Legislative acts (Peoples' law)
Supreme Congress Recommendation
Any citizen of the Commonwealth may ask for a Recommendation which upon issuance must be signed by at least 3 Members.
A Supreme Congress Recommendation is a non-binding legislative act that forms the legal route for a citizen of the Commonwealth to make his or her views and desires for legislation known and to suggest a line of action without imposing any legal obligation on those to whom it is addressed.
Recommendations have no binding force.
A Recommendation may be escalated to the House of Lords for opinion.
Supreme Congress Directive
Any citizen of the Commonwealth may sponsor a Directive which states specific objectives concerning a specific citizen or a specific group of citizens, usually very clearly defined.
A Directive may be open for discussion for up to 6 months or move directly to a member nation vote (type of peoples’ vote) that is a vote where only citizens from the member nation from which the sponsoring citizen originates, vote. Such a vote requires a simple majority of citizens to pass the Directive.
Irrespective of vote result, a Directive may be escalated to all chambers.
A Member, Senator or Lord may escalate to the House of Lords for opinion.
A Senator may escalate to the Senate for debate, and a Member may escalate to the House of Committees for debate or start a bill.
A Supreme Congress Directive is a binding legislative act on a single BC country that needs to be incorporated into national law (transposed) within a year.
The member nation is free to choose how to incorporate the Directive on the basis that the objective of the Directive is met, and this must be confirmed by the Commonwealth Commission upon its review.
The Commonwealth Commission may escalate the matter to the Supreme Commission of the Supreme Congress for further action and debate if Directive is not met by the member nation in violation of the peoples’ rights.
Act of Supreme Congress
An Act of Supreme Congress creates a new law or adapts an existing law of the people.
If a Directive passes the vote of a single member nation it is automatically moved to a Commonwealth wide debate in which the public and the Members, Senators and Lords can participate to adapt the Directive to ensure that the Act of Supreme Congress created on its basis can be applied to a wider group of people rather than the very targeted group or individual that is the nature of a Directive.
The Act can move to a Commonwealth Vote (type of peoples’ vote) upon agreement of 1% of citizens of the Commonwealth.
Such a vote requires a quorum of not less than 51% of all citizens of the Commonwealth and a two thirds of votes to pass the Act.
The union government and Members have 3 months to raise objections to the Act and an unlimited time to resolve each such objection by holding additional votes on the objections.
An Act of Supreme Congress is a legal act that applies automatically and uniformly to all BC countries as soon as it enters into force, without needing to be transposed into national law. It is binding in its entirety on all BC member nations.
An Act of Supreme Congress is considered binding international law in all member nations of the British Commonwealth and does not require further ratification.