiral or another officer designated by the Emperor.

Section 4: Internal Military Formations

A Service Commander may organize internal units, formations, fleets, wings, groups, detachments, bases, and specialist elements by Service Order within the authority of the Service. Such internal formations shall not constitute separate state organs. Each Service shall remain responsible for service-specific training, discipline, personnel development, equipment, doctrine, and force readiness, subject to Ministry policy, joint requirements, and Imperial command.

Section 1: Regimental Continuity and Status

The Belekovsky Life Guard Regiment established by Imperial Order 32 and later Imperial direction shall continue within the Imperial Army Command as the senior guard regiment of the Armed Forces.

Section 2: Protective, Ceremonial, and Operational Duties

The Regiment shall protect the Emperor, the Imperial Family, Imperial residences, and other persons or places assigned by the Emperor; perform state ceremonial and honor duties; and undertake military operations ordered by Him. It shall maintain the selection, training, readiness, and ceremonial standards prescribed by the Emperor.

Section 3: Imperial Command

The Emperor shall command the Regiment as Grand Marshal through a Regimental Commander appointed and removable at His pleasure.

Section 4: Army Support and Coordination

The Imperial Army Command shall provide personnel administration, discipline, training, supply, and readiness support. The Minister, Marshal, Chief of the General Staff, and Army Service Commander may coordinate within their lawful fields but may not reassign, deploy, or alter the Regiment's guard mission without the Emperor's approval.

Section 5: Ranks and Personnel Selection

The Regiment shall use Imperial Army ranks. The Emperor may select its personnel from any Armed Service Command and determine the rank or equivalent held on assignment.

Section 1: Command Responsibilities

The chain of command shall begin with the Emperor as Grand Marshal. Subject to a direct Imperial command, ministerial administration and defense policy shall proceed through the Minister of Defense; joint operational coordination shall proceed through the Marshal of the Empire and Chief of the General Staff; and service-specific command shall proceed through the appropriate Service Commander. The Belekovsky Life Guard Regiment shall follow the special command arrangement in Title 2, Chapter 27, Article 7.

Section 2: Defense Policy Orders

The Minister may issue Defense Policy Orders governing Ministry administration, personnel systems, procurement administration, logistics, readiness reporting, common service standards, facilities, welfare, records, and other matters within the Ministry's statutory authority. A Defense Policy Order shall not countermand an Imperial command or a lawful joint operational order.

Section 3: Military Instruments and Precedence

The Marshal or Chief of the General Staff may issue General Staff Directives within authority granted by the Emperor or this Chapter. A Service Commander may issue Service Orders within the Commander's Service. Within their lawful fields, an Imperial command shall prevail over every other instrument; a General Staff Directive concerning joint command shall prevail over a conflicting Service Order; and a Defense Policy Order shall prevail on ministerial administration but shall not independently replace an operational command.

Section 4: Direct Imperial Commands and Conflicts

No officer may refuse, delay, or alter a lawful command merely because it was transmitted directly by the Emperor rather than through the ordinary chain. Where two subordinate instruments conflict and the proper priority is uncertain, the matter shall be referred immediately to the Emperor or an officer designated by Him, without suspending an urgent lawful measure necessary to protect the Empire.

Section 1: Grand Marshal and Marshal

The highest military authority and rank shall be the Emperor as Grand Marshal. The Marshal of the Empire shall rank immediately below the Grand Marshal and above all Service officers. The office and title of Grand Marshal shall belong to the Emperor and shall not be conferred as an ordinary promotion.

Section 2: Army Ranks

The ranks of the Imperial Army, in descending order, shall be: General (GEN), Colonel (COL), Major (MAJ), Captain (CPT), First Lieutenant (1LT), Second Lieutenant (2LT), Sergeant Major (SGTM), Sergeant (SGT), Corporal (CPL), Lance Corporal (LCpl), and Private (PVT).

Section 3: Navy Ranks

The ranks of the Imperial Navy, in descending order, shall be: Admiral (ADM), Vice Admiral (V-AD), Rear Admiral (R-AD), Captain (NF-CT), First Officer (F-OF), Ensign (ESN), High Sailor (H-SLR), Sailor (SLR), and Seaman (SMN).

Section 4: Aerospace Forces Ranks

The ranks of the Imperial Aerospace Forces, in descending order, shall be: General (AE-GN), Colonel (AE-CL), Captain (AE-CT), Staff Sergeant (AE-SS), Senior First Class (AE-S), Senior Airman (A2), and Airman (A1).

Section 5: Special Operations Ranks

The ranks of the Imperial Special Operations Forces, in descending order, shall be: General (S-GN), Commander (S-CM), Captain (S-CP), Officer (S-OF), Specialist (S-SP), and Recruit (S-RE).

Section 6: Rank Changes and Senior Appointments

The Emperor may establish, abolish, rename, reorder, or equate military ranks by Imperial Order. Appointment or promotion to Marshal, General, Admiral, Vice Admiral, or Rear Admiral shall require the approval of the Emperor. The Emperor may delegate authority for lower promotions to the Minister, Marshal, Chief of the General Staff, or a Service Commander.

Section 7: Rank-Based Pay

Members of the Imperial Armed Forces shall be paid according to rank or lawful military pay grade.

The Ministry of Defense may establish and maintain a military payroll through the authorized digital systems of the Totemian Empire and may establish or amend military pay grades through those systems, subject to digital approval by the Ministry of Finance.

A pay grade established or amended by the Ministry of Defense shall not take effect until it is digitally approved by the Ministry of Finance.

The military payroll established under this Section shall be separate from the Central Payroll Service. The digital military payroll shall record the authority and date of the currently controlling pay-grade schedule.

Where the currently controlling military pay grades were last established or amended by the Ministry of Defense with the approval of the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Defense may submit further pay-grade amendments directly to the Ministry of Finance for digital approval.

Where the currently controlling military pay grades were last established or amended by Parliament, the Ministry of Defense shall comply with those pay grades and shall not submit a conflicting amendment directly to the Ministry of Finance. The Ministry of Defense may instead submit a proposal for change to Parliament or to the Emperor.

Parliament may establish or amend military pay grades by Act. Where Parliament is the last authority to establish or amend the controlling pay grades, those pay grades shall remain controlling unless later amended by Parliament or by the Emperor.

A military pay grade established or amended directly by the Emperor shall control over any inconsistent Ministry of Defense proposal, and the Ministry of Defense shall not alter it through Ministry of Finance approval unless authorized by the Emperor.

Section 1: Allegiance, Oaths, and Discipline

Military personnel shall owe direct allegiance to the Emperor and shall take the oath required by Imperial Order 25 or another oath approved by His Imperial Majesty before assuming a commissioned command or other office requiring inauguration. Service-specific enlistment, appointment, promotion, training, conduct, and disciplinary requirements may be established by Defense Policy Order, General Staff Directive, or Service Order within the lawful authority of the issuing officer.

Section 2: Vacancies and Acting Officers

A vacancy in the office of Minister, Deputy Minister, Marshal, Chief of the General Staff, Director, Service Commander, or Regimental Commander shall not suspend the Armed Forces or dissolve the affected command. The Emperor may appoint an acting officer at any time. Until an acting appointment is made, the next senior available officer within the relevant lawful chain may preserve existing operations and carry out urgent or routine duties without assuming the vacant officer's permanent rank.

Section 3: Concurrent Assignments

Where staffing is limited, one person may concurrently perform more than one Ministry, staff, directorate, or service function when authorized by the Emperor or competent appointing authority. Concurrent service shall not give the person more than one rank, permit self-promotion, or authorize the person to manufacture additional command positions. A genuine low-staff condition shall not prevent a Service from training, maintaining equipment, preserving readiness, or executing lawful standing and Imperial orders.

Section 1: Defense Planning and Financial Responsibilities

The Ministry of Defense shall prepare defense requirements, program priorities, expenditure plans, and procurement requests. The Ministry of Finance shall retain fiscal ownership and Treasury administration of public defense funds; IBTE shall maintain the authoritative account and transaction records within the centralized banking system; and the Ministry of Defense shall exercise programmatic control over the lawful military purposes for which appropriated money, materiel, and services are used.

Section 2: Infrastructure and Engineering Support

The Ministry of Infrastructure shall remain responsible for authorized land development and construction work assigned to it, and the Ministry of Engineering shall remain responsible for technical-engineering work within its jurisdiction. The Ministry of Defense, General Staff, and affected Service Command shall establish military requirements, security conditions, operational specifications, and acceptance standards for defense facilities and equipment.

Section 3: Continuity of the Defense Development Act

The National Defense and Armed Forces Development Act shall continue in force. Its funds shall be administered through the fiscal and banking arrangements established by this Code; its construction functions shall continue through the Ministry of Infrastructure; and its military technical approvals shall be exercised through the Ministry of Defense, General Staff, or affected Service Command as the subject requires.

Section 1: Civil Policing under the Interior Ministry

The National Gendarmerie and Police shall remain under the Ministry of Interior for civil policing, police administration, and ordinary law-enforcement operations. Its status under Imperial Order 48 as a branch of the Imperial Armed Forces shall not transfer it into the Ministry of Defense or make it an Armed Service Command.

Section 2: Defense Coordination

The Ministry of Defense may coordinate military training, mobilization, defense planning, equipment compatibility, and wartime support involving the National Gendarmerie where directed by the Emperor or permitted by law. The direct accountability of the National Gendarmerie and Police to the Emperor and the courts shall remain intact.

Section 3: Limits on Civil Police Authority

The Army, Navy, Aerospace Forces, and Special Operations Forces shall possess no general civil police authority merely because they are Armed Service Commands. Domestic enforcement authority shall exist only where expressly granted by the Constitution, an Imperial Order, an Act of Parliament, a court order, or a direct lawful command of the Emperor.

Section 1: Existing Armed Forces References

References in existing law to His Imperial Majesty's Armed Forces, the Imperial Armed Forces, the Imperial Military, or the military of the Totemian Empire shall refer to the unified Armed Forces governed by this Chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.

Section 2: Life Guard References

A reference in Imperial Order 32 or existing law to the Imperial Life Guard Regiment, the Belekovsky Life Guard Regiment, or the Life Guard shall refer to the Belekovsky Life Guard Regiment established by Title 2, Chapter 27, Article 7. A reference to the Naval Division of His Imperial Majesty's Armed Forces shall be treated as a reference to the Imperial Navy Command. A reference to an Army, Navy, Air Force, Aerospace Force, Special Operations Force, military branch, or military command shall be interpreted consistently with the corresponding Armed Service Command established by this Chapter.

Section 3: Continuity of Military Arrangements

Existing military appointments, ranks, commands, units, facilities, property, equipment, procurement actions, development projects, orders, and lawful disciplinary arrangements shall continue without interruption unless lawfully altered by the Emperor or competent military authority. Nothing in this Chapter shall repeal an existing military offense, punishment, oath, appropriation, or Imperial Order except to the extent expressly provided by this Code.

Section 1: Establishment and Custodial Purpose

There is established within the Ministry of Defense the Military Corrections Service as the unified military organ for confinement, custodial transport, discipline in confinement, rehabilitation, and release of persons lawfully committed to military custody. It shall operate the military imprisonment center required by the National Defense and Armed Forces Development Act and any military stockade, brig, detention center, field confinement facility, or prisoner-of-war facility established by lawful authority.

Section 2: Provost Leadership

The Provost Marshal-General shall command the Service, and the Deputy Provost Marshal-General shall be second in command and shall act during the absence or incapacity of the Provost Marshal-General. Both shall be appointed and removable at will by the Emperor. Subject to the Emperor's supreme command, the Minister of Defense shall direct administration, facilities, resources, and welfare standards, while the Marshal of the Empire and Chief of the General Staff shall direct joint operational custody, transfers, and wartime requirements. An unresolved command conflict shall be referred to the Emperor.

Section 3: Joint-service Status and Personnel

The Service is a joint military body under the Ministry and is not a separate Armed Service Command or civilian Administration. Its personnel shall retain the ranks of their Armed Service Commands. Military Corrections Officer and Facility Commandant are functional assignments and do not create additional military ranks. The Provost Marshal-General may place one officer over more than one facility and may combine compatible commands when staffing requires.

Section 4: Custodial Powers

The Service may receive persons committed by court-martial, legally effective court order, other lawful military process, or direct Imperial authority; maintain the central military custody register; verify and calculate terms; classify, search, transport, transfer, and release prisoners; operate and inspect facilities; prevent escape, violence, sabotage, self-harm, and contraband; and use reasonable and proportionate force for a lawful military-corrections purpose.

Section 5: Military Corrections Directives

The Provost Marshal-General may issue Military Corrections Directives governing custody, security, discipline, records, rehabilitation, and facility operations.

Section 6: Conditions, Sentences, and Release

Military confinement shall be secure, orderly, and humane. The Service shall provide food, shelter, sanitation, necessary health care, exercise, communication, and rehabilitative activity consistent with security and law. It shall not alter a sentence, extend confinement through discipline, or hold a person after lawful authority expires.

Section 7: Civilian Military Custody

A civilian may be held in a military facility only under a legally effective court order, direct Imperial authority, the law of armed conflict, or immediate operational necessity. When the military basis ends, the person shall be released or transferred without unnecessary delay to the Civil Corrections Administration or another competent authority.

Section 1: Minister and Deputy Minister

The Ministry of State Security shall be headed by the Minister of State Security, assisted by the Deputy Minister of State Security.

Section 2: Appointment and Direct Imperial Accountability

The Minister and Deputy Minister shall be appointed and removable at will by the Emperor. The Minister shall be the principal civilian state-security and intelligence officer of the Totemian Empire, shall sit on the Privy Council, and shall report directly to the Emperor.

Section 3: Independence from Chancellery Command

The Ministry is outside the Chancellor's chain of command. Neither the Chancellor nor the Chancellor's Special Procuratorate may exercise authority over the Ministry, its officers, or a State Security matter except under a specific written delegation of the Emperor.

Section 4: Ministerial Command

The Minister shall exercise unified command, allocate personnel and resources, approve major operations, submit strategic assessments to the Emperor, and issue the instruments authorized by this Chapter.

Section 1: State Security Mission

The Ministry shall be the principal civilian organ for state security and intelligence and shall exercise the protective, intelligence, ideological, cultural, information-control, correctional-education, and prosecutorial functions assigned by this Chapter.

Section 2: Security and Intelligence Jurisdiction

Its jurisdiction includes espionage, treason, sabotage, terrorism, violent subversion, coup activity, assassination directed against the Crown or state leadership, unlawful disclosure of state secrets, hostile penetration of public institutions, attacks against essential state systems, and threats operating across realms.

Section 3: Ideological and Cultural Jurisdiction

Its ideological and cultural jurisdiction includes Vasili Thought, Totemian national identity and history, the Imperial system, public ethics, official state symbolism, ideological education, cultural mobilization, propaganda, counterpropaganda, statutory information control, and correctional reeducation.

Section 1: Establishment

There is established the State Security Commission as the highest coordinating body for civilian state security and national intelligence.

Section 2: Commission Leadership and Membership

The Emperor shall chair the Commission. The Minister shall serve ex officio as Secretary-General, maintain its records, and execute its decisions. The heads of the four principal organs established by Title 2, Chapter 28, Article 4 shall be ex officio members. The Emperor may summon any other officer or expert required for a matter.

Section 3: Strategic Coordination and Imperial Direction

The Commission shall review major threats, set strategic priorities, and coordinate state organs. No quorum, vote, or concurrence is required for a direction of the Emperor.

Section 1: Principal Organs

The principal organs of the Ministry shall be the General Directorate for State Protection, the General Intelligence Directorate, the General Directorate for Ideological Security, and the Office of the Chief State Security Procurator. They shall be headed respectively by the Director-General of State Protection, the Director-General of Intelligence, the Director-General of Ideological Security, and the Chief State Security Procurator.

Section 2: Heads and Deputies

The Emperor shall appoint and remove the heads of the principal organs. The Minister may recommend candidates and may appoint not more than one Deputy Director-General for each Directorate and one Deputy Chief State Security Procurator.

Section 3: Principal Coordinating Positions

Below the Minister, Deputy Minister, and heads of principal organs, the principal coordinating positions shall be the Chief of State Security Staff, Chief of Joint State Security Operations, Chief State Security Analyst, and Chief of Technical Operations. These are positions within the Ministry and are not separate organs.

Section 4: Chief of State Security Staff

The Chief of State Security Staff shall serve as the Minister's chief of staff and coordinate Ministry directives, personnel, finance, records, interorgan business, and execution of decisions.

Section 5: Chief of Joint State Security Operations

The Chief of Joint State Security Operations shall coordinate operations involving more than one principal organ when assigned by the Minister. This coordinating authority shall not displace the lawful command of a Director-General or the independent prosecutorial decisions of the Chief State Security Procurator.

Section 6: Chief State Security Analyst

The Chief State Security Analyst shall direct all-source assessment, strategic warning, and intelligence briefings for the Emperor and Minister, using analysts from any principal organ or other Ministry component.

Section 7: Chief of Technical Operations

The Chief of Technical Operations shall coordinate technical collection, cyber operations, surveillance support, secure communications, specialist equipment, and technical protection within lawful authorization.

Section 8: Appointment and Combined Assignments

The Minister shall appoint and remove the principal coordinating officers unless the Emperor reserves or exercises the appointment. The Minister may leave a coordinating position vacant, combine compatible positions in one person, or assign a position to the Deputy Minister or a head of a principal organ.

Section 9: Functional Titles

The Minister may assign the functional titles State Security Officer, State Security Investigator, Intelligence Officer, State Security Procurator, Chief of Station, and Ideological Security Officer, and may combine compatible assignments in one qualified person.

Section 10: Conflicts and Judicial Powers

No person may approve that person's own intrusive warrant application, finally review that person's own alleged misconduct, or exercise judicial power.

Section 11: Temporary and Permanent Units

The Minister may establish temporary teams, stations, desks, sections, and joint task forces by Policy Order. Creation of another permanent principal organ requires the Emperor's written approval.

Section 1: Leadership and Investigative Purpose

The General Directorate for State Protection shall be commanded by the Director-General of State Protection and shall conduct civilian counterintelligence and state-security investigations.

Section 2: State Protection Functions

The Directorate shall conduct counterespionage, detect hostile penetration, investigate offenses within the Ministry's jurisdiction, protect state secrets and essential state systems, administer assigned security vetting, and support the security of senior state institutions.

Section 3: Investigative and Protective Powers

For matters within its jurisdiction, the Directorate may arrest, search, seize, question, conduct surveillance, take protective action, and exercise other investigative powers authorized by law. It may operate joint task forces with police, military, customs, border, banking, and regulatory organs.

Section 4: Deployment and Joint Investigations

The Director-General may deploy officers throughout the Empire and assign commands by function or territory. Mixed ordinary-crime and state-security cases may be investigated jointly with the Ministry of Interior.

Section 1: Leadership and Intelligence Purpose

The General Intelligence Directorate shall be commanded by the Director-General of Intelligence and shall conduct clandestine intelligence and strategic collection.

Section 2: Collection and Sources

The Directorate may recruit and handle sources, establish stations and protected communications, collect human and technical intelligence across realms, penetrate hostile organizations, and produce strategic intelligence. Successor networks derived from the former FSB or CSS shall be revalidated and placed under a current registered command.

Section 3: Chiefs of Station

A Chief of Station shall direct an authorized station or network and may hold another compatible intelligence assignment.

Section 4: Covert Action and Collection Authorization

A covert action intended to influence events rather than collect intelligence requires the Emperor's written authorization. The Minister may approve intelligence collection and defensive countermeasures within approved policy.

Section 5: Domestic Compulsory Action

When compulsory action is required within the Empire, the Directorate shall transfer the operational lead to the General Directorate for State Protection unless the Emperor directs otherwise.

Section 1: Directorate Leadership

The General Directorate for Ideological Security shall be commanded by the Director-General of Ideological Security, assisted by not more than one Deputy Director-General of Ideological Security.

Section 2: Ideological and Cultural Responsibilities

The Directorate shall be the principal state-security organ for national ideological security, cultural direction, official state symbolism, public ethical formation, propaganda and counterpropaganda, statutory information control, correctional reeducation, and the study and dissemination of Vasili Thought. It shall cultivate a unified Totemian national consciousness grounded in devotion to the Emperor, confidence in the Imperial system, service to the Totemian people, historical memory, social discipline, collective responsibility, the dignity of labor, and the continuing development of Totemian civilization.

Section 3: Appointments and Temporary Organization

Appointments and removals shall be governed by Title 2, Chapter 28, Article 4. One qualified person may hold compatible assignments, and the Director-General may establish temporary missions, campaign staffs, teaching groups, or cultural teams without creating another permanent principal organ.

Section 1: Ideological Security Powers

The General Directorate for Ideological Security shall have authority to:

(a) study Totemian history, culture, public conduct, social attitudes, state symbols, traditions, institutions, press and media conditions, and ideological conditions and report its findings to the Emperor and Minister;

(b) prepare and conduct ideological and cultural education, lectures, courses, manuals, exhibitions, ceremonies, commemorations, public programs, and training for state personnel and the public;

(c) design and conduct propaganda, counterpropaganda, cultural mobilization, public-ethics campaigns, and programs advancing national unity, Imperial institutions, lawful state policy, and the interests of the Totemian people;

(d) prepare educational publications, recordings, artwork, audiovisual material, curricula, and authorized explanations of Vasili Thought and Imperial doctrine;

(e) advise state organs on cultural policy, ideological consistency, public conduct, historical presentation, ceremonial practice, and the cultural effects of official programs;

(f) organize cultural and ideological work with Ministries, the Armed Forces, subnational governments and localities, schools, libraries, museums, cultural bodies, public institutions, workplaces, and registered organizations;

(g) design, review, standardize, authenticate, register, protect, and teach the meaning and proper use of official state symbols under Title 2, Chapter 28, Article 10;

(h) establish and maintain the Totemian Common Instruction under Title 2, Chapter 28, Article 10;

(i) investigate and administer information controls under Title 2, Chapter 28, Article 11;

(j) conduct correctional ideological education and reeducation under Title 2, Chapter 28, Article 12; and

(k) deploy officers and temporary teams throughout the Empire and exercise other ideological, cultural, educational, and regulatory powers conferred by law or Imperial Order.

Section 1: Meaning of Vasili Thought

Vasili Thought shall mean the developing body of Imperial doctrine concerning the Totemian state, society, culture, national purpose, public conduct, the Imperial system, the Totemian people, and any other subject that the Emperor expressly places within it.

Section 2: Research and Proposals

The General Directorate may conduct research, commission studies, develop proposed theories and principles, and draft proposed Theses, explanations, and teaching material for submission to the Emperor. No proposal, theory, or draft shall form part of Vasili Thought unless the Emperor expressly designates it as such.

Section 3: Imperial Theses

The Emperor may, by Imperial Order, promulgate a numbered or titled document styled an Imperial Thesis on Totemian State and Civilization. Every such Thesis, together with any other writing, speech, principle, or exposition expressly designated by the Emperor, shall form part of the authoritative corpus of Vasili Thought.

Section 4: Exclusive Imperial Authority and Faithful Editions

Only the Emperor may establish, amend, supersede, withdraw, or authoritatively interpret Vasili Thought. The General Directorate shall maintain the authoritative register, prepare faithful editions, commentaries, summaries, courses, and public explanations, and ensure that no adaptation alters the meaning or authority of the Imperial source.

Section 1: State Symbolism Functions

The General Directorate shall be the central expert and custodial authority for the symbolic expression of the Totemian state and nation. It may design, review, standardize, authenticate, register, reproduce, protect, and teach the meaning and proper use of coats of arms, flags, banners, emblems, seals, anthems, state colors, regalia, insignia, honors, official portraits, ceremonies, commemorations, and other state symbols.

Section 2: Adoption and Alteration of Symbols

The adoption, alteration, or abolition of an Imperial or national symbol shall occur only by law, Imperial Order, or the act of any other authority legally competent for that symbol. The Minister may, on the recommendation of the General Directorate, issue State Security Policy Orders establishing technical, display, reproduction, ceremonial, and usage standards for an adopted symbol. The General Directorate may certify or reject an official reproduction under those standards.

Section 3: Totemian Common Instruction

The General Directorate may establish and maintain the Totemian Common Instruction, a concise national curriculum identifying the history, institutions, public duties, cultural principles, standards of conduct, state symbols, and elements of Vasili Thought that every Totemian should learn. Unless law or Imperial Order provides otherwise, the Common Instruction shall guide education and public formation and shall not by itself create an offense or civil penalty.

Section 1: Required Statutory Authority

Where a session law, statute, or Imperial Order having force of law expressly makes specified expression, publication, portrayal, use of a symbol, or information unlawful or subject to control, the General Directorate shall be the central administrative authority for investigation and enforcement unless the controlling enactment assigns another authority. This jurisdiction includes an enactment protecting the dignity, privacy, safety, or lawful public representation of the Emperor, the Imperial Family, Imperial institutions, or state symbols.

Section 2: Information-control Powers

Within the scope of the controlling enactment, the General Directorate may monitor public distribution, question persons, inspect publicly accessible or licensed media premises, require the production, preservation, or copying of relevant records and materials, and issue binding administrative directions requiring withholding, delay, redaction, correction, labeling, removal, blocking, de-indexing, surrender, or cessation of distribution. It may refer or assign searches, seizures, arrests, and other coercive field action to the General Directorate for State Protection or the National Gendarmerie and Police.

Section 3: Prior Approval and Urgent Directions

An administrative measure under this Article shall not require a warrant or prior judicial approval unless the Constitution or the controlling enactment expressly requires it. An urgent oral or electronic direction shall take immediate effect and shall be entered in the Directorate record as soon as practicable.

Section 4: Judicial Challenge and Stays

An affected person may challenge a measure through the ordinary lawsuit or appellate process after the measure takes effect. Filing a challenge shall not stay the measure unless a competent court grants a stay or the Emperor directs otherwise. Judicial review shall be remedial and shall not be a condition precedent to investigation or administrative enforcement.

Section 5: Limits of General Ideological Authority

The general ideological or cultural mission of the General Directorate shall not, without an express controlling enactment, constitute independent authority to restrict private press or expression.

Section 1: Authorization for Correctional Education

Upon a direction of the Emperor, a request of the competent corrections command, or an interorgan arrangement under Title 2, Chapter 4, Article 12, the General Directorate may conduct individual or group ideological, cultural, historical, ethical, and civic reeducation within civilian or military confinement facilities.

Section 2: Educational Subjects

Correctional education may address Vasili Thought, Totemian identity and history, the role of the Emperor and Imperial institutions, lawful conduct, public discipline, responsibility to the Totemian people, the social value of labor, and preparation for constructive return to society.

Section 3: Custody and Curriculum Responsibilities

The Civil Corrections Administration or Military Corrections Service shall retain custody, security, movement, discipline, facility command, and release authority. The General Directorate shall direct the curriculum, instructors, and educational assessment. Participation may be required only under a legally effective sentence or order, a lawful corrections program, or direct Imperial authority, and the Directorate shall not alter or extend a term of confinement.

Section 4: Doctrine and State Communications

The General Directorate shall lead the substance of official cultural doctrine and ideological education. The Chancellor's State Communications Directorate shall retain Chancellery press, media-channel, public-information, and Low Government messaging functions and may present or distribute authorized cultural material without altering Vasili Thought or an Imperial Thesis.

Section 5: Limits on Police, Custody, and Information Powers

Except as expressly authorized under Title 2, Chapter 28, Article 11, the ideological, cultural, and educational authority of the General Directorate shall not by itself confer general police command, custodial command, or authority to create a criminal offense or punishment.

Section 1: Procuratorate Status and Purpose

The Office of the Chief State Security Procurator shall conduct the Ministry's warrant, prosecution, and judicial-process work and shall be institutionally separate from the Chancellor's Special Procuratorate.

Section 2: Process and Prosecution Powers

The Office may review and present applications for compulsory process, advise on operational legality, institute and conduct prosecutions, present classified evidence, seek lawful restraints and forfeitures, and conduct appeals.

Section 3: Independent Case Decisions

The Chief State Security Procurator shall independently determine charges, disclosures, courtroom positions, and appeals. The Minister may set general priorities and allocate resources.

Section 4: Concurrent Jurisdiction and Coordination

The Chancellor's Special Procuratorate may exercise concurrent jurisdiction under Title 2, Chapter 29 but may not direct or take over a Ministry prosecution. The two offices shall share evidence lawfully, avoid duplicate proceedings, and refer an unresolved executive jurisdictional conflict to the Emperor. A court retains its lawful authority over the proceeding before it.

Section 1: Applications for Compulsory Process

An authorized State Security Officer may seek warrants, summonses, production orders, interception orders, detention orders, and other compulsory process through a State Security Procurator.

Section 2: Authority for Intrusive Measures

Except for administrative inspection, production, preservation, and information-control authority expressly conferred by Title 2, Chapter 28, Article 11 or another law, an officer may use an intrusive search, seizure, interception, or detention without prior judicial process only under a lawful arrest power or urgent exception. An intrusive emergency measure shall be reported promptly to the Chief State Security Procurator and submitted for judicial review within the period required by law or, if none is stated, within twenty-four hours.

Section 3: Compliance with Judicial Outcomes

The Ministry shall obey legally effective court orders, judgments, and outcomes. It may seek clarification, a stay, an appeal, or another lawful remedy. Judicial process does not give a court administrative command over Ministry personnel, resources, or operations beyond the matter before it.

Section 4: Classified Judicial Requests

The Chief State Security Procurator shall receive and answer judicial requests for classified Ministry information, identities, methods, records, or operations. Such material shall not be disclosed through ordinary process and shall be handled under Title 3, Chapter 2, Article 8.

Section 1: Interior Policing and Security Referrals

The Ministry of Interior retains ordinary policing, public order, and routine criminal investigation. Interior shall refer a substantial state-security element to the General Directorate for State Protection and may continue by joint command.

Section 2: Military Intelligence and Life Guard Support

The Ministry of Defense retains military intelligence, service counterintelligence, and military protection. State Protection shall provide threat intelligence and investigative support to the Belekovsky Life Guard Regiment, while the Regiment retains command of its military guard mission. The Emperor shall settle an unresolved command question.

Section 3: Diplomacy and Financial Assistance

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs retains diplomacy and official relations. IBTE and financial authorities retain banking and monetary administration and shall provide lawful assistance in tracing hostile finance and attacks against the Empire's financial systems.

Section 4: Limits on Other Civilian Intelligence Services

No other state or territorial organ may maintain a civilian state-security service or cross-realm spy service except by Act or written order of the Emperor.

Section 1: Dissolution of the FSB and CSS

Upon commencement of this Chapter, the body formerly called the FSB and the Committee for State Security, or CSS, are dissolved as separate legal organs. Their former chief offices, independent commands, and authority to act under those names are abolished.

Section 2: Transfer of Assets and Functions

The powers, property, funds, records, facilities, contracts, sources, investigations, operations, obligations, and personnel of the dissolved bodies shall vest in the Ministry, except for the Life Guard transfer provided below.

Section 3: Allocation among Successor Organs

Counterintelligence and state-security investigations shall pass to the General Directorate for State Protection. Clandestine networks and strategic collection shall pass to the General Intelligence Directorate. Prosecution and court work shall pass to the Office of the Chief State Security Procurator.

Section 4: Life Guard Transfer

The Life Guard Regiment, together with its assigned personnel, property, records, funds, facilities, and protective duties, shall transfer without dissolution to the Ministry of Defense and continue as the Belekovsky Life Guard Regiment under Title 2, Chapter 27.

Section 5: Continuity of Pending Matters

An existing investigation, operation, warrant, authorization, contract, proceeding, liability, or evidence duty shall continue with the proper successor organ until lawfully completed, amended, or terminated.

Section 6: Personnel and Office Review

Personnel may be provisionally assigned without a break in service. Continued office, clearance, command, and functional title shall be reviewed by competent authority, and no former FSB or CSS rank or independent command shall survive merely by succession.

Section 7: Existing References and Former Names

A prior legal reference to the FSB or CSS shall refer to the Ministry or the successor organ holding the corresponding function. Neither former name may be used as the official name of a current organ, office, command, or network.

Section 1: Policy Orders and Operational Directives

The Minister may issue State Security Policy Orders for standing policy and administration and State Security Directives for operations and classified tasks. An emergency Directive may be oral but shall be recorded as soon as security permits.

Section 2: Classification and Distribution

A State Security Policy Order or State Security Directive may be classified in whole or part. Only the portion necessary for an officer's duty need be distributed, but the complete instrument and its controlling authorization shall be preserved in the sealed Ministry register.

Section 3: Access to Classified Instruments

Access to a classified Ministry instrument or register shall be limited by operational need, lawful authorization, and any specific requirement of superior law. A title, rank, advisory seat, or general oversight function shall not alone create access.

Section 4: Classified Register

The Ministry shall maintain a classified register of its principal officers, standing delegations, active stations, major operations, and controlling authorizations. The complete register shall remain available to the Emperor.

Section 5: Internal Misconduct

The Chief State Security Procurator shall review alleged criminal misconduct within the Ministry. The Emperor may appoint a special inquiry or direct another competent organ to investigate.

Section 6: Reporting and Imperial Access

The Minister shall report major threats, operations, unlawful conduct, and material jurisdictional conflicts to the Emperor. No classification, compartment, oath, or internal order may be used to withhold information from Him.

Section 1: Procurator-General and Deputy

The Chancellor’s Special Procuratorate of the Totemian Empire shall be led by the Special Procurator-General.

The second in command of the Chancellor’s Special Procuratorate shall be the Deputy Special Procurator-General.

Section 1: Investigative and Prosecutorial Purpose

The purpose of the Chancellor’s Special Procuratorate of the Totemian Empire shall be to investigate violations of law, prosecute such violations before courts of competent jurisdiction, and uphold the laws of the Totemian Empire at the direction of the Chancellor.

Section 1: Empire-wide Enforcement Jurisdiction

The Special Procuratorate may investigate and prosecute any violation of law in force within the Totemian Empire, including national, subnational, and local law, and may seek judicial enforcement before a court of competent jurisdiction.

Its jurisdiction extends throughout the Empire and is concurrent with that of every other competent investigative, prosecutorial, or enforcement authority.

Section 2: Case Selection and Investigative Authority

The Special Procuratorate may select matters according to lawful priorities established by the Chancellor, Special Procurator-General, or Deputy Special Procurator-General. In a matter it accepts, it may investigate, interrogate where lawful, obtain records and compulsory process, prosecute, and seek lawful remedies.

Section 1: Chancellery Appointment and Removal

(a) Subject at all times to the Emperor's supreme authority, the Chancellor shall have primary authority to appoint and remove, at will, the Special Procurator-General and the Deputy Special Procurator-General. The Chancellor shall possess supervisory authority over the appointment and removal of the heads of all internal administrations, offices, and other subordinate divisions within the Chancellor’s Special Procuratorate and may appoint, remove, replace, or override the appointment of any such head at will. The Emperor may directly appoint, remove, suspend, replace, or confirm any officer or head governed by this subsection without further approval.

(b) Any appointment or removal made directly by the Chancellor under this Article shall be made by a written instrument of appointment or removal and shall take effect immediately upon issuance unless the instrument provides otherwise.

(c) No appointment or removal under this Article shall require the advice, consent, or approval of Parliament, the Privy Council, or another body, except as expressly required by the Constitution, other superior law, or a lawful direction of the Emperor.

Section 2: Subordinate Personnel

(d) The Special Procurator-General may appoint and remove subordinate personnel, including the heads of internal divisions or subordinate bodies, in accordance with applicable law, Policy Orders, and directives issued by the Chancellor. All such appointments and removals shall remain subject to the Chancellor's supervisory authority and the Emperor's supreme authority under this Article.

Section 3: Override of Policy Orders

(e) The Chancellor may, by Executive Order, override, amend, suspend, or revoke any Policy Order issued by the Chancellor’s Special Procuratorate of the Totemian Empire or by any internal administration, office, or subordinate division thereof.

Section 4: Advisory Council Seat

(f) The Special Procurator-General shall occupy one of the three seats on the Advisory Council of the Low Government. Appointment to the office by the Chancellor shall simultaneously constitute appointment to that seat. A direct appointment by the Emperor shall carry the same seat unless He directs otherwise. Removal or departure from the office shall vacate the seat. The Special Procurator-General shall advise the Chancellor and Vice Chancellor on investigation, prosecution, enforcement priorities, and other matters within the functions of the Special Procuratorate.

Section 5: Chancellery Directives

(g) The Chancellor may issue lawful written directives to the Special Procuratorate concerning investigations, prosecutions, enforcement priorities, personnel, internal organization, or any other matter within its statutory functions. Such directives shall be binding within the Special Procuratorate. A written directive shall not, merely by reason of its issuance, create a generally applicable legal obligation outside the Special Procuratorate where another form of legal instrument is required by superior law.

Section 1: Command and Acting Succession

(a) The Special Procurator-General shall have general command and superintendence over the Chancellor’s Special Procuratorate of the Totemian Empire, subject to the Constitution, superior law, and the lawful directives of the Chancellor.

(b) The Deputy Special Procurator-General shall assist the Special Procurator-General and shall act in the Special Procurator-General’s absence or incapacity. Unless otherwise directed, the Deputy shall exercise all powers of the Special Procurator-General when the Special Procurator-General is unavailable.

Section 2: Direct Exercise of Subordinate Powers

(c) A power vested in a subordinate unit may be exercised directly by the Special Procurator-General. The Deputy Special Procurator-General may exercise that power while acting as Special Procurator-General or when lawfully directed.

Section 3: Required Divisions

(d) The Special Procuratorate shall include:

(i) the Prosecutions Division; and

(ii) the Investigations Division.

(e) The functions, leadership, and duties of the Prosecutions Division and the Investigations Division shall be as set out in Title 2, Chapter 29, Articles 7 and 8.

Section 4: Additional Units and Personnel

(f) The Special Procurator-General may establish, reorganize, or dissolve further internal units by Policy Order, subject to the Chancellor’s authority to override, amend, or revoke such Policy Orders.

(g) The Special Procurator-General may assign personnel within the Special Procuratorate and may establish internal operating procedures. Appointment and removal of heads of internal divisions or subordinate bodies shall remain subject to Title 2, Chapter 29, Article 4.

Section 5: Policy Order Authority

(h) The Special Procuratorate shall have authority to issue Policy Orders governing its internal operations, organization, procedures, personnel, investigative administration, prosecutorial administration, case management, and other matters within its statutory authority.

Section 6: Signature and Recording Requirements

(i) Any personnel within the Special Procuratorate may propose a Policy Order. A Policy Order shall enter into legal effect only upon the signature of the Special Procurator-General. During the absence or incapacity of the Special Procurator-General, the Deputy Special Procurator-General may sign Policy Orders while lawfully exercising the powers of that office.

(j) Policy Orders of the Special Procuratorate shall comply with the recording requirements of Title 2, Chapter 4, Article 4, with the necessary substitutions.

Section 7: Subordinate Policy Orders

(k) The Special Procurator-General may authorize or restrict subordinate divisions or bodies from issuing Policy Orders. Policy Orders issued by the Special Procurator-General shall supersede conflicting Policy Orders of subordinate bodies, and all Policy Orders of the Special Procuratorate shall remain subject to the Chancellor’s authority under Title 2, Chapter 29, Article 4.

Section 1: Review Board Purpose

The Review Board shall screen proposed prosecutions and the continuation of major investigations for legal sufficiency, evidentiary viability, and consistency with lawful priorities of the Chancellor.

Section 2: Membership

The permanent members shall be the Special Procurator-General, Deputy Special Procurator-General, and Chancellor. The Special Procurator-General may appoint or remove additional members, and the Chancellor may appoint or remove any additional member or alter the Board's composition. A sitting judge may not serve as an additional member. A member shall not participate in a matter involving that member's own investigation, prosecution, direct personal or financial interest, or another disqualification imposed by superior law.

Section 3: Quorum and Provisional Decisions

Two eligible members constitute a quorum and decide by simple majority. If fewer than two eligible members are reasonably available, one eligible member may issue a provisional decision effective for not more than fourteen days unless sooner confirmed, replaced, or overridden.

Section 4: Approval to Prosecute

A prosecution may proceed upon approval of the Board, Chancellor, Special Procurator-General, or Deputy Special Procurator-General. Routine investigative steps do not require Board approval.

Section 5: Chancellery Control

The Chancellor may direct, approve, continue, expand, suspend, reopen, close, reverse, amend, or nullify any matter or Board decision by Executive Order or other lawful written directive, subject to the Emperor and superior law.

Section 6: Decision Records

The Board shall record each decision, its basis, and the participating members.

Section 1: Establishment

(a) There shall be established within the Special Procuratorate a Prosecutions Division.

Section 2: Leadership and Appointments

(b) The Prosecutions Division shall be led by a Chief Prosecutor, who may be assisted by a Deputy Chief Prosecutor.

(c) The Chief Prosecutor and Deputy Chief Prosecutor shall be appointed and removable at will by the Special Procurator-General, subject to the Chancellor’s authority under Title 2, Chapter 29, Article 4.

Section 3: Prosecution Functions

(d) The Prosecutions Division shall have primary responsibility for:

(i) preparing charges;

(ii) filing prosecutions;

(iii) presenting cases before courts of competent jurisdiction;

(iv) conducting court advocacy;

(v) seeking lawful punishments and remedies; and

(vi) handling appeals arising from prosecutions.

Section 4: Trial-preparation Investigations

(e) The Prosecutions Division may conduct or direct limited investigative steps necessary for trial preparation, including reviewing evidence, preparing witnesses, and requesting further investigation by the Investigations Division.

Section 5: Required Prosecution Approval

(f) No prosecution shall be filed or commenced unless approved in accordance with Title 2, Chapter 29, Article 6.

Section 6: Personnel Title

(g) Staff of the Prosecutions Division shall be styled Prosecutors.

Section 1: Establishment

(a) There shall be established within the Special Procuratorate an Investigations Division.

Section 2: Leadership and Appointments

(b) The Investigations Division shall be led by a Chief Investigator, who may be assisted by a Deputy Chief Investigator.

(c) The Chief Investigator and Deputy Chief Investigator shall be appointed and removable at will by the Special Procurator-General, subject to the Chancellor’s authority under Title 2, Chapter 29, Article 4.

Section 3: Investigative Functions

(d) The Investigations Division shall have primary responsibility for:

(i) gathering evidence;

(ii) obtaining records;

(iii) conducting interviews and interrogations where the law permits;

(iv) executing lawful search or seizure actions where authorized;

(v) maintaining the chain of custody of evidence; and

(vi) preparing investigative reports for the Special Procurator-General, the Deputy Special Procurator-General, and the Prosecutions Division.

Section 4: Prosecution Assistance and Cross-assignment

(e) The Investigations Division may refer matters to the Prosecutions Division and may assist the Prosecutions Division in court when required.

(f) Personnel of either Division may assist or be cross-assigned to the other by the Special Procurator-General, Deputy Special Procurator-General, or Chancellor. A person may file or conduct a prosecution only with lawful prosecutorial authority and approval under Title 2, Chapter 29, Article 6.

Section 5: Personnel Title

(g) Staff of the Investigations Division shall be styled Investigators.

Section 1: Establishment and Status

There is established within the Chancellery a Chancellor's State Communications Directorate. The Directorate shall be an organ of the Low Government under the direct authority of the Chancellor and may be referred to as the CSCD.

Section 2: Leadership and Acting Authority

The Directorate shall be led by the Director-General of State Communications. No separate statutory deputy office is created. During the Director-General's absence or incapacity, the Press Secretary to the Chancellor or another Directorate officer designated in writing by the Chancellor shall act with the powers stated in the designation.

Section 3: Institutional Limits

The Directorate is not a Ministry, police authority, intelligence service, prosecutorial body, electoral authority, or regulator of private media. It shall exercise only the communications, press, media, and public-information powers established by this Chapter or another law.

Section 1: Appointment and Removal

Subject at all times to the Emperor's supreme authority, the Chancellor shall appoint and remove at will the Director-General of State Communications, the Press Secretary to the Chancellor, and the Director of State Media and Information. The Emperor may directly appoint, confirm, suspend, replace, or remove any of those officers.

Section 2: Written Instruments and Legal Effect

An appointment or removal by the Chancellor shall be made by written instrument and shall not require the advice or consent of Parliament, the Privy Council, or another body unless superior law expressly provides otherwise. An appointment made by a Chancellor shall terminate when that Chancellor leaves office unless the succeeding Chancellor reappoints the officer.

Section 3: Chancellery Direction and Editorial Control

The Chancellor may issue binding written directions concerning any Directorate function, appoint or remove subordinate personnel, approve, revise, replace, delay, or withdraw any proposed publication, assume direct editorial control of any Directorate channel, and override any decision or internal directive of a Directorate officer. A lawful direction of the Emperor shall prevail.

Section 1: Communications Purpose

The Directorate shall present, explain, defend, and advance the lawful program of the Chancellor and the Low Government; communicate official positions and actions; support public understanding and mobilization; and conduct state information, strategic communications, propaganda, counterpropaganda, and rapid-response messaging as directed by the Chancellor.

Section 2: Communications Powers

The Directorate may:

(a) prepare and issue official statements, press releases, briefings, fact sheets, speeches, interviews, public notices, audiovisual material, and digital communications for the Chancellor and Vice Chancellor;

(b) establish, operate, and manage official Chancellery publications, broadcast services, social-media channels, websites, press rooms, and other communications platforms;

(c) plan and conduct domestic or external information campaigns in support of lawful state policy, public order, civic unity, national programs, and the interests of the Totemian Empire;

(d) publish favorable or adverse reporting, commentary, rebuttal, criticism, advocacy, or comparative material concerning policies, conduct, persons, institutions, organizations, events, or governments, subject to Title 2, Chapter 30, Article 8;

(e) monitor news, public statements, and media narratives; research claims and public reaction; and prepare corrections, responses, talking points, and rapid-response material;

(f) coordinate the timing and presentation of Low Government announcements and provide communications guidance to Low Government officers;

(g) request nonclassified factual information reasonably necessary to prepare an official communication and verify it with the organ responsible for the underlying matter; and

(h) perform any other communications or public-information function assigned by the Chancellor or Emperor.

Section 1: Advisory Council Membership

The Director-General of State Communications shall occupy one of the three seats on the Advisory Council of the Low Government. Appointment to the office by the Chancellor shall simultaneously constitute appointment to that seat. A direct appointment by the Emperor shall carry the same seat unless He directs otherwise. Removal or departure from the office shall vacate the seat.

Section 2: Communications Advice

The Director-General shall advise the Chancellor and Vice Chancellor on communications strategy, media, public opinion, information campaigns, and the presentation of policy.

Section 1: Establishment and Leadership

There is established within the Directorate an Office of the Press Secretary, led by the Press Secretary to the Chancellor.

Section 2: Spokesperson Functions

The Press Secretary shall be the principal public spokesperson for the Chancellor and the Directorate and shall conduct press briefings, issue and authenticate press releases and official statements, answer media inquiries, arrange interviews and appearances, coordinate spokesperson assignments, maintain the official public record of Chancellery statements, and perform other press functions directed by the Chancellor or Director-General.

Section 3: Actual Authority and Corrections

The Press Secretary may speak in the name of the Chancellor only within actual authority granted by the Chancellor. A statement issued by the Press Secretary may be corrected, replaced, or withdrawn by the Chancellor at any time.

Section 1: Establishment and Leadership

There is established within the Directorate an Office of State Media and Information, led by the Director of State Media and Information.

Section 2: Media Production and Distribution

The Office shall produce and distribute official publications, broadcasts, graphics, recordings, digital media, public-information campaigns, propaganda, counterpropaganda, civic-education material, and other communications approved by the Chancellor or Director-General. It may maintain production facilities, official channels, media archives, and research necessary for those functions.

Section 3: Production Management

The Director of State Media and Information shall direct production, publishing, audience research, message planning, rapid response, and campaign execution and may assign projects across available Directorate personnel.

Section 1: Command and Direct Exercise

The Director-General shall exercise general command and superintendence over the Directorate, subject to the Chancellor and Emperor. Any function of either internal Office may be exercised directly by the Director-General or Chancellor.

Section 2: Concurrent Offices and Personnel

The Chancellor may authorize one person to hold any two or all three principal Directorate offices concurrently. Other personnel may be styled Communications Officers, Press Officers, Media Officers, Producers, Researchers, or receive another functional title by written assignment. No additional Administration or separate state organ is created by a title or assignment under this Article.

Section 3: Communications Directives

The Director-General may issue Communications Directives governing internal workflow, publishing procedure, message coordination, records, security, personnel assignments, and use of Directorate channels. A Communications Directive shall bind only the Directorate and shall not create a criminal offense, regulate private media, or impose a legal duty on the public. The Chancellor may amend, suspend, or revoke it at any time.

Section 1: Official Advocacy and Election Neutrality

The Directorate may advocate forcefully for lawful state policy and may publish favorable or adverse official commentary, but it shall not use official resources to promote or oppose the Chancellor, a candidate, a political party, or another electoral participant in violation of the Civil Code. Neutral election notices and necessary reporting of official acts may identify an incumbent but shall not be directed toward conferring an unequal electoral advantage.

Section 2: Private Media and Protected Speech

Nothing in this Chapter grants power to censor, license, close, seize, or compel a private press or media organization, or to punish protected speech, unless another law expressly grants that power consistently with the Constitution.

Section 3: Authenticity, Classification, and Legal Instruments

The Directorate shall not falsely attribute a statement or approval to the Emperor, fabricate an Imperial or legal instrument, disclose classified information without authority, or present an official communication as an Act, Imperial Order, Executive Order, Policy Order, Administration Order, judgment, or other legal instrument that it is not.

Section 4: High Government and Ideological Jurisdiction

A Ministry or other High Government organ may coordinate with the Directorate or provide a communications liaison, but the Directorate shall not command a High Government organ except under a lawful direction or delegation of the Emperor. The General Directorate for Ideological Security shall retain the ideological-security, cultural-doctrine, state-symbolism, statutory information-control, and ideological-education functions assigned by Title 2, Chapter 28.

Section 5: Official Archives and Access

The Directorate shall preserve an official archive of final releases, major campaigns, channel authority, corrections, withdrawals, and controlling written directions. Records may be classified or restricted according to law, and no classification may be used to withhold information from the Emperor.

Section 1: NLIA Continuity and State Status

The National Library and Imperial Archives of the Totemian Empire (NLIA), established by the National Library and Imperial Archives Act, is continued as a direct Administration of the Totemian State. It is not subordinate to a Ministry and shall operate under the supreme direction of the Emperor.

Section 2: Imperial Library of Parliament

The Imperial Library of Parliament established by Imperial Order 13 is continued within the NLIA as its parliamentary library, designated collection, and research service. It shall not have separate legal personality or a separate chain of command.

Section 3: Ownership and Custody

The collections, archives, facilities, systems, funds, and other public property assigned to the NLIA are owned by the Government of the Totemian Empire and held in the administrative custody of the NLIA. A loan, deposit, or conditional gift shall retain any ownership terms lawfully accepted when it was received.

Section 4: Operating Account

IBTE shall maintain the operating account for money appropriated or lawfully received for the NLIA. The Ministry of Finance shall administer lawful Treasury funding of that account. The Imperial Librarian may administer the account for NLIA functions, subject to fiscal law and Imperial direction. This Article does not create a separate statutory fund.

Section 1: Leadership and Appointment

The Imperial Librarian shall be the head and Administrator of the NLIA. The Deputy Imperial Librarian shall be the Deputy Administrator and second in command. Both officers shall be appointed and removable at will by the Emperor and shall serve at His Imperial Majesty's pleasure.

Section 2: Imperial Oversight

The Emperor alone exercises parent oversight of the NLIA. No other state officer may exercise general command over it unless superior law or Imperial direction expressly provides otherwise.

Section 3: Command and Acting Succession

The Imperial Librarian shall command the NLIA. The Deputy Imperial Librarian shall perform every lawful task assigned by the Imperial Librarian and shall exercise automatic acting succession under Title 2, Chapter 4, Article 5. The other default rules for Administrations apply with references to a parent Minister read as references to the Emperor where necessary.

Section 1: Library and Archival Powers

Within its jurisdiction, the NLIA may:

(a) acquire, receive, copy, catalog, preserve, restore, digitize, and hold books, manuscripts, maps, recordings, official publications, documentary works, and archival records;

(b) maintain national catalogs, archival inventories, finding aids, repositories, reading services, and secure digital systems;

(c) provide research, reference, documentary, and reproduction services to the Emperor, Parliament, courts, state organs, and the public according to lawful access rules;

(d) accept lawful purchase, gift, loan, deposit, copy, or transfer of material and take permanent custody of public records selected for archival preservation;

(e) preserve provenance, record custody and restrictions, and issue authenticated reproductions or certifications of material in its custody;

(f) prepare exhibitions, publications, educational material, and research projects concerning Totemian history, law, government, culture, and documentary heritage; and

(g) issue Administration Orders and technical standards for acquisition, cataloging, preservation, records transfer, access, reproduction, facilities, and security.

Section 2: Functional Personnel Titles

The NLIA may use functional titles including Librarian, Archivist, Conservator, Records Officer, and Research Officer. These titles may be assigned to personnel as needed and do not create additional principal offices.

Section 1: Continuity and Protection of Holdings

Imperial Order 13 remains in force. Its initial holdings remain part of the Imperial Library of Parliament, and material shall not be excluded, concealed, or removed merely because it is politically controversial. Inclusion of a work in the Library does not constitute official endorsement of its contents.

Section 2: Impartial Parliamentary Services

The Imperial Library of Parliament shall provide both Houses and their members with timely and politically impartial research, reference material, and access to its collections. Either Speaker or any member of Parliament may request assistance, but no single House, party, Speaker, or member shall command the Imperial Librarian or control service to the other House.

Section 3: Acquisitions and Research Priorities

The Speakers and members of Parliament may propose acquisitions or research priorities. The Imperial Librarian shall decide ordinary acquisitions and service arrangements within available resources, subject to Imperial direction and any requirement imposed by law.

Section 1: Permanent Records and Archival Transfer

The Imperial Archives shall preserve public records of permanent legal, administrative, historical, or cultural value. The originating organ shall retain active custody while a record remains necessary for current business, after which custody may pass to the NLIA under an archival schedule, lawful agreement, or Imperial direction.

Section 2: Retention and Preservation Duties

Every state organ shall cooperate with the Imperial Librarian in identifying permanent records and establishing reasonable retention and transfer schedules. A permanent public record shall not be destroyed contrary to law, an applicable archival schedule, or an Imperial direction.

Section 3: Effect of Transfer

Transfer to the Imperial Archives shall not alter the legal authority of the originating organ, invalidate a certified copy, or prevent the originating organ from retaining an operational copy. Active registries, case files, intelligence holdings, and military or diplomatic records remain with the competent organ until lawfully transferred.

Section 4: Restricted Custody and Classification

A classified, sealed, protected, or operational record may be deposited under restricted custody. The originating authority retains control of its classification and may authorize access, subject always to the authority of the Emperor. The NLIA shall not declassify or disclose such a record on its own authority.

Section 1: Access and Restrictions

Library and archival material shall be available for official or public use except where access is limited by classification, law, court seal, privacy, preservation needs, the terms of a lawful deposit, or Imperial direction. A restriction shall be applied to the affected material and shall not justify withholding unrelated holdings.

Section 2: Institutional Limits

The NLIA is a custodial, research, and cultural institution. It shall not exercise police, intelligence, prosecutorial, judicial, or general censorship authority unless superior law expressly assigns a particular function.

Section 3: Security and Cultural Coordination

The Ministry of State Security may prescribe protective standards for classified holdings. The General Directorate for Ideological Security may coordinate exhibitions, public instruction, and cultural programs with the NLIA. Neither power transfers command, ownership, archival custody, or ordinary collection decisions from the NLIA unless the Emperor expressly directs otherwise.

Section 1: Relationship with Earlier Law

The National Library and Imperial Archives Act and Imperial Order 13 remain in force except to the extent that a provision cannot operate with this Chapter. This Chapter supplies the status, ownership, leadership, command, and administrative powers left unstated by those instruments.

Section 2: Continuity of Appointments, Property, and Acts

A lawful appointment to the office of Imperial Librarian and every existing collection, archive, record, account, balance, gift, loan, contract, and administrative act shall continue according to its terms. Property and functions belonging to the National Library, Imperial Archives, or Imperial Library of Parliament are vested in the NLIA without creating a duplicate organ, office, fund, account, right, or liability.

Section 3: Existing Institutional References

A reference in existing law to the National Library, Imperial Archives, Imperial Librarian, Imperial Library, Imperial Library of Parliament, or Parliamentary Library shall be read according to the institutional arrangement established by this Chapter unless the context clearly requires another meaning.

Section 1: Office and Title

The lawful Heir Apparent to the Imperial Throne shall hold the title Caesarevich of Totemia.

Section 2: Precedence

The Caesarevich of Totemia shall have precedence immediately after the reigning Monarch in ceremonies, councils, assemblies, and affairs of state and shall be recognized as the principal successor to the Imperial Throne.

Section 3: Heraldic Symbols

The Coat of Arms, Shield, Banner of Arms, and Imperial Standard established for the Imperial Heir under Imperial Order 58 shall continue as the official heraldic symbols of the Caesarevich of Totemia.

Their use, reproduction, or alteration shall require Imperial authorization.

Section 1: Caesarevich of Totemia

The Caesarevich of Totemia shall receive 26,280 SL in accordance with the Central Payroll Service.

Section 2: Princes and Princesses

Each Prince or Princess shall receive 20,000 SL in accordance with the Central Payroll Service.

Section 1: Authority of the Courts

The courts shall have the authority to interpret laws passed and enacted when resolving cases, disputes, or questions of law.

In interpreting a law, the courts shall apply the text as written and shall consider the legislative intent of the law as part of interpretation.

Section 2: Legislative Intent

A law may include a section titled Legislative Intent.

Legislative Intent is not required unless the law expressly includes it.

If Legislative Intent is included, it must be written explicitly by the legislator and codified within the law itself in a dedicated section titled Legislative Intent.

The Legislative Intent section shall state the purpose, meaning, and intended application of the law in plain language.

Legislative Intent shall form part of the law in which it is placed and shall be considered by the courts when interpreting that law.

Section 3: Hierarchy of Law

The courts shall interpret and apply law according to the following hierarchy:

1. Imperial Orders

2. The Constitution

3. The Civil Code

4. Executive Orders and Policy Orders

Executive Orders, Policy Orders, administrative rules, and laws issued by states or lower governments shall comply with Imperial Orders, the Constitution, and the Civil Code.

Section 1: Constitutional Status

The Supreme Court of the Totemian Empire shall be the highest and final appellate court in all matters of law and justice within the Totemian Empire and shall exercise the judicial authority vested in it by the Constitution and other applicable law. The Court shall remain institutionally independent from the governmental tributaries and shall serve under the Emperor in the manner established by the Constitution.

Section 2: Composition and Appointment

The Supreme Court shall be composed of the Chief Justice and not more than six Associate Justices. The Emperor shall appoint the Chief Justice and Associate Justices with the advice of the Privy Council. The Court may operate with the Chief Justice and such number of Associate Justices as are lawfully in office; the maximum number of seats need not be filled for the Court to exercise its jurisdiction.

Section 3: Judicial Qualifications

A Justice shall possess legal expertise, integrity, and substantial knowledge or experience in Totemian law. Legal scholars, former judges, and other persons with substantial experience in Imperial law may be appointed where the Emperor determines them qualified.

Section 4: Salary

The Chief Justice and each Associate Justice shall receive 11,000 SL in accordance with the Central Payroll Service.

Section 1: Supreme Court Powers

The Supreme Court shall have authority to:

(a) exercise exclusive authority to interpret the Constitution of the Totemian Empire and its amendments;

(b) interpret and apply Imperial Orders, the Constitution, Acts of Parliament, the Civil Code, Executive Orders, Policy Orders, Administration Orders, administrative rules, laws of subnational governments and localities, and other applicable law in accordance with the lawful hierarchy of law;

(c) exercise judicial review over Acts of Parliament, provisions of the Civil Code, laws of subnational governments and localities, Executive Orders, Policy Orders, Administration Orders, and other subordinate legal or executive acts properly before the Court and determine whether such acts are constitutional;

(d) strike down or declare without legal effect an Act of Parliament, provision of the Civil Code, law of a subnational government or locality, Executive Order, Policy Order, Administration Order, or other subordinate legal or executive act found to violate the Constitution, subject to the Imperial approval requirement applicable to Supreme Court decisions;

(e) exercise original jurisdiction over matters assigned to the Court by the Constitution or other superior law, including constitutional disputes, disputes concerning the interpretation of the laws of the Empire, conflicts between lower courts or state organs, Imperial trials, and disputes of the highest national importance;

(f) exercise final appellate jurisdiction over judgments, orders, and other appealable decisions of lower courts throughout the Totemian Empire;

(g) resolve conflicts of law, jurisdiction, or controlling legal interpretation between lower courts;

(h) affirm, reverse, vacate, modify, or remand a judgment or order under appellate review;

(i) issue judgments, mandates, procedural orders, and other lawful judicial directions necessary to resolve matters within its jurisdiction and require compliance by lower courts, parties, and state organs subject to the judgment;

(j) exercise the contempt, remedial, and other judicial powers available to a lawful court under the Civil Code where applicable to proceedings before the Supreme Court; and

(k) exercise other judicial authority expressly conferred by the Constitution, an Act of Parliament, an Imperial Order, the Civil Code, or other superior law.

Section 1: Commencement of Original Proceedings

A matter falling within the original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court may be commenced directly before the Court where the Constitution or other superior law authorizes the Court to hear that category of dispute.

Section 2: Evidence and Remedies

In an original proceeding, the Court may receive evidence, determine disputed facts where necessary, hear legal argument, issue procedural orders, and enter the judgment or remedy authorized by law.

Section 3: Matters for Lower Courts

Ordinary matters that do not fall within the Supreme Court's original jurisdiction shall proceed through the competent lower court before appellate review by the Supreme Court.

Section 1: Nature and Scope of Appellate Review

An appeal to the Supreme Court shall constitute review of the proceedings and decision of the lower court and shall not constitute a new trial.

In appellate proceedings, the Court shall review the lower-court record, the judgment or order appealed from, the legal arguments of the parties, applicable law, and prior rulings relevant to the appeal. The Court shall determine whether the lower court committed legal, constitutional, jurisdictional, or material procedural error and whether the judgment was legally supportable on the record before that court.

Section 2: New Evidence and Factual Remand

The Supreme Court shall not receive new evidence for the purpose of retrying an appealed case. Where resolution of an appeal requires factual development or evidence not properly determined below, the Court may remand the matter to the competent lower court with instructions.

Section 3: Appellate Dispositions

Upon appellate review, the Court may affirm the decision below; reverse it in whole or in part; vacate it; modify the judgment where the record and law permit; or remand the matter for further proceedings consistent with the Supreme Court's legal ruling.

Section 4: Compliance with the Mandate

A lower court receiving a remanded case shall follow the legal holdings and instructions contained in the Supreme Court's approved mandate.

Section 1: Presiding and Administrative Office

The Chief Justice shall preside over sessions of the Supreme Court and shall be the principal judicial and administrative officer of the Court.

Section 2: Docket and Court Administration

The Chief Justice shall determine the Court's schedule and docket, allocate cases and judicial work among the Justices, oversee the administration and records of the Court, and ensure the proper functioning of Supreme Court proceedings.

Section 3: Judicial Protocols

The Chief Justice, in collaboration with the Associate Justices, may establish judicial protocols and procedures governing filing, service, hearings, oral argument, case records, deliberation, opinions, mandates, and other matters necessary for the orderly exercise of the Court's jurisdiction, provided such procedures remain consistent with superior law.

Section 4: Official Representation and Impeachment

The Chief Justice shall represent the Supreme Court in official matters before the Emperor and other state organs and shall exercise the constitutional function assigned to the Chief Justice in impeachment proceedings concerning the Chancellor or Vice Chancellor.

Section 5: Support Personnel

The Chief Justice may assign necessary clerical, recording, research, or administrative duties to available judicial or lawfully assigned support personnel.

Section 1: Voting and Majority Decisions

Each Justice participating in a case shall have one vote. Where more than one Justice participates, a judgment or substantive ruling shall require the concurrence of a majority of the participating Justices.

Section 2: Equally Divided Cases

Where an appellate case is equally divided, the judgment under review shall remain in force for that case and the divided Supreme Court disposition shall not establish controlling precedent. Where an original matter is equally divided, the Chief Justice shall retain the matter for further consideration when a lawful majority can be obtained or may issue such temporary procedural directions as are necessary to preserve the matter pending further consideration.

Section 3: Required Imperial Approval

A final judgment, constitutional ruling, appellate disposition, or other substantive decision of the Supreme Court shall be submitted to the Emperor for approval in accordance with the Constitution. Before Imperial approval, the decision shall not possess final and binding effect as a decision of the Supreme Court.

Section 4: Binding Effect of Approved Decisions

Upon Imperial approval, the decision shall be final and binding upon the parties, lower courts, state organs, subnational governments and localities, institutions, and other persons subject to Totemian law to the extent governed by the decision.

Section 5: Withheld Approval and Reconsideration

Where the Emperor withholds approval or returns a decision for further consideration, the Court may reconsider the matter and issue a revised decision. Actions taken under lawful interim or procedural orders before final disposition shall remain governed by the terms of those orders unless altered by the Court or superior authority.

Section 6: Routine Directions and Substantive Orders

Routine scheduling, docketing, filing, and clerical directions may issue without Imperial approval if they do not determine substantive rights, obligations, remedies, appeals, or merits. Any order or ruling that does so is a Supreme Court decision and shall be submitted to the Emperor.

Section 1: Docket and Case Records

The Supreme Court shall maintain an official docket and judicial record sufficient to identify each case, the parties, the questions presented, material filings, the Justices participating, the disposition, the date of decision, and the date of Imperial approval where required.

Section 2: Binding Precedent

An approved Supreme Court interpretation of the Constitution shall control the constitutional question decided. Approved holdings of the Supreme Court on questions of Imperial law shall bind lower courts unless displaced by superior law, a later controlling Supreme Court decision, or a lawful change in the underlying law.

Section 3: Opinions and Identifiable Holdings

The Court may issue majority opinions, concurring opinions, dissenting opinions, orders, or other written judicial explanations as appropriate. The controlling judgment and legal holding shall be identifiable from the official record.

Section 4: Preservation and Sealed Records

Judicial records shall be preserved as official records of the Totemian Empire. Records may be restricted or sealed where required by law, protection of confidential information, safety, national security, or a lawful judicial order.

Section 1: Sealed Filing and Notice

The following procedure shall govern the Supreme Court and every lower court when a filing, application, order, or request concerns classified information held by the Ministry of State Security. The matter shall be filed under seal, the public docket shall use a neutral description, and the Chief State Security Procurator shall represent the Ministry on disclosure and security handling.

Section 2: Secure Examination and Substitute Evidence

A court may examine classified material in camera and, where necessary, ex parte; restrict attendance and access to persons authorized for the matter; and use redactions, summaries, admissions, substitute evidence, protective orders, secure facilities, and return or destruction requirements. A court may not declassify information by its own authority.

Section 3: Security Certificates and Imperial Referral

Before classified material is disclosed to a party, the public, a foreign person, or an unauthorized officer, the Minister of State Security or Chief State Security Procurator may file a sealed security certificate and transmit the disputed question directly to the Emperor. The filing shall stay only the disputed disclosure until the Emperor acts.

Section 4: Referral by the Court and Imperial Determination

The presiding court may also transmit a sealed question directly to the Emperor when an Imperial security determination is necessary to decide the matter. The Emperor may authorize, limit, condition, substitute for, or prohibit disclosure and may direct the secure manner of judicial examination.

Section 5: Remaining Legal Effect and Compliance

The Court shall determine the remaining legal effect within the case, including whether a summary or substitute is sufficient and what remedy follows if protected information cannot be used. The Ministry shall comply with the legally effective judicial outcome after this procedure, and every substantive Supreme Court decision remains subject to Imperial approval under Title 3, Chapter 2, Article 6.

Section 6: Truthfulness and Final Orders

Nothing in this Article authorizes false evidence, a false statement to a Totemian court, concealment from the Emperor, or refusal to obey a final legally effective order after the authorized security procedure is complete.

Section 1: Guiding Judicial Doctrine

The Supreme Court and every lower court shall uphold the Imperial system and take the authoritative corpus of Vasili Thought as the guiding doctrine of judicial work. Vasili Thought shall inform judicial administration, judicial education, legal interpretation, adjudication, execution of judgments, and the development of court procedure, consistently with the Constitution and the lawful hierarchy of law.

Section 2: Judicial Study and Instruction

Every Justice, judge, and judicial officer shall study the current authoritative corpus maintained under Title 2, Chapter 28, Article 9. The Chief Justice shall ensure regular instruction in Vasili Thought, Totemian law, judicial ethics, and the proper exercise of judicial authority. A court may rely upon official editions and authenticated materials maintained by the General Directorate for Ideological Security, but only a source designated by the Emperor and an interpretation issued by Him shall be authoritative.

Section 3: Interpretation within Written Law

In deciding cases, courts shall apply written law according to its lawful hierarchy. Within the meaning reasonably permitted by that law, courts shall use Vasili Thought to ascertain legal purpose, resolve genuine ambiguity, guide judicial discretion and remedies, and pursue the unity of legal, political, and social effects. No court shall depart from clear controlling law merely because it prefers a different ideological, political, or policy result.

Section 4: Limits on Independent Legal Effect

Vasili Thought shall not, by itself, create a criminal offense, civil cause of action, tax, fine, forfeiture, detention power, evidentiary burden, or other legal disability. An Imperial Thesis or other component of Vasili Thought shall possess independent force of law only to the extent that the Emperor promulgates it as an Imperial Order or otherwise gives it legal effect through a form recognized in the lawful hierarchy of law.

Section 5: Reasoned Opinions and Legal Authority

A judicial opinion may cite and explain a relevant Imperial Thesis or other authoritative component of Vasili Thought, but it shall identify the legal authority supporting the decision and explain the relationship among the material facts, governing law, and judgment. No court may amend, supersede, withdraw, or purport to issue an authoritative interpretation of Vasili Thought.

Section 6: Authoritative Imperial Interpretation

Where a genuine question concerning the meaning of Vasili Thought is material to the disposition of a case and cannot be resolved from the authoritative corpus, the Supreme Court shall submit the question to the Emperor for authoritative interpretation. A lower court shall transmit such a question through the Supreme Court. The court may stay the affected proceedings or issue necessary interim orders while the question is pending, and the Imperial interpretation shall govern the matter.

Section 7: Independence in Particular Cases

The duty to uphold and apply Vasili Thought shall not authorize a Ministry, Directorate, advisory body, officer, or other person to dictate a finding of fact, legal interpretation, judicial vote, judgment, sentence, or remedy in a particular case. The General Directorate for Ideological Security may, at a court's request, authenticate an Imperial source or submit an advisory explanation through the lawful judicial process, but adjudication shall remain with the court subject to the Constitution, applicable law, and the constitutional authority of the Emperor.

Section 1: Regulatory Body

The Bar of the Totemian Empire and All States and Subjects Assembled shall be the official regulatory body of all barristers and legal practitioners.

Section 1: Function

Judicial circuits shall serve as the highest-level administrative divisions of the Bar, shall define the geographic jurisdictions of Circuit Courts and Courts of Appeals, and shall serve as the primary registration regions for legal practitioners.

Section 2: Designated Circuits

The judicial circuits are:

(a) North Western;

(b) Central;

(c) North Eastern;

(d) South Central;

(e) Eastern; and

(f) Western.

Section 3: Geographic Boundaries

The geographic boundaries of the judicial circuits shall be those established by the Imperial Order entitled An Order for the Complete Reformation of Judicial Standards and Customs.

Section 1: Circuit Jurisdiction

The geographic jurisdictions of Courts of Appeals shall follow the judicial circuits established by Article 2.

Section 2: Further Appeal

A party may appeal an adverse ruling of a Court of Appeals to the Supreme Court of the Totemian Empire, which shall remain the court of final resort.

Section 1: Judicial Authority

Judicial authority throughout the Totemian Empire shall be exercised by the courts and judicial offices established or recognized under this Title.

Section 2: Subnational Courts and Funding

No subnational government or locality may establish, maintain, fund, or pay a separate court or judicial office.

No subnational government or locality may pay or supplement the salary of a judicial officer established or recognized under this Title.

Section 1: Establishment

Circuit Courts shall replace District Courts and shall operate within their respective designated circuits.

Section 2: Centre Court

The Centre Court shall be a unified national division of the Circuit Courts operating across local hearing centers and shall exclusively hear non-criminal civil disputes, including debt recovery, breach of contract, personal injury claims, housing and landlord disputes, and family matters.

Each case shall be decided by a presiding Circuit Judge.

Section 3: Crown Court

The Crown Court shall be a unified national division of the Circuit Courts operating across local hearing centers and shall exclusively hear serious criminal disputes, including indictable offenses such as murder, rape, robbery, and fraud, alongside appeals from Magistrates' Courts.

A jury of twelve citizens shall determine guilt or innocence, while a Circuit Judge shall govern legal procedure and determine sentencing.

Section 4: Circuit Assignment

A Circuit Judge shall hear cases within the Judge's assigned circuit. If no local Judge is available, a case may temporarily transfer to the nearest available Circuit Judge.

Section 1: Appointment

A Circuit Judge may be appointed by the reigning Monarch or the Chancellor.

Section 2: Salary

Each Circuit Judge shall receive 8,250 SL in accordance with the Central Payroll Service.

Section 1: Recognition and Appeals

Magistrates' Courts are recognized as part of the judicial system of the Totemian Empire. Appeals from Magistrates' Courts shall be heard by the Crown Court.

Section 2: Salary

Each Magistrate shall receive 6,875 SL in accordance with the Central Payroll Service.

Section 1: Status

His Imperial Majesty's High Court of Justice shall be a superior court system.

Section 2: Jurisdiction

The High Court shall hear high-value and important civil law cases, exercise supervisory control over lower courts, and act as an appellate court for decisions of lower courts and tribunals falling within its lawful jurisdiction.

Section 1: Judicial Authority

A High Court Judge or Justice may hear any case within the jurisdiction of the High Court, including any case appealed to the High Court.

Section 2: Appointment

High Court Judges and Justices shall be appointed by the reigning Monarch.

Section 3: Salary

Each High Court Judge or Justice shall receive 9,625 SL in accordance with the Central Payroll Service.

Section 1: Barristers

Barristers shall be addressed as Mr. or Ms. and shall wear the basic Court Dress Uniform with a powdered judicial wig as prescribed by the Imperial Order.

Section 2: Magistrates

Magistrates shall be addressed as Your Honour and, as applicable, Sir or Ma'am, and shall wear normal business attire.

Section 3: Circuit Judges

Circuit Judges shall be addressed as Your Honour and, as applicable, Sir or Ma'am, and shall wear a judicial gown with the prescribed powdered judicial wig.

Section 4: High Court Judges and Justices

High Court Judges and Justices shall use the style The Honourable Mr. Justice or The Honourable Ms. Justice, followed by the person's forename and surname. In court they shall be addressed as My Lord or My Lady and informally as Sir or Ma'am.

They shall wear the High Court Judicial Robes and powdered judicial wig prescribed by the Imperial Order, including the prescribed ordinary and ceremonial forms.

Section 5: Supreme Court Justices

The Chief Justice and Associate Justices shall use the style The Right Honourable together with the applicable judicial office and the person's forename and surname. In court they shall be addressed as My Lord or My Lady and informally as Sir or Ma'am.

They shall wear the Ceremonial Court Robes over mourning dress or other formal attire with the powdered judicial wig prescribed by the Imperial Order.

Section 1: The Interlink

The Interlink shall be the primary public transportation network of Totemia, made up of blue ice for long-distance, high-speed travel.

Section 2: Interlink Protections

No person may destroy, block, obstruct, remove, or damage any part of the Interlink or its supporting infrastructure, including blue ice, pillars, lighting, stoppers, water systems, stations, signs, side braces, or access points.

A person who violates this Section may be fined 120 SL per offense, ordered to repair the damage through community service, ordered to pay the cost of repair, or be subject to any combination of these penalties.

Section 3: Main Interlink Design Standards

The main continuous Interlink line that connects Totemia shall be at least 4 blocks wide and shall use blue ice as its travel surface. The blue ice travel surface shall be built at Y-level 82.

The frame, guides, and non-ice structure of the main Interlink line shall be built at Y-level 81 and shall use smooth stone unless another material is approved for safety, terrain, or design reasons.

Pillars for the main Interlink line shall be spaced at a minimum of 20 blocks apart. Greater spacing may be used where appropriate for terrain, design, or structural considerations, provided the Interlink remains safe and stable.

Side braces may be placed along the side of the main Interlink frame. A side brace pattern shall consist of 2 blocks of space, 1 upper brace block, 2 blocks of space beneath the upper brace block, and 1 lower brace block. This pattern may be repeated where needed for structure, safety, or design.

Section 4: Secondary Interlink Lines

Secondary Interlink lines may be created by private parties or local governments. Secondary Interlink lines shall be at least 4 blocks wide and shall not damage, obstruct, or interfere with the main Interlink line.

Secondary Interlink lines shall not be required to connect to the main Interlink line. If a secondary Interlink line connects to any public Interlink infrastructure, the connection must be safe and may be removed, modified, or denied if it creates a safety issue, obstruction, or design conflict.

Section 5: Interlink Stations

Interlink stations shall provide safe access to and from the Interlink without requiring users to lose health.

Interlink stations shall provide adequate lighting to prevent mob spawning at the station and within 50 blocks in each direction from the center point of the station.

Section 6: Right of Way

The Interlink right of way shall include the land directly under the route path of the Interlink, including where its frame, pillars, stations, access points, and supporting infrastructure are built.

Such land shall be annexed by the Totemian Empire and shall become public land.

Section 7: Existing Structures

When planning Interlink lines, routes, or designs, designers shall make reasonable efforts to avoid the destruction or removal of structures that existed before the Interlink line or design was planned.

An existing structure may only be destroyed, removed, or substantially altered for Interlink construction with approval from The Emperor and after consultation with affected parties.

Section 1 - Bi-Weekly Payroll

The Central Payroll Service shall distribute payroll every 2 weeks on Friday.

All positions included in the central payroll system shall be paid through the Central Payroll Service.

Section 2 - Management

His Imperial Majesty's Treasury shall manage the fiscal administration of the Central Payroll Service. The Treasury Operations Administration shall prepare and submit authorized payroll instructions, and IBTE shall process the payments through its centralized system.

All payroll cost data, including current costs and projected future payroll costs, shall be automatically included on receipts, records, or automated systems accessible to Parliament and members of the Privy Council.

Section 1: Salaried Positions

A position may receive salary through the Central Payroll Service only where the salary arises from:

(a) a position within a state organ;

(b) a statutory public office; or

(c) another government position expressly established or authorized by law.

Military compensation governed by Title 2, Chapter 27, Article 9 shall not be distributed through the Central Payroll Service.

Section 2: Abolished Positions

A payroll classification abolished by law shall be removed from the Central Payroll Service and shall not receive further salary.

Section 1: Salaries

A King or Queen of a Kingdom shall receive 13,000 SL in accordance with the Central Payroll Service.

A Governor of a Governorate shall receive 13,000 SL in accordance with the Central Payroll Service.

A Lord Proprietor of a Territory shall receive 11,500 SL in accordance with the Central Payroll Service.

Section 2: Imperial Control of Compensation

Only an Act of Parliament receiving Imperial assent or an Imperial Order may establish or amend the salary or other personal compensation of an office listed in Section 1.

All such compensation shall be paid through the Central Payroll Service from the Central Salary Fund.

No Kingdom, Governorate, Territory, or subdivision thereof may use its treasury, public funds, or other governmental resources to pay or supplement the personal compensation of its King, Queen, Governor, or Lord Proprietor.

Section 1: Grant Funds

When a grant is created and funding is allocated to it, a dedicated grant fund shall be created inside His Imperial Majesty’s Treasury.

Unless otherwise provided by law, grants shall be managed by His Imperial Majesty’s Treasury.

A grant may be transferred to a separate department, office, or ministry if provided by law.

Section 2: Grant Creation Requirements

When creating a grant, Parliament shall describe the grant’s purpose, total funding, maximum request amount, and any limits on how often an applicant may receive funding.

Parliament may set daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly funding limits per applicant.

Section 3: Grant Applicants

Parliament may define eligible applicants based on the purpose, circumstances, or goals of a grant.

Parliament may provide additional funding for specific types of applicants or direct His Imperial Majesty’s Treasury to limit the grant to a specific class of applicants.

Section 4: Applicant Favorability

A grant may favor specific applicants, applicant classes, or grant candidates if the law creating the grant expressly allows it.

Applicant favorability may include increased funding, reserved funding, faster review, priority processing, relaxed requirements, or exclusive eligibility.

Any applicant favorability must be stated in the law creating the grant and must be tied to the purpose, circumstances, or goals of the grant.

Section 5: Grant Cost Breakdown

A grant application shall include a basic funding breakdown with, at minimum, the following divisions:

1. Labor

2. Materials

Labor shall mean funding used to pay for labor power, including personal payment, payment of workers, contracted work, services, management, construction, planning, or any other paid human work connected to the grant.

Materials shall mean funding used to acquire, use, purchase, replace, transport, or prepare resources, goods, supplies, equipment, land, blocks, items, or other non-labor inputs connected to the grant.

The applicant shall state the amount requested for Labor and the amount requested for Materials.

A grant application shall not be required to provide a fully itemized budget, as the Labor and Materials categories serve as a general overarching classification, unless the law creating the grant, His Imperial Majesty’s Treasury, or the grant terms require further detail.

Section 6: Grant Review and Recovery

Unless otherwise provided by law, His Imperial Majesty’s Treasury shall have default authority to review the use of grant funding after 20 days from the date the funding is issued.

A grant review shall be limited to determining whether the grant funding was used, is being used, or is reasonably intended to be used for the approved grant purpose.

His Imperial Majesty’s Treasury may request basic proof, explanation, records, or progress evidence from the grant recipient.

Parliament may create additional review rules, project managers, reporting requirements, or oversight procedures for a specific grant.

His Imperial Majesty’s Treasury may recover grant funding if, after review or investigation, it finds that the recipient failed to use the funding for the approved purpose, failed to apply the funding during the approved grant period, misused the funding, gave false information, refused basic review, or kept unused funding without authorization.

Recovered funding shall be returned to the grant fund, unless otherwise provided by law.

Section 1: Offense

A person commits misuse of public funds if they knowingly use, redirect, conceal, withhold, misrepresent, or authorize the use of public funds for a purpose not allowed by law, grant terms, payroll rules, fund rules, or lawful authorization.

Public funds shall include grants, payroll funds, refunds, dedicated funds, reimbursements, Treasury funds, departmental funds, ministry funds, office funds, or any other funds held, managed, distributed, or authorized by the government.

Section 2: Penalties

A person found guilty of misuse of public funds shall repay the misused amount and shall be fined at least 1,000 SL or the value of the misused funds, whichever is greater.

The court may order additional penalties allowed by law, including loss of grant eligibility, removal from payroll eligibility, disqualification from managing public funds, community service, or other lawful penalties.

Section 3: Related Crimes

Misuse of public funds may be charged together with any other crime arising from the same conduct, including fraud, theft, bribery, corruption, forgery, false statements, conspiracy, abuse of office, or obstruction.

A person shall not avoid liability for misuse of public funds merely because the same conduct also violates another law.

Section 1: Regulated Organizations

For this Article, a regulated organization shall mean a political party, political organization, religious organization, or other organization designated by law as subject to donation limits.

Section 2: Individual Donation Limit

An individual shall not donate more than 5,000 SL per calendar month in total to regulated organizations.

Section 3: Organization Donation Limit

A regulated organization shall not receive more than 225,000 SL in donations per calendar month.

Once a regulated organization has received 225,000 SL in donations during a calendar month, it shall not receive additional donations for the remainder of that month.

Section 4: Banking Enforcement

IBTE may enforce donation limits under this Article through its centralized banking and account system.

IBTE may automatically reject, block, return, or prevent any donation that would exceed the limits under this Article.

Section 5: Definition of Donation

A donation shall mean funding given directly to a regulated organization through the use of the donation tab or by sending money without any reasonable purpose directly to a bank account owned by the organization.

Section 1: Exempt Persons

While lawfully holding the qualifying title, the following persons shall be exempt from every form of taxation:

(a) the reigning Monarch, whether styled Emperor or Empress;

(b) the Caesarevich of Totemia;

(c) a Prince;

(d) a Princess;

(e) a King; and

(f) a Queen.

Section 2: Scope

The exemption is complete and applies to every tax, levy, duty, excise, withholding, assessment, or other compulsory public imposition of a taxing nature, regardless of tax base, source, or level of government.

No state organ, subnational government, local government, or other public authority shall assess, withhold, charge, collect, or enforce such taxation against a person exempt under Section 1.

Section 3: Separate Legal Persons

The exemption is personal and does not extend to a corporation, organization, partnership, trust, or other separate legal person merely because it is owned or controlled by an exempt person.

Section 4: Duration

The exemption applies while the qualifying title is lawfully held.

A tax liability arising during the exempt period shall remain exempt after the qualifying title ceases.

Section 1: Payment

Every citizen of the Totemian Empire shall receive a Universal Basic Income of 82.70 SL with each regular bi-weekly Central Payroll Service distribution.

Section 1: Doctrine

Tax revenue may be collected, held, classified, and administered centrally without transferring ownership of a share that law attributes to a subnational government or locality.

An attributed amount shall remain the property of the government to which it is attributed and shall not be spent, appropriated, pledged, transferred, or treated as available revenue of another government.

For property taxation, establishment, collection, and administration shall be centralized under the Imperial Government. No subnational government or locality may establish, amend, collect, or administer a separate property tax.

Section 2: Scope

This Chapter does not itself impose a property tax or any other tax. It governs collection, custody, attribution, and release when a tax is lawfully in force.

For this Chapter, a subnational government is a first-order government directly below the Imperial Government and recognized by law. A locality is a local government recorded in the Territorial and Settlement Register. An internal division that is not separately recognized as a locality shall not receive a separate property-tax tier merely because the division exists.

Section 1: Establishment

There is established within His Imperial Majesty's Treasury the Central Taxation Fund.

Every tax collected by the Central Revenue Administration shall first be credited to the Central Taxation Fund unless an Act of Parliament or Imperial Order expressly provides another initial destination.

The Central Taxation Fund shall be a collection and clearing fund. Money held within it shall be classified before release. Attribution entries within the Fund are ledger classifications and shall not create separate Treasury accounts or subaccounts.

Section 2: Tax Classification

Each tax payment shall receive a unique Tax Collection Identifier and shall record the tax type, legal authority, payer, amount, tax period, collection time, and applicable revenue destination or attribution.

Property-tax payments shall additionally be governed by Articles 4 and 5.

Section 3: Digital Display and Separation

The authorized public finance system shall display the total balance of the Central Taxation Fund and a breakdown by tax type, including separate categories for property tax, income tax, and every other tax then in force.

For property tax, the system shall separately display the national total, aggregate subnational total, aggregate local total, each subnational government's attributed amount, and each locality's attributed amount. The system shall include visual charts showing the total and those divisions and shall permit the subnational and local totals to be expanded into their individual governments.

The system shall separately identify released, unreleased, disputed, suspended, and unassigned amounts. A subnational or local attributed amount shall not be displayed as available national revenue, and the system shall reject a transfer that would use one government's attributed amount for another government without lawful authority.

Section 1: Required Funds

The authorized public finance system shall maintain the following default public funds for each recognized subnational government and locality:

(a) a General Fund;

(b) a Reserve Fund;

(c) a Payroll Fund; and

(d) a Taxation Fund.

Each Fund shall belong to the respective subnational government or locality. Central technical custody, banking operation, or system administration shall not transfer ownership to the Imperial Government, His Imperial Majesty's Treasury, or IBTE.

Section 2: Taxation Fund

A subnational or local Taxation Fund shall receive tax revenue only after lawful release from the Central Taxation Fund. It shall not directly collect property tax.

Release into a Taxation Fund is not itself an expenditure. Spending or transfer from that Fund shall require the authority otherwise applicable to the government that owns it.

Section 1: Three-Tier Requirement

Whenever a property tax is in force, it shall contain a National Component, a Subnational Component, and a Local Component. The Act of Parliament or Imperial Order establishing the property tax shall state the rate or formula applicable to each component.

The three components are parts of one centrally administered property tax and do not create independent property-tax authority in a subnational government or locality.

Section 2: Authoritative Records

The National Land Administration shall be the authoritative source for parcel identifiers, parcel boundaries, ownership, transfers, and land valuation where assigned by law.

The Territorial and Settlement Register shall be the authoritative source for the legal existence, status, and boundaries of subnational governments and localities.

The taxation system shall use the current lawful records of those authorities and shall preserve the record version and effective time used for each assessment and attribution.

Section 3: Jurisdictional Assessed Value

The National Component shall apply to the taxable assessed value of the whole parcel.

The Subnational and Local Components shall be calculated from the portion of taxable assessed value attributable to each applicable subnational government or locality.

Land value shall be divided according to the percentage of parcel area lying within each applicable jurisdiction. Where an improvement has a separately recorded value and reliable location, its value shall be attributed according to its physical footprint. An improvement crossing a boundary shall be divided according to the percentage of its footprint within each jurisdiction. Where reliable improvement-location data is unavailable, the parcel-area percentages shall apply.

At each governmental tier, the same physical area shall be counted only once.

Section 4: Parcels Crossing Multiple Boundaries

Where a parcel lies within more than one subnational government or more than one locality, the system shall calculate the percentage of the parcel lying within each lawful boundary and divide the applicable Subnational or Local Component accordingly.

Where governmental boundaries themselves overlap or conflict so that the same area is lawfully unresolved between two or more governments, the amount attributable to the disputed area shall remain in the Central Taxation Fund as Disputed Attribution until the competent authority resolves the boundary. The same area shall not be taxed twice at the same tier merely because of the conflict.

Where part of a parcel lies outside every recognized locality, the Local Component attributable to that portion shall remain in the Central Taxation Fund as Unassigned Local Attribution. It shall not become national or subnational revenue by default.

Section 1: Creation and Required Record

Each property-tax liability and collection shall receive a Property Tax Attribution Identifier linked to the applicable Tax Collection Identifier and National Land Administration parcel identifier.

The record shall identify the taxpayer or owner associated with the assessment, assessed value, tax period, rates or formulas, territorial-record version, jurisdictional percentages, calculated national, subnational, and local amounts, current attributed governments, and release status.

Section 2: Sale or Transfer of Property

A sale or transfer of property shall update the owner or taxpayer linkage prospectively according to the effective land record. It shall not erase or rewrite a completed tax record or change governmental revenue attribution solely because ownership changed.

Section 3: Parcel Division, Merger, Renumbering, or Replacement

Where a parcel is divided, merged, renumbered, or replaced, the system shall preserve links between the predecessor and successor parcel identifiers.

Any unreleased property-tax attribution affected by the change shall be apportioned among successor parcels according to the authoritative assessed values assigned by the National Land Administration or, where separate assessed values are not available, according to parcel area.

Section 4: Boundary Changes

A lawful boundary change shall not retroactively change the amount owed by a taxpayer for a completed assessment.

While attributed property-tax money remains unreleased in the Central Taxation Fund, the system shall reattribute the affected subnational or local amount according to the new lawful boundary. Money already released from the Central Taxation Fund shall not be automatically clawed back because of a later boundary change.

Section 5: Governmental Reorganization

A renaming or reclassification of a government with legal continuity shall not interrupt its attribution.

Where a government is abolished and a lawful successor is designated, unreleased attributed revenue shall pass to the successor. Where its territory is divided among successors, the unreleased amount shall be apportioned according to the parcel coverage transferred to each successor.

Where no lawful successor or destination exists, the amount shall remain in the Central Taxation Fund under Suspended Attribution until a lawful disposition is established. It shall not become national revenue by default.

Section 6: Audit History