We all like protection. It makes sure that things are safe, secure, and just how we like them. As humans, we all have some control over how much protection we have, but what about the words we say? Who is there to make sure they aren't murdered or raped in the street? Or both? Well, don't worry, Europeia, the Europeian Speech Protection Act is on the case. If any miscreant children even think about playing metaphorical catch on the metaphorical yard that is our speech, the Europeian Speech Protection Act will be there, yelling, "Get off my lawn!" Metaphorically, of course.
This act currently has a proposed amendment in front of the Senate, sent from the Citizen's Assembly, intent on making it easier for Ministers to speak in front of the Senate when they are needed. But, before we get into that, this article will examine the entire act, making sure we all know what we are talking about, before discussing any possible changes.
So, what is this act all about? According to the act itself, this is "an Act to regulate the posting and viewing of certain forums for the efficient functioning of the Republic." So, if you've been thinking our region is just some hippy-dippy, post wherever, free love drum circle, you'd better out of your yellow submarine, and get a real job, Craig! For simplicity, I've named you all Craig. Now that we know the main purpose of this act, let's talk about the details.
The first section of note is titled "The Senate" and it deals with who can speak in the Senate, when, and where. Here's what this section says,
Section (2) details who can speak in the main Senate forum. No real surprises, that's pretty much everyone you would expect. Moving on, (3) talks about who has a standing invitation to speak, and where. First, the Citizens' Assembly Chair can weigh on any topic under consideration (so why isn't this included in section 2?). Second, if the legislation came from the CA, the primary author of the piece can talk, only about that particular legislation. Third, Senators can invite whoever they want to talk in the Senate. While that last one seems to kind of dilute the grandeur of speaking in the Senate, I think you get the idea that unless you are a Senator, you probably will never get to speak in the Senate. And why would you, really? If you're not a Senator, you're not even worthy to lick the dirt of our boots. So, just get out of here, Craig! The final section under this topic spells out that the Speaker of the Senate can restrict anything in main forum, provided the Speaker has a good reason (Ex: You gave me a funny look, Your armpits smell, No room for fatties in the Senate, Craig!) This is similar to the power of the Chief Justice, talked about in the topic "The High Court,"
If you felt that this article was missing a James Bond vibe, you're in luck. The next topic is called "Classification of Information" and says,
So, these just tell you what is secret information here on the forum. If it is password protected, contained in the Cabinet, or made secret by a special individual, it is classified. The only way you'll ever learn any of these secrets is if Taylor Swift breaks up with them and then spills them to the world in one epic, chart-topping hit.
But, just in case you can't wait that long, and you want to know if you can take a peek now, take a look at this next section, called "Restrictions on Access to Classified Information."
If the person in charge of the subforum lets you in, you're in. However, this privilege can also be revoked by the same person, as long as it is not retrospectively applied. Also, keep in mind, if the information is available in a public place, that means it is not classified information. Lastly, don't break the restrictions, or you will be facing a criminal charge.
Now, looking at the proposed change, the amendment in question would change section (3) to include
The idea is that this would make it easier for Ministers to interject in the Senate, when they are required. While some point out that a Minister could abuse this power to interject in areas that do not apply, it still appears to be a good alternative to granting Ministers full speaking rights, and looks poised to pass in the Senate.
To conclude, this act dictates how speech in Europeia will be protected, and, hopefully, after this detailed analysis we all know a little bit more about how and why our speech is protected, and what should happen if we do not honor this act. As always, I encourage the people of Europeia to check out the Law Index, or to look at the CA or Senate thread titled "Ministerial Speech Amendment (2014)" Until next time, this is Calvin Coolidge, hoping none of you are actually named Craig.
This act currently has a proposed amendment in front of the Senate, sent from the Citizen's Assembly, intent on making it easier for Ministers to speak in front of the Senate when they are needed. But, before we get into that, this article will examine the entire act, making sure we all know what we are talking about, before discussing any possible changes.
So, what is this act all about? According to the act itself, this is "an Act to regulate the posting and viewing of certain forums for the efficient functioning of the Republic." So, if you've been thinking our region is just some hippy-dippy, post wherever, free love drum circle, you'd better out of your yellow submarine, and get a real job, Craig! For simplicity, I've named you all Craig. Now that we know the main purpose of this act, let's talk about the details.
The first section of note is titled "The Senate" and it deals with who can speak in the Senate, when, and where. Here's what this section says,
Section (2) details who can speak in the main Senate forum. No real surprises, that's pretty much everyone you would expect. Moving on, (3) talks about who has a standing invitation to speak, and where. First, the Citizens' Assembly Chair can weigh on any topic under consideration (so why isn't this included in section 2?). Second, if the legislation came from the CA, the primary author of the piece can talk, only about that particular legislation. Third, Senators can invite whoever they want to talk in the Senate. While that last one seems to kind of dilute the grandeur of speaking in the Senate, I think you get the idea that unless you are a Senator, you probably will never get to speak in the Senate. And why would you, really? If you're not a Senator, you're not even worthy to lick the dirt of our boots. So, just get out of here, Craig! The final section under this topic spells out that the Speaker of the Senate can restrict anything in main forum, provided the Speaker has a good reason (Ex: You gave me a funny look, Your armpits smell, No room for fatties in the Senate, Craig!) This is similar to the power of the Chief Justice, talked about in the topic "The High Court,"
So, if you were worried this type of power protection only occurs in the Senate, you can rest easy knowing the guy so insecure about his body that he has to wear a big, flowing robe also has the power to restrict your speech, if it is appropriate for him to do so.
If you felt that this article was missing a James Bond vibe, you're in luck. The next topic is called "Classification of Information" and says,
So, these just tell you what is secret information here on the forum. If it is password protected, contained in the Cabinet, or made secret by a special individual, it is classified. The only way you'll ever learn any of these secrets is if Taylor Swift breaks up with them and then spills them to the world in one epic, chart-topping hit.
But, just in case you can't wait that long, and you want to know if you can take a peek now, take a look at this next section, called "Restrictions on Access to Classified Information."
If the person in charge of the subforum lets you in, you're in. However, this privilege can also be revoked by the same person, as long as it is not retrospectively applied. Also, keep in mind, if the information is available in a public place, that means it is not classified information. Lastly, don't break the restrictions, or you will be facing a criminal charge.
Now, looking at the proposed change, the amendment in question would change section (3) to include
The idea is that this would make it easier for Ministers to interject in the Senate, when they are required. While some point out that a Minister could abuse this power to interject in areas that do not apply, it still appears to be a good alternative to granting Ministers full speaking rights, and looks poised to pass in the Senate.
To conclude, this act dictates how speech in Europeia will be protected, and, hopefully, after this detailed analysis we all know a little bit more about how and why our speech is protected, and what should happen if we do not honor this act. As always, I encourage the people of Europeia to check out the Law Index, or to look at the CA or Senate thread titled "Ministerial Speech Amendment (2014)" Until next time, this is Calvin Coolidge, hoping none of you are actually named Craig.
