Difference between revisions of "Governor"

Revision as of 00:16, 3 October 2007

In theory, Myrken Wood's Governor is selected by ballot from amongst all current members of the Judiciary Council, and granted certain powers and authorities over and above those enjoyed by the Councilors. Of late, things haven't always been that straightforward.

Roles

Executive

• The Governor presides over Council meetings, and it is his responsibility to ensure that such meetings are conducted in a seemly and dignified manner, and to moderate any disagreements or disputes between Councilors.
• As the Council's fifth member, his is the deciding vote in cases whereby the Council is divided.
• The Governor possesses the right of veto, which allows him to overrule the rest of the Judiciary Council if he deems that a decision has been reached that is not in keeping with the public interest. This is usually viewed as a measure of last resort, as exercising veto too often may well cost him the support of the other Councilors.
• He also possesses the right of compulsion, which may be exercised on occasions in which he is obliged to dictate a decision's outcome if a consensus cannot be reached by the rest of the Council. Again, it is in the Governor's interest to negotiate a mutually acceptable outcome in order to retain the support of the other Councilors.

Legislative

• The Governor's seal is required in order for a new bill to pass into law, giving him the final say on the success or failure of a piece of legislation, similar to his right of veto during Council meetings. The Office of the Governor holds a lesser copy of the seal for use in routine administrative functions, but the Governor's full seal takes precedence.
• As a corollary to the above, the Governor may unilaterally approve new articles of legislation using the seal, but any bill so approved may be challenged by the rest of the Council - a majority vote will bring the bill before the Council for review, while a unanimous vote will result in the bill being immediately rescinded in its entirety.

Judicial

• The Governor's role as Judiciar requires that he lead the Judiciary Council during sessions of the Grand Court, in both the judgement of criminal cases, and the assignment of sentences to the same. The Council is usually only called to rule on cases of murder, attempted murder, grand robbery, treason, or other such severe transgressions of the law. Lesser infractions are almost universally dealt with by the Petty Court, .
• As Judiciar the Governor holds the power to throw out cases that he feels to have no legal merit, automatically returning a verdict of Not Proven.
• In certain cases the Governor may issue a Pardon (forgiving a crime and negating the penalty associated with it) or a Reprieve (lessening the penalty associated with an offence without forgiving the crime itself), and though he may be petitioned for such, the granting of Pardons and Reprieves is entirely a matter for the Governor's discretion. Accepting a Pardon or Reprieve implicitly constitutes an admission of guilt, but removes or reduces any punishments that might result from such a crime.

Past Governors

• Maxwell Beauregard (deceased, served A.R. 143 to 150)
• Gad Phuri (deceased)
• Aloisius Treadwell (disguised as Gad Phuri)
• Altias Bromn (missing, believed deceased)
• Giscard Guillaume (interim Governor December 204 AR - ?)
• Altias Bromn (missing, believed deceased, again)
• Giscard Guillaume (relieved of post for health reasons, November AR 206)
• Coriolanus Helstone (deposed by military coup, April AR 207)
• Altias Bromn (missing again, replaced after extended absence, September AR 207)
• Cinnabar Calomel (Governmental authority applied in addition to Constabulary role)