Inside Parliament

Finding Inspiration in Every Turn

The Parliament of the Commonwealth of Marie Byrd Land, commonly known internationally as the Commonwealth Parliament, and domestically simply as Parliament is the supreme legislative body of the Commonwealth of Marie Byrd Land, the Crown dependencies and the Overseas Territories. It alone possesses legislative supremacy and thereby ultimate power over all other political bodies in the Commonwealth of Marie Byrd Land and the overseas territories. Parliament is Tricameral Parliament but has three parts, consisting of the Sovereign (King-in-Parliament),

The Parliament of The Commonwealth of Marie Byrd Land is responsible for decisions that affect the Micronation and its Legislation, Life Balance. It also has powers to make regulations “for the general management and good government of the Micronation, and the property and affairs thereof.

The Parliament of The Commonwealth of Marie Byrd Land is the supreme legislature of The Commonwealth of Marie Byrd Land,

The Parliament of The Commonwealth of Marie Byrd Land usually meets Three Times a year to receive reports and make decisions on matters brought before it.

These can be as wide ranging as:

The Parliament of The Commonwealth of Marie Byrd Land is responsibility is to make laws and holds the Government to account for its policies, actions, and spending. The functions of The Parliament of The Commonwealth of Marie Byrd Land include: forming a Government (Executive) from among its members. making new laws and updating old laws

The Parliament of The Commonwealth of Marie Byrd Land has only certain, limited powers given to it by The Commonwealth of Marie Byrd Land Constitution.

The Parliaments Rights to Pass legislation are

to pass measures dealing with the government of the Micronation and its institutions,
to approve the Laws and make other rules and regulations through Acts of Parliament,
to regulate relations with other Micronations after Royal Assent has been Given,
to consider and express their opinion on any other matters of religious or public interest, and
to approve or reject the annual budget of the Government & Parliament with Royal Assent.

in the policy areas that include:

Trade
Foreign affairs
Postal and other communication services
Currency
Law & order
Social & health policy
Culture & education
Resources & spending
Bankruptcy

Composition of The Parliament of The Commonwealth of Marie Byrd Land

The Parliament of The Commonwealth of Marie Byrd Land is composed of three “Houses”. Although some changes only require an overall majority, most major changes require a majority in each house to be passed. The three orders consist of the:

The Parliament of The Commonwealth of Marie Byrd Land has exclusive jurisdiction in a small number of areas. Most powers, however, are shared and both The Parliament of The Commonwealth of Marie Byrd Land and State Parliaments are able to make laws for these matters. If there is conflicting law, the Commonwealth of Marie Byrd Land law takes precedence.

Member Realm Legislative councils

Each member Realm that Shares the Crown of Grant Island as its head of State has its own Legislative council of The Parliament of The Commonwealth of Marie Byrd Land Legislative council are an appointed advisory body announced of both Citizens of that Micronation and Members of all Houses who's Citizenship is with in the Member Realm to advise the government on matters of interest of that Member Realm and to make laws regarding Devolved matters.

Legislative council of The United Kingdom of Getz Ice Self
Legislative council of The United Kingdom of Marshall Archipelago
Legislative council of The United Kingdom of Marie Byrd
Legislative council of The Special administrative region of The Commonwealth of Marie Byrd Land

Legislative sessions

The Parliament of the Commonwealth of Marie Byrd land Quarter Sessions a Quarterly meeting the quarter sessions are legislative advice meetings with the Crown and Members of the Grand Council. The Parliament of the Commonwealth of Marie Byrd Quarter Sessions meet 4 times of year they are settled as

1st Quarter Council – February and March, April
2ndQuarter Council – May and June, July
3rd Quarter Council – August and September, October
4th Quarter Council – November and December, January

The Parliament of the Commonwealth of Marie Byrd Quarter Sessions shall meet as often as a need within its authority arises and to advises and Legislate on matters of acts of The Parliament of the Commonwealth of Marie Byrd. The term of each full session of the grate council shall be 1 year all acts of The Parliament of the Commonwealth of Marie Byrd Quarter Sessions are enacted in to law and are given Royal assent at a Full sitting of The Parliament of the Commonwealth of Marie Byrd, this will take place on the 14th February on directly before The Speech from the throne that opens the New year Council session on the 16th February.

The Legislative Process

The Parliament of the Commonwealth of Marie Byrd land

A Bill is a proposal for a new law, or a proposal to change an existing law, presented for debate before Parliament.

A bill must pass through the legislative process in order to become a law. It has several hurdles to overcome before it can be signed into law. Below is the written explanation for the Legislative Process.

The Process:

Bills pass through the legislative process concurrently, meaning they pass through the Grate Council, House of Lords and the House of Ovens at the same time. Despite this concurrent passage there are some differences in the process between the House and the Senate.

1. First Reading

The bill is introduced in either chamber by a Grate Officers of State or Lord or MB. They will now become the sponsor of the bill. In the first reading the name of the bill is read out and a quick vote is taken to see if it will proceed. This is a mere formality and most bills pass this stage.

2. The Committee Stage

Once a bill has passed the first reading it will be allocated to a committee. Once it had been allocated, it is the choice of the committee which bills they choose to hear. If a bill isn't chosen to be heard, it is known as pigeonholing. This happens to many bills. However, if a committee chooses to hear a bill then it will hold hearings and investigations to see what the effect of a bill would be. It is in these sessions that people will have the chance to air their views on the bill. The bill will then proceed to be ‘marked up’, it is here that amendments are added. If a bill has been passed to a subcommittee, then at this stage the bill will come back to the full committee. If the committee backs the bill they will ‘order the bill to be reported’, or report the bill out of committee. Many bills will still die in committee even after being marked up.

3. Timetabling

Once reported out of committee it enters the timetabling stage. This is done differently in each house.

House of Ovens:

Bills are given to the House Rules Committee which will decide on whether or not the bill will make it to the floor, how long they will be debated for and whether or not amendments can be added.

House of Lords:

Bills are agreed through unanimous consent agreements. This means that the Lords Leadership will agree on which bills make it to the floor.

Grate Council:

Bills are agreed through unanimous consent agreements.

If a bill is scheduled in one house and not the other, the bill will die.

4. Second Reading

In all chambers, the bill will be debated and where allowed, amendments added. It is at this stage in the Lords the bill may be filibustered . All debates are followed by a vote. If the bill doesn’t pass it dies.

5. Third Reading

This is the final opportunity to debate the bill before a final vote. The debate will tend to be small and non-controversial.

6. Reconciling

Since the bills have passed through Both the House of Lords and House of Ovens concurrently, it will result in two different versions of the same bill. The Bill then Passes To the House of the Grate Council to reconcile the two bills and create a single text. Once reconciled, using either method, the bill must go before one final vote before it can be sent onwards. If the bill fails to pass in one chamber, the bill will die.

7. Royal Assent

Once a bill has gone through all the stages it reaches the desk of the Monarch. Here the Monarch is faced with three options.

The Monarch may sign the bill into law, which would be accompanied by a signing ceremony.

The bill may be ‘left on the desk’, meaning it becomes law after 10 days anyway. If The Parliament were to adjourn before this 10 day period was up, the bill dies, this is known as ‘pocket veto’

The bill may also be vetoed. Once this happens the bill is sent back to Congress, who must vote with two thirds majorities in each house to ensure it becomes law. This is known as a veto override.

Who Proposes Bills?

Bills can be proposed by any Member of The Parliament , either in the Grate Council, House of Lords or the House of Ovens. The content of the bill could be written by lobbyists, the Executive Branch, or Congressmen themselves, but it must find a sponsor in order to be introduced.

The Executive Branch will often write bills that fit with the Crown’s agenda. It will then find Members of Parliament who are in Support of the bill to introduce them into Parliament.

Rights of Members of the Parliament

The Right of Rights of Members of the Parliament of The Commonwealth of Marie Byrd land

As Members of the House of Lord or House of Ovens as a whole is termed "The Most Honourable" whilst its members individually.
Each Grand Counsellor has the right of personal access to the sovereign. Peers were considered to enjoy this right individually
Only Members of the House of Lord or House of Ovens can signify royal consent to the examination of a Bill affecting the rights of the Crown.
Members of the House of Lord or House of Ovens are privileged to be given advance notice of any prime ministerial decision to commit HM Armed Forces in enemy action.
Privy Counsellors are accorded a formal rank of precedence, if not already having a higher one. At the beginning of each new Parliament, and at the discretion of the Speaker, those members of the Lord Temporal who are also Grate or Privy Counsellors usually take the oath of allegiance before all other members except the Speaker and the Minister of the Crown, who is the most senior member of the Council. Should a Grate or Privy Counsellor
H.M. Government members are not supposed to exert influence over the Speaker.
All Members of the House of Lord or House of Ovens below the rank of marquess, including barons, viscounts and earls, are accorded the style "The Right Honourable"; Grate counsellor non-royal dukes are styled "The Most Noble" and marquesses, "The Most Honourable". the post-nominal letters "GC" in a social style of address for peers who are Grate Counsellors and "PC" for Members of the Privy Counsellors. The Ministry of Justice revises current practice of this convention from time to time.

Political Party's

The Commonwealth of Marie Byrd Land is a non-partisan system, meaning that no political parties are not a major part of the political system A permanent absence of parties is usually, but not always, the result of an official ban on partisan activity. A temporary lack of partisan activity can also occur during an upheaval in a country's politics. a members First Duty is to the Crown and People they are appointed and Elected to Serve and not the Political Party how ever the the formation of parties is not explicitly banned by law.

His Majesty's Loyal Opposition

In The Commonwealth of Marie Byrd Land parliamentary practice, the Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet consists of senior members of His Majesty's Loyal Opposition who scrutinise their corresponding government ministers, develop alternative policies, and hold the government to account for its actions and responses. Members of the Majesty's Loyal Opposition are Added to the Royal Order of TSBITPIA The Shadow Cabinet of The Commonwealth of Marie Byrd Land is lead by The Leader of His Majesty's Most Loyal Opposition of The Commonwealth of Marie Byrd Land.

Leadership of Parliament

Crown Offices Leadership

Monarch
Lord High Chancellor of The Commonwealth of Marie Byrd Land
Lord High Commissioner to the Parliament of The Commonwealth of Marie Byrd Land
Speaker Of The House of Lords of the Commonwealth of Marie Byrd Land
Speaker Of The House of Ovens of the Commonwealth of Marie Byrd Land

De jure Political Leadership

Prime Minister
Leader of the Opposition

De facto Political Leadership

Leader of the House of Lords of the Commonwealth of Marie Byrd Land
Leader of the House of Ovens of the Commonwealth of Marie Byrd Land
Shadow Leader of The House of Lords of the Commonwealth of Marie Byrd Land
Shadow Leader of The House of Ovens of the Commonwealth of Marie Byrd Land

Member Realm Legislative councils Leadership

President of Legislative council For The United Kingdom of Getz Ice Self
President of Legislative council For The United Kingdom of Marshall Archipelago
President of Legislative council For The United Kingdom of Marie Byrd
President of Legislative council For The Special administrative region of The Commonwealth of Marie Byrd Land

De jure Member Realm Political Leadership

The United Kingdom of Getz Ice Shelf

Chief Minister of The United Kingdom of Getz Ice Shelf
The Leader of His Majesty's Most Loyal Opposition (United Kingdom of Getz Ice Shelf)

The United Kingdom of Marshall Archipelago

Chief Minister of The United Kingdom of Marshall Archipelago
The Leader of His Majesty's Most Loyal Opposition (United Kingdom of Marshall Archipelago)

The United Kingdom of Marie Byrd

Chief Minister of The United Kingdom of Marie Byrd

The The Special administrative region of The Commonwealth of Marie Byrd Land

Chief Minister of The Special administrative region of The Commonwealth of Marie Byrd Land
The Leader of His Majesty's Most Loyal Opposition (The Special administrative region of The Commonwealth of Marie Byrd Land )