Charter of the Holy Roman Empire (2022)

CHARTER
for the
CONSTITUTION AND GOVERNMENT
of the
HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE

Virtue and welfare are secured when states, of sound constitution and stout adhesions, resolve themselves to leagues of common spirit. The spirit of fealty, magnificence, and of common-wealth are hereby emboldened by our Sovereign and maintained by the Sovereigns which adhere themselves thus.

By the leave of the Imperial Throne, rightful successors to Augustus Caesar, and the Diet, herein assembled, the organization of the realm is hereby chartered:

1. Constitution

i. The Holy Roman Empire is a confederation of independent States.

ii. States recognize the authority of the Diet and the Throne to make laws and uphold statutes regarding the governance of the Empire.

iii. There shall be two species of States:

1. Patricial States are defined in that their Head of State inherits their position by birthright.

2. Plebial States are defined in that their Head of State inherits their position by popular sovereignty.

iv. States become subject to the Empire through the ratification of this Charter and confirmation by the Diet.

v. Immediacy is the status given to all States, this status entails:

1. Representation within the Diet

2. Equal diplomatic authority to other states

3. Rights to petition the Throne

vi. A State may have subdivisions which, by the assent of the Diet and Throne, may gain immediacy. The process by which a subdivision is given immediacy is decided by the Diet.

vii. A recognized cultural group, historically or geographically tied to the Empire, but not represented by a State may also gain immediacy by assent of the Diet and the Throne. The process by which a cultural group is given immediacy is decided by the Diet.

2. Government

i. The Imperial Government is the collection of bodies and individuals acting in the name of and with the authority vested by the Throne.

ii. The Imperial Throne is the highest legal authority within the Empire, which:

1. is held by the,

A. Emperor, or Empress, and to be titled: Imperator(rix) Caesar(ea) (regnal name) Augustus(a) in Latin and Kaiser(in) (regnal name) der Römer in German, and

A. King, or Queen, of the Romans which is the heir to the throne elected before the succession.

2. Promulgates all law in the Empire

3. Appoints and charges officials to execute the law

4. Dismiss jurists and call Court

5. Is the Fount of Honor and has the right to grant and revoke:

A. Imperial Titles,

B. Knighthood,

C. Arms and Banners, and

D. Other Honors and Awards

6. Retains the highest diplomatic rank

iii. The Imperial Diet is the representative body of the States, which:

1. Is composed of representatives chosen by the conscience of their constituent State and each state having one vote

2. Is chaired by the Presidium which consists of:

A. The President who is elected by the Diet for an indefinite term until they lose the confidence of the Diet, and

B. Two Vice Presidents who are the two longest continually-serving members. In the case of more than two equally-serving members, two will be chosen by the seniority of their age.

3. Writes and recommends legislation to the Throne

4. Ratifies any diplomatic agreement made between the Empire and another entity

5. Codifies the rules of the College of Electors

6. Ratifies and determines the number in the selection of the Imperial Court

7. Nominates statutes of prior Imperial authority to the Imperial Court to be retained

8. Recommends a member to the Throne to be appointed Chancellor

9. May un-elect a King, or Queen, of the Romans before their ascension

iv. The College of Electors is the body responsible for the election of the Emperor, or Empress, which:

1. Is composed of up to eight members who,

A. Hold the title of Prince-Elector(ress),

B. Are the Heads of State of the States named by the Throne, and

C. Succeed the Electors of Mainz, Trier, Cologne, Bohemia, Bavaria, Saxony, Brandenburg, and Hanover in dignity

2. May only be called by a member of the Diet following the vacation of the office of Emperor

v. The Chancellor of the Empire is the chief magistrate of the Empire, who

1. Holds a term of one year

2. is the head of the Imperial Cabinet, which consists of the:

A. Arch-Bannerbearer, who is the chief diplomatic officer,

B. Arch-Chamberlain, who is responsible for communicating the will and statements of the Throne,

C. Arch-Cupbearer, who records the ruling of Court and is the chief legal counsel to the Chancellor,

D. Arch-Marshall, who is the chief military officer,

E. Arch-Steward, who manages the relations of the States and communicates the will of the Chancellor to the States and vice versa, and

F. Arch-Treasurer, who manages the finances and events of the Empire.

3. Chairs the College of Electors and Imperial Diet and may only vote in the former to break a tied vote.

4. Recommends appointees to the Throne to fill the Cabinet

vi. The Imperial Court shall be vested with the judicial power of the Empire, which:

3. Holds a term of one year, bar the first Court which shall hold a term of six months.

2. Is composed of no more than seven and no less than three Jurors who:

A. Are selected by a lottery of candidates who declare themselves within a period of seven days preceding the week before the expiration of the term of the current Court,

B. Are selected one week before the expiration of the term of the current Court, and

C. Deliberate and vote on a ruling for each case.

3. Is chaired by the Throne or an appointed representative thereof, who:

A. Announces the ruling of the court over a particular case,

B. Directs the procedure of Court, and

C. In the case of an appointed representative, the chair will be referred to as “Their High Honour, the Aulic Judge” and in the case of the Throne, the chair will be referred to as “Their Imperial Majesty”.

4. Mediates any dispute between:

A. two or more States,

B. parties from two or more States, or

C. a party or parties and the Imperial Government.

5. Votes to retroactively retain statutes of prior Imperial authority.

This Charter shall remain the supreme law of the Empire, subject to amendment of any kind only by assent from more than two-thirds of the Diet and from the Throne following its ratification.

We hereunto set our hands as witnesses to and purveyors of these statutes on the 3rd day of May, in the year Two-thousand, twenty-two.