Document:The Constitution Act, 1955

WHEREAS by an Order in Council dated 29 May 1955 Her Majesty was pleased to enact that Ibagli shall become a sovereign democratic state under her dominion;

AND WHEREAS it is necessary that a Constitution be enacted for Ibagli in order to serve the people of Ibagli after its independence;

AND WHEREAS it is found desirable that the people of Ibagli have certain rights that cannot be removed from them, and shall be subject only to reasonable limits that are present in a free and democratic society.

Be it therefore enacted by the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the consent of the Senate and the Commons in this present Parliament assembled, and with the authority of the same, as follows:

1. This Act shall be cited as the Constitution Act, 1955

Executive Power

2. The executive government, power, and authority in and over Ibagli shall be vested in the Queen.

3. The Queen shall appoint a Governor-General of Ibagli as her representative in Ibagli, who shall hold office during Her Majesty's pleasure.

3.1 Any power conferred on the Governor-General by Act of Parliament or otherwise is a royal power that may be exercised by the Queen in person or by the Governor-General on the Queen's behalf.

3.2 Where, under the law of the United Kingdom, the functions of the Queen are being performed in the name of and on behalf of the Queen by a Regent, the royal functions of the Queen in right of Ibagli shall be performed in the name and on behalf of the Queen by that Regent, but nothing in this section shall be so construed as to limit the authority of the Governor-General.

3.3 Upon the entrance of a Regent into the exercise of the functions of the Queen in right of Ibagli, the Governor-General shall cause an instrument to be passed under the Great Seal of Ibagli confirming the identity of the regent and the causes for which the regency is enacted, and upon the termination of the regency the Governor-General shall likewise cause an instrument to be passed under the Great Seal of Ibagli declaring its termination.

3.4 Any Act of the Parliament of England, Great Britain, or the United Kingdom relating to the succession to the Crown as of 15 June 1975 shall be a part of Ibaglian law, but shall have no effect but to determine succession to the Crown and all changes thereto shall be approved by Ibagli in accordance with the Statute of Westminster 1931 (22 Geo V, c 4) before they shall take effect as a part of Ibaglian law.

3.5 The Governor-General-in-Council may, by means of an instrument passed under the Great Seal of Ibagli, make changes to the succession to the Crown of Ibagli where such changes have been approved by the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

3.6 The Governor-General shall signify by speech or message to the House of Commons or by proclamation that an instrument has been enacted under sections 3.3 or 3.5 of this act, at which point the instrument shall come into force.

3.7 Sections 3.3 and 3.5 of this Act shall be of no force and effect when

(1) There is invasion of or insurrection in the United Kingdom; or

(2) The law of the United Kingdom may be reasonably construed as enacting a republic.

3.8 When, as provided in section 3.7 of this act, sections 3.3 and 3.5 of this act are of no force and effect, the Parliament of Ibagli shall provide for the establishment of a regency or the alteration of the succession to the Crown.

3.9 Any reference to the Queen shall be shall be construed to be a reference to Her Majesty's heirs and successors.

4. There shall be a council to aid and advise the Government of Ibagli, to be styled the Executive Council of Ibagli.

5. Members of the said Executive Council shall be appointed by the Governor-General by instrument under the Great Seal of Ibagli, and they may be removed in like manner.

6. References to the Governor-General in Council shall be construed to mean the Queen or Governor-General acting by and with the advice and consent of the Executive Council.

7. The command-in-chief of the naval, land, and air forces of Ibagli shall be vested in the Queen.

Parliament

8. There shall be one Parliament for Ibagli, consisting of the Queen and the House of Commons.

9. The powers, privileges, and immunities of the House of Commons, and of the members thereof, shall be from time to time determined by Acts of the Parliament of Ibagli.

10. Every member of House of Commons shall take an oath or affirmation of allegiance to the Queen to be eligible to take their seat as a voting member in the House.

11. (Repealed)

12. (Repealed)

13. (Repealed)

14. (Repealed)

15. (Repealed)

16. (Repealed)

17. (Repealed)

18. (Repealed)

19. (Repealed)

20. (Repealed)

The House of Commons

21. The numbers of the membership of the House of Commons shall be defined by an Act of the Parliament of Ibagli so long as that number is not more than sixty-five or less than twenty.

22. The seat of a Member of the House of Commons shall become vacant:

(1) If said Member takes an oath or makes declaration of allegiance, obedience, and adherence to a foreign power, or does become a subject or a citizen of a foreign power;

(2) If said Member is convicted of treason, or any other felony or infamous crime;

(3) If said Member is appointed to any office of profit under the Crown and takes office as such, except for as one of the Queen's ministers of state or as an officer or member of the Queen's navy, army, or air force.

23. The House of Commons shall provide for the selection of one of its Members as Speaker of the House of Commons after a General Election or the death or resignation of the Speaker, and no business shall transpire in the House of Commons until a Speaker has been selected.

23.1 In the event of the death or resignation of the Speaker, the House may continue to proceed with urgent matters so long as:

(1) The last person to be appointed Deputy Speaker presides over the House; or

(2) A clerk of the House of Commons who is not a member thereof presides over the House.

23.2 No decision of the House of Commons rendered under section 23.1 of this act shall be rendered invalid on the grounds that the matters undertaken were not urgent.

24. The Speaker of the House of Commons shall, in the event of his absence out of the House, appoint a member to be Deputy Speaker to exercise the powers of the Office of Speaker of the House of Commons.

25. The Speaker of the House of Commons or Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons shall preside at all meetings of the House.

26. The presence of ten members of the House of Commons including the Speaker shall be necessary to constitute a meeting of the House of Commons.

27. Questions arising in the House of Commons shall be decided by a majority voice, with the speaker only voting if the voices are equal.

28. No House of Commons shall continue for longer than three years from the first day of its meeting.

Money Votes; Royal Assent

29. Bills for appropriating the Public Revenue, or for imposing a tax, shall originate in the House of Commons.

30. The House of Commons shall not adopt or pass any vote, resolution, address, or bill for the appropriation of revenue or moneys unless the purpose of the appropriation has been recommended to the House by a message of the Governor-General proposing the said vote, resolution, address, or bill.

31. When a bill passed by the House of Commons is presented to the Governor-General for the signification of the Queen’s Assent, he shall declare, subject to his discretion and the provisions of this act and of the Queen’s instructions, that he assents to the Bill in the Queen’s Name, that he withholds the Queen’s assent, or that he reserves the Bill for the signification of the Queen’s Pleasure.

32. A Bill reserved for the signification of the Queen’s pleasure shall not be of force and effect unless the Governor-General signifies to the House of Commons that it has received the Assent of the Queen in Council.

33. (Repealed)

Judiciary

34. The judicial power of Ibagli shall be vested in a court to be styled the Supreme Court of Ibagli and in other such courts as the Parliament of Ibagli deems necessary to create.

35. The Supreme Court of Ibagli shall consist of a Chief Justice and as many puisne judges, not less than two, as the Parliament of Ibagli deems necessary.

36. No Act of Parliament lowering the number of judges of the Supreme Court of Ibagli shall remove any judge from office.

37. The Governor-General shall appoint the Chief Justice and puisne judges of the Supreme Court of Ibagli and the judges of other courts created by the Parliament of Ibagli.

38. The judges of the courts of Ibagli shall hold office during good behaviour, and may be removed by the Governor-General on address of two thirds of the House of Commons, which address shall enumerate the misbehaviours or reasons for incapacity of the said judge.

39. Parliament shall provide for the compensation of judges, which compensation shall not be lowered during any judge's term of office.

40. The Parliament of Ibagli shall determine the jurisdiction of the courts of Ibagli, but the Supreme Court of Ibagli shall in all cases have the jurisdiction to hear cases related to this Constitution.

Finance and Trade

41. All revenues and moneys raised or received by the Executive Government of Ibagli shall form one Consolidated Revenue Fund, to be appropriated for the Public Service of Ibagli in the manner and subject to the charges and liabilities imposed by this Act.

42. The Consolidated Revenue Fund of Ibagli shall be permanently charged with the costs, charges, and expenses incident to the collection, management, and receipt thereon, and the same shall form the first charge thereon.

43. The annual debts of Ibagli shall form the second charge on the Consolidated Revenue Fund of Ibagli.

44. Unless altered by the Parliament of Ibagli, the salary of the Governor-General shall be five thousand pounds money of Australia, payable out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund of Ibagli and forming the third charge thereon.

Declaration of Fundamental Rights

45. Every person has the following freedoms:

(1) the freedom of belief, religion, thought, conscience, and opinion;

(2) the freedom of communication;

(3) the freedom to peacefully assemble;

(4) the freedom of expression; and

(5) the freedom of association.

46. The Parliament of Ibagli shall not make any law that provides for the deprivation of equal treatment under the law on the basis of race, colour, religious beliefs or lack of religious beliefs, place of origin, sex, or any other such categories as the Parliament of Ibagli shall provide.

47. Section 46 of this act shall not be construed as to abrogate the powers of the Parliament of Ibagli to make provisions for the naturalisation of aliens, but those persons who are naturalised according to Ibaglian law shall immediately become citizens of Ibagli with the same rights as people who are born as citizens.

48. Every citizen of Ibagli has the right to vote in elections for members of the House of Commons and for members of such local authorities as the Parliament of Ibagli shall deem fit to create.

49. The Parliament of Ibagli shall sit at least once in any given twelve month period.

50. Every citizen of Ibagli has the right to enter, remain in, or leave Ibagli.

51. Every person, from birth, has the right to life, which shall not be deprived as punishment for any crime.

52. Every person has the right to liberty and security of the person, except when it is necessary for it to be deprived in accordance with the principles of justice.

53. Every person has the right to be secure against unreasonable search and seizure, and to not be have evidence obtained in violation of this right presented as evidence of his or her guilt in any criminal proceeding.

54. Every person who is arrested and detained:

(1) shall be promptly informed of the reasons for his or her arrest or detention;

(2) shall have the right to retain and instruct counsel without hindrance; and

(3) shall have the validity of the detention determined by way of habeas corpus and be released if the detention is not lawful.

55. Every person who is charged with an offence:

(1) shall be informed of the charges without delay;

(2) shall be tried within a reasonable time;

(3) shall not be compelled to be a witness in proceedings against that person in respect of the offence;

(4) shall be presumed innocent until proven guilty according to law in a fair and public hearing by an impartial party or parties;

(5) shall not be denied reasonable bail without just cause;

(6) shall not be found guilty on account of any act or omission unless, at the time of the act or omission, it constituted an offence under Ibaglian or international law or was criminal according to the general principles of law recognized by the community of nations;

(7) shall, if finally acquitted of the offence, not be tried for it again and, if finally found guilty and punished for the offence, not to be tried or punished for it again;

(8) shall have the right, if found guilty of the offence and if the punishment for the offence has been varied between the time of commission and the time of sentencing, to the benefit of the lesser punishment; and

(9) shall have the right, if found guilty of the offence and if the punishment for the offence has been lessened since the time of sentencing, to the benefit of a prospective lessening of the punishment.

56. No person shall be subjected to cruel or unusual treatment or punishment.

57. Every person in Ibagli shall be permitted access to the courts in his or her native language, through the services of a translator if so necessary.

58. The rights listed in this declaration shall not be construed in a way that disparages rights not listed therein.

59. The rights listed in this declaration shall not be construed in a way that limits or removes the rights of any person.

60. Any act of the Parliament of Ibagli, or action of the Governor-General-in-Council, that is not in accordance with the Constitution of Ibagli is of no force and effect.

Amendments

61. The Constitution of Ibagli may be amended by the Governor-General-in-Council after three fourths of the House of Commons has approved a resolution authorising the amendment.

62. This Constitution may be amended by a proclamation by the Governor-General in Council after a majority of the House of Commons has approved a resolution authorising the amendment, provided that the amendment is also approved by a majority of electors voting in a referendum held on the proposal.