GUM Supreme Court case 2023-7
Petitioners: Office of the Head of State of Hokoria, Department of Exterior Affairs of Hokoria
Petition for investigation; dismissal
Investigation into an offer made by a leader of a member state to a leader of a non-member state which was considered an attempt at bribery (case ref: 2023-7).
Assigned to Jonathan I (SJ)
SUPREME JUSTICE AUGUSTUS: Aaron Ross of Hokoria, on behalf of the non-member state Hokoria's head of state and foreign ministry, has asked the Supreme Court to investigate an allegation of bribery made against a member state. Given this petition is being dismissed, I have chosen not to name said member state in the interests of preventing them being unfairly associated with wrongdoing in relation to this petition.
The claimant has alleged that the leadership of this member state attempted to bribe them. The evidence provided in support of this claim shows the leader of this member state approaching the claimant with an offer of high office within the member state should they resign from Hokoria, in the context of a conversation in which the imminent collapse of Hokoria seemed to be expected.
The claimant alleges that this conduct constitutes attempted bribery, that bribery is gravely incompatible with the objectives and principles of the GUM, and that the continued membership of the member state in question is therefore an immediate threat to the GUM's reputation. However, I believe that only the second of these assertions is correct.
I believe it would set a poor precedent for the Court to investigate or rule on this matter. Agreements made between heads of state and diplomats when discussing the fate of nations are not an arena in which the GUM has seen fit to overly involve itself in the past, except where outright deception is involved. I do not believe that the term bribery can accurately be used to describe what is seen in the logs submitted as evidence. National leaders have made deals for mutual benefit for as long as there have been national leaders, and a deal such as this being rejected does not define its suggestion as "bribery".
I have therefore dismissed this petition.