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Bill: Justice Reform Act
Details
Submitted by[?]: Lodamun Labour Party
Status[?]: passed
Votes: This is an ordinary bill. It requires more yes votes than no votes. This bill will not pass any sooner than the deadline.
Voting deadline: October 4406
Description[?]:
Dear members of the presidium, The newly formed cabinet is full of energy to start working for a better future for the Lodamun. My task as Minister of Justice is to strenghen our judicial system. To achive that goal this bill proposes certain changes to our judicial system. 1. Currently we have a network of regional and national courts. National courts can overrule the regional courts. This bill proposes to close down the regional courts. The regional courts will however be replaced with a uniform system of courts across our nation. This will streamline the process. 2. Currently our law doesn't allow for citizens of Lodamun to be extradited to nations in which they commited a crime. This puts pressure on the relationship with other countries. For this this bill suggests that extradition to nations with capital punishment and/or with cruel or inhumane treatment of suspects and convicts is not allowed. A judge in our nation will decide if it is possible to extradite citizens of our nation for crimes commited or suspicion of in other nations. This also includes a right for a fair trail, legal support during the trail and humane prisons. (OOC RP law) 3. Currently our nations allows for gated communities. Gated communities in my eyes promote apartheid amongst our people. This is why this bill proposes a ban on gated communities. 4. Currently our nations police forces don't search illegal aliens actively. Only when discovered they will be expelled. I believe that a decision of actively searching illegal aliens is best left up to local governments. Local governments who have much trouble with illegal aliens can thus take the proper actions. 5. Currently the state pays for the defense of people who can't afford a lawyer during a criminal trail. We want to expand this to every citizen of Lodamun. This will protect the right of a fair trail to a maximum. 6. Currently members of the legislature do not have any imunity from civil or criminal liability during there time in office for their actions or speech. I believe this should change. For the presidium or cabinet to do their work with maximum effect they should be free to say what they want. For this I suggest we exempted m embers of the legislature from any civil or criminal liability for their speech or actions related with the performance of their duties during their term of office. The Ministry of Justice looks forward to the reactions and comments of the Presidium. Kate Cohen, Minister of Justice (LLP) |
Proposals
Article 1
Proposal[?] to change The government's position towards the administration of law.
Old value:: There are regional courts, but decisions of regional courts may be appealed to national courts (if the right to appeal exists).
Current: There are regional courts that have jurisdiction over questions of regional law and national courts that have jurisdiction over questions of national law.
Proposed: There is a uniform system of courts across the nation.
Article 2
Proposal[?] to change The terms of extradition.
Old value:: The law bars the government from extraditing anyone who is a citizen of the state.
Current: The law bars the government from extraditing anyone who is a citizen of the state.
Proposed: Extradition to nations with capital punishment or with cruel or inhumane treatment of suspects and convicts is not allowed.
Article 3
Proposal[?] to change The government's policy concerning gated communities.
Old value:: Both the government and the private sector can set up gated communities.
Current: Both the government and the private sector can set up gated communities.
Proposed: No gated communities are allowed.
Article 4
Proposal[?] to change
The government's stance on illegal aliens.
Old value:: The government does not actively search for illegal aliens, but expels them from the country when discovered.
Current: The government ignores illegal aliens.
Proposed: Dealing with illegal aliens is left to local governments.
Article 5
Proposal[?] to change Government provision of legal aid to the accused.
Old value:: Legal representation for defendants in criminal trials is paid for by the state for defendants with low incomes.
Current: Legal representation for defendants in criminal trials is paid for by the state.
Proposed: Legal representation for defendants in criminal trials is paid for by the state.
Article 6
Proposal[?] to change Parliamentary privilege.
Old value:: Members of the legislature are not exempt from any civil or criminal liability for their speech or actions during their term of office.
Current: Members of the legislature are exempted from any civil or criminal liability for their speech or actions, but this immunity can be overruled by a vote in the nation's legislative body.
Proposed: Members of the legislature are exempted from any civil or criminal liability for their speech or actions related with the performance of their duties during their term of office.
Debate
These messages have been posted to debate on this bill:
Date | 21:01:57, June 02, 2018 CET | From | Liberal Progressives | To | Debating the Justice Reform Act |
Message | Mr. Speaker, My oh my, this bill is interesting. We of the Liberal Progressives will not say we disagree with the entire thing, because we don't, but it is slightly complicated. This commentary will be divided in three parts, highlighting the parts of the bill we will, might and won't support. Firstly, we condone the devolution in the bill, agreeing with the article leaving the dealing of illegal aliens to local authorities. We also think the banning of gated communities is good, since they severely limit people's civil rights. Secondly, we can agree with the prohibition of allowing extradition to nations that excercise capital punishment and will support a bill doing just that, if there are no riders attached. (i.e. no other articles in the bill) We also think that members of the legislature must not be prosecuted for their speech, as free speech should allow them to say what needs to be said, their actions are something entirely different however, and if they behave criminally, they should be prosecuted. Thirdly, the Liberal Progressives will not support paying the defendants for criminals under any circumstances. In civil cases we might support legal representation for low-income citizens, but defendants in criminal cases should have to pay for their own legal counsel. If they are found innocent, the government might support low-income defendants in criminal trials, but we won't go any further. Lastly, the first article. It is interesting to see the LLP advocate for devolution and centralisation in the same bill. The Liberal Progressives see no need to centralise the judiciary and won't support that part of the bill. As it stands, we would vote against this bill. However, if the articles in the second and third category are scrapped we will vote in favour. The articles in the second category are interesting and might have our support under different circumstances. The inclusion of articles in the third category will garantuee a vote against in any bill. Elisabeth Sheffield, Shadow Minister of Justice for the Liberal Progressives |
Date | 21:48:23, June 02, 2018 CET | From | Grand Nationalist Fraction | To | Debating the Justice Reform Act |
Message | Mr. Speaker, we are not sure about the gated commmunities. These could protect some people or some minority groups. We rather see that article gone. Silke Devis LNC Representative |
Date | 01:45:26, June 03, 2018 CET | From | Lodamese Democratic Progressive Party | To | Debating the Justice Reform Act |
Message | Mr. Speaker, We are willing to vote for this bill, though we have a suggestion for the article on Parliamentary Privilege. We believe that there should be a compromise that if members of the Presidium should have such immunity; In the case that a member commits a crime, the Presidium should be able to overturn the immunity of that member should a majority of its members, by vote, deem it necessary that they should be charged. Therefore, we suggest that article be changed to "Members of the legislature are exempted from any civil or criminal liability for their speech or actions, but this immunity can be overruled by a vote in the nation's legislative body." Trevor Takon, NGPoL MP |
Date | 23:21:23, June 03, 2018 CET | From | New Republican Party of Lodamun | To | Debating the Justice Reform Act |
Message | Mr. Speaker, We would prefer to strike the Article 3 and Article 6 from the bill. Gated communities have their advantages in terms of potential revenues and protection of the population. We do not believe that members of legislature should be exempted from civil or criminal liability. Brian Oceantrough New Republican Party of Lodamun |
Date | 07:31:48, June 04, 2018 CET | From | Grand Nationalist Fraction | To | Debating the Justice Reform Act |
Message | Mr. Speaker, we agree with Mr. Takon on parliamentary privilege. Maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to make such a compromise. Marc Wallens LNC MP |
Date | 14:04:18, June 05, 2018 CET | From | Progressive Socialist Party | To | Debating the Justice Reform Act |
Message | Mr. Speaker, We of the PSP support our colleagues from the NGPoL and the LNC in amending the sixth article. Furthermore we have a critical note on article 4 concerning illegal aliens, as we believe a national policy is warranted on the issue. The other articles we wholeheartedly support. James McAvoy PSP MP |
Date | 18:12:35, June 08, 2018 CET | From | Lodamun Labour Party | To | Debating the Justice Reform Act |
Message | Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the members of the Presidium for their comments on this bill. I want to adress all the different comments made by the members. First the comments about gated communities. Gated communities are not helping minority groups in the eyes of the ministry. If we allow for members of certain groups to live together in closed gated communities this causes them to distance themselves from society. I want to make sure to the members of the Presidium that our judicial force will make the protection of minorities in our society one of the top priorities. We believe that integration of minorities in our society will benefit both the minority group and the rest of the society. I ask the members to reconsider their view on the gated communities and would like hear their thoughts. Considering the comments about the Parliamentary privilege. The member of the NGPoL suggested to change this article in order to let the members of the Presidium vote. We considered this when we made the bill. We however didn't choose that option, for the simple reason that there is a chance that the Presidium votes against if a certain party gains enough votes. To comment on New Republican Party of Lodamun, we believe that members of the Presidium or the cabinet should be able to act freely in their fields of action. Concerning the article about illegal immigrants. The PSP suggested that there should be a national policy. There is a national policy when we consider someone illegal etc. However not every local government has the same level of problems with illegal immigrants. The current article allows for local governments that recieve a lot of problem from illegal immigrants to act accordingly. The LP said it is interesting that the LLP supports both devolution and centralisation, that the LLP does. My ministry supports devolution or centralisation where their should be devolution or centralisation. Now to the comments of the LP. A fair trail is one of the basic human rights, with the suggestion in this bill we guarantee our citizens a right for a fair trail. Everyone will have access to a lawyer, low income, middle income of high income. Kate Cohen, Minister of Justice (LLP) |
Date | 08:12:07, June 09, 2018 CET | From | Grand Nationalist Fraction | To | Debating the Justice Reform Act |
Message | Mr. Speaker, we are still not convinced about the gated communities, but we are willig to follow the Justice Minister on this one. Silke Devis LNC Representative |
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Voting
Vote | Seats | ||||
yes |
Total Seats: 504 | ||||
no |
Total Seats: 78 | ||||
abstain | Total Seats: 17 |
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