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A Bill

Freedom of Information Act 2003


An act to ensure that the people of the Kingdom of Hanover have access to governmental information and thus further the accountability of government and the knowledge and understanding of Hanoverian citizens.


Be it enacted by the King's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the elected representatives of His Majesty's subjects, in this first here assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:


Section 1: Applications

a) Any citizen of the Kingdom of Hanover shall have access to the governmental information they desire in so far as the provision of this information does not, within reasonable grounds, compromise the security or threaten the stability of the Kingdom of Hanover or violate the privacy of any person.
Applications for information held by the government or subordinate bodies may be filed by any citizen to the Department of State using the Freedom of Information Application (from now referred to as FOIA) Form attached as schedule one to this act.
c) The Department of State must provide all existing governmental information requested in the FOIA so long as:
1) The FOIA Application is not deemed overly vague
2) The provision of information requested does not compromise the security of the state,
3) The provision of information requested does not violate personal privacy,
4) The information is in existence and held by the government.
5) The information is not already in the public domain.
d) The Department of State may reject applications that the Department of State has reasonable grounds to believe will be used in criminal activity.
e) The contents of all governmental cabinet archives shall remain private unless the current Cabinet and the member of cabinet who posted the said archived document and the Prime Minister consent.
f) The Department of State may charge a nominal fee for the cost of research and of processing each page of requested information.
g) The decision of the Department of State to reject FOIA may be appealed by the applicant in the High Court on the basis that proper grounds for rejection did not exist or the fee charged by the Department of State was excessive.

Section 2: Miscellaneous

a) This act may be cited at the ‘Freedom of Information Act 2003’
This Act holds the force of law immediately upon receiving Royal Assent.



Schedule to the Act (1)


Freedom of Information Application Form

Name of Applicant:
Reason for Application:
Type of Information Requested:
Name(s) of Documents requested (if known):
Define the Information as Specifically and with as much Detail as Possible:

A Resolution

Ratifying the following

TREATY OF FRIENDSHIP AND COOPERATION

Between
The Kingdom of Babkha
and
The Kingdom of Hanover


Whereas the appointed representatives of the Kingdom of Hanover and of the Kingdom of Babkha do agree in good faith, by mutual consent and without coercion, to the following articles with the aim of ensuring a continued and advancing the state of friendship and cooperation between the signatory nations.


Article I
State of Friendship

1. The contracting parties recognize the sovereignty, any territorial claims, and the legitimacy of the rulers and government of the other.
2. The basic relation between the peoples and governments of the Kingdom of Hanover and the Kingdom of Babkha is and shall continue to be one of peace and friendship.
3. The objective of the contracting parties shall be to advance this relationship through enhanced cooperation and positive interaction, with the aim of building on this agreement with future agreements consistent with the principles of these articles.

Article II
Cooperation

1. The contracting parties will continue to enhance a state of cooperation between their respective peoples and governments.
2. The contracting parties will endeavor to support each other in their respective national endeavors.
3. The contracting parties will support each other in gaining admittance to international and micronational organizations.
4. The contracting parties agree to share intelligence regarding hostile actions of a third party against either of the contracting parties.

Article III
Fair Treatment

1. Each Contracting Party shall accord to the nationals of the other Contracting Party fair and equitable treatment with respect to matters relating to their business and professional activities, provided that in no case shall such treatment be discriminatory between nationals of the other Contracting Party and nationals of any third nation.
2. The property of nationals of one Contracting Party of the other Contracting Party shall not be compulsorily taken unless for a public purpose and unless prompt, adequate and effective compensation is paid. Without prejudice to the foregoing, with respect to all matters dealt with in this paragraph, the nationals of one Contracting Party shall be accorded of the other Contracting Party treatment which shall in no case be discriminatory between those nationals and nationals of any third nation.

Article IV
Definition of Territory

1. The Contracting Parties agree, the purposes of bilateral relations, on considering sovereign territory of each other: websites, message boards, mailing lists and other virtual property under direct or indirect control of respective governments, as proclaimed by them as national jurisdiction and as long as respecting others micronations' sovereignty under international law and micronational convention.

Article V
Mutual Protection

1. The Contracting Parties commit to:
a) Never to facilitate, support, or allow to be prepared from within the sovereign territory of the contracting parties, coups, rebellions or other micronational conspiracies against the other contracting party.
Condemn and abstain from recognizing or interacting with wherever possible, separatist movements from the other contracting party unless the sovereignty of these groups is irrefutable.

Article VI
Diplomatic Representation

1. The King of Hanover, members of the Hanoverian Royal Family, the Minister of State, Prime Minister of the said Kingdom and the Ambassador of Hanover before Babkha shall enjoy full sovereign immunity whilst within the jurisdiction of the Kingdom of Babkha.
2. The Shah of the Kingdom of Babkha, members of the Babkhan Royal Family, the Vizier of Foreign Affairs, Grand Vizier of said Kingdom and the Ambassador of Babkha before the Kingdom of Hanover shall enjoy full sovereign immunity whilst within the jurisdiction of the Kingdom of Hanover.
3. Upon the establishment of this treaty there shall be appointed an Ambassador appointed by the head of state from each contracting to party and accredited by the head of state of the other, to act as a representative of that contracting party in the other.
4. Each contracting party shall establish an embassy in the other to be occupied by the appointed Ambassador.
5. ach Contracting Party are allowed to demand immediate removal of the Ambassador, at any time since arrival and without notice.

Article VII
Extradition

1. The Contracting Parties agree, the purposes of bilateral relations, on considering extradition as the expelling of an individual from all message boards, mailing lists and national channels of public communication and further symbolic delivery to the other Contracting Party, in the terms of this Article.
2. The Contracting Parties agree to extradite to each other, subject to the provisions of this Article, people found in the territory of one of the Contracting Parties who have been charged with, are being tried for, or have been found guilty of an extraditable offence in the Requesting State.
3. The crimes of treason, espionage, terrorism, paplism or any offence that may be punished by banishment under the laws of both Contracting Parties shall be considered extraditable offences. An offence shall be an extraditable offence whether or not the laws of the Contracting Parties place the offence within the same category of offences or denominate the offence by the same terminology.
4. Extradition shall be granted for an extraditable offence regardless of where the act or acts constituting the offence were committed.
5. Extradition shall not be granted when, accordingly to the classification of the Requesting State, the individual is persecuted for political offences or crimes of conscious or when extradition is being asked for solely political reasons.

Article VIII
Final Provisions

1. Nothing in the present Treaty shall affect the validity of agreements which are in force between the Contracting Parties at the date of signature of the present Treaty.

2. The Contracting Parties shall periodically review, at the departmental level, the general operation of the present Treaty with a view to ensuring that the purposes of the present Treaty are being fully realized.

3. This treaty shall last indefinitely and it shall only be revoked by previous advice to the other Contracting Party, altogether with an explanation of reasons.

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A Bill

organising Citizens into established Duchies, and enabling the formation of local governments within the Realms of His Majesty the King.
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Be it enacted by the King's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the elected representatives of His Majesty's subjects, in this fourth Parliament here assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
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<ol type="I">

[*]Regional Structure
<ol>

[*]Duchies shall take on powers of local government as defined by law.<>

[*]The King shall have exclusive power to create, destroy or otherwise modify Duchies.<>

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[*]Location of Citizens within Duchies
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[*]All Citizens shall be randomly assigned to a Duchy, except:<>
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[*]Citizens of Commonwealth nations, who may choose not to participate in local government.<>

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[*]Citizens may petition the Crown or its Ministers to reassign them to a different Duchy.<>

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[*]Ducal Council of Citizens
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[*]The Ducal Council of Citizens shall be composed of five Citizens appointed by the holder of executive power.<>

[*]Sessions of the Ducal Council of Citizens shall be convoked by the holder of executive power.<>

[*]Sessions of the Ducal Council of Citizens shall be in session until dissolved by the holder of executive power, except:<>
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[*]When the Ducal Council of Citizens exercises Executive power, in which case the King shall be empowered to dissolve sessions.<>

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[*]Executive Power
<ol>

[*]Executive power within a Duchy shall be vested in the Duke.<>

[*]In the absence of a Duke, the Ducal Council of Citizens shall appoint a Governor to exercise executive power.<>

[*]In the absence of a Duke and Ducal Council of Citizens, the King shall exercise executive power.<>

[*]The holder of executive power shall be empowered to represent the Duchy on a national level.<>

[*]The holder of executive power shall be empowered to petition the Crown or its Ministers for use of national resources.<>

[*]The Duke or King may appoint a Governor to rule in his absence.<>

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[*]Legislative Power
<ol>

[*]Legislative power within a Duchy shall be vested in the Ducal Council of Citizens.<>

[*]In the absence of a Ducal Council of Citizens, the Duke shall exercise legislative power.<>

[*]In the absence of a Ducal Council of Citizens and Duke, the King shall exercise legislative power.<>

[*]The holder of legislative power shall be empowered to enact any statutes that do not conflict with the Organic Law of Hanover or this Act.<>

[*]Statutes passed within a Duchy shall hold force only within that Duchy.<>

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[*]Short Title and Commencement
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[*]This Act may be cited as the Regional Powers Act of 2004.<>

[*]This Act will come into force upon receiving Royal Assent.<>

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A Bill

to establish institutions and procedures for diplomacy and international affairs.

Be it enacted by the King's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the elected representatives of His Majesty's subjects, in this fourth Parliament here assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

Section 1: External Relations Act 2003

The External Relations Act 2003 is hereby repealed.

Section 2: Diplomatic Corps

a. The Diplomatic Corps comprises all those who His Majesty has accredited as ambassadors of Hanover who have not been discharged from service.
b. Ambassadorship is a permanent, non-political post. Ambassadors are appointed by the king, and he may discharge them from service, or they may resign.
c. Ambassadors may be appointed to a particular nation or entity, or to a particular issue or cause, or in a general role. The role of the Ambassador must be specified when he or she is accredited. Ambassadors are qualified to conduct diplomacy and international relations on behalf of the Kingdom of Hanover which relates to their particular role.
d. Ambassadors must act according to the policy decisions of the incumbent Prime Minister and Foreign Office Ministers.
e. The Diplomatic Corps shall act as an advisory body to the Prime Minister and to the king on matters relating to diplomacy and international affairs.

Section 3: Ministry of Foreign Affairs

a. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the government department that makes policy on diplomacy and international affairs. It consists of all Ministers and executive staff assigned to it by the Prime Minister.
b. The name or style of the Ministry may be altered by Letters Patent. For the purposes of this Act, the government organ entrusted with the development of foreign policy shall be considered as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
b. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its staff are not qualified, as such, to conduct diplomacy or international affairs, except where otherwise stated herein. They make policy decisions which govern the actions of Ambassadors and other agents of government.
c. Ambassadors may serve on the staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Section 4: Recognition of Foreign Governments

a. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs must publish a list of all foreign governments recognised by the Crown and Government of Hanover. Inclusion on this list shall constitute a certificate of recognition by the Kingdom of Hanover.
b. Removal from this list indicates that the removed entity no longer carries out the proper functions of government.

Section 5: Treaties and International Agreements

a. The Prime Minister and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs may initiate and/or participate in negotiations for the establishment and ratification of treaties and international agreements. This is an exception to Section 3 Clause B.
b. Treaties and International Agreements can be ratified by an Act of Parliament, which requires Royal Assent. Thereafter it is valid and binding, and shall hold the force of law in the Kingdom of Hanover and all her realms and dominions.

Section 6: Miscellaneous

a. Any person who purports to act on behalf of the Kingdom of Hanover in diplomatic or international affairs who is not an accredited ambassador is committing an offence, punishable at the discretion of the courts. Persons acting under the auspices of Section 5 Clause A above are exempt from this clause.
b. This document shall become legally binding in the Kingdom of Hanover and all her realms and dominions two weeks after it receives Royal Assent.
c. This act may be cited as the External Affairs Act (2004).

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<p align="center">A Resolution</p>
<p align="center">approving the creation of the Ministry of Interior Affairs.</p>
<p>It is resolved, by the elected representatives of His Majesty’s subjects, in this fourth Parliament here assembled, as follows:</p>
<p>I. The Parliament hereby approves of the Prime Minister's recommendation that a Ministry of Interior Affairs be created to handle miscellaneous Government duties.</p>
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