Alright, I’m sorry it has taken me so long to get to this, but here are my thoughts and a revised set of amendments.
Most significantly, we should clarify which officer or entity exercises ultimate authority over the military. Whomever you think should lead the military, it is at least debatable under current law who actually does. Is it the Prime Minister, the Admiralty, or some combination? I find the following provisions of law extremely difficult to reconcile.
Again, whatever one’s views on this issue, control over military forces does not strike me as an area of regional law in which we would want significant ambiguity.
With that said, I am a believer in civilian control over the military, which is reflected in the proposed amendments below. The Prime Minister is the head of our civilian government, is elected by the entire citizenry, and is ultimately accountable to them. The Admiralty is not elected, and it is subject to democratic control only via the relatively radical option of removal by the Assembly (a body which is not comprised of all TSP citizens). In a democracy, the people’s elected representatives should set overall military policy within the bounds of law.
To be sure, that does not mean the PM should regularly dictate the details of military operations, planning, or tactics. In the mine run of circumstances, those decisions should be left to the experts, i.e., the Admirals. In other words, the Admiralty should be the primary entity leading the military, but the PM should have ultimate supervisory authority. That is the balance I have tried to strike in the below proposal.
In light of these amendments to clarify the military’s leadership, I have also proposed eliminating the one Admiral rule. If the PM is clearly in ultimate command of the military, then it can continue to function even in the absence of Admirals.
Without further throat clearing, here is the proposal:
Amendments to the Charter
X. THE MILITARY
Creating an official military for the purposes of regional defense, war, and gameplay.
(1) The South Pacific Special Forces will be the official military forces of the Coalition. Their responsibilities will be to defend the coalition, enact the government’s military policies abroad, foster activity for the region, and serve as the military representative of the Coalition’s power and influence.
(2) The military will be led by the Prime Minister, who may appoint a board of admirals approved by the Assembly.along with a board of admirals appointed by the Prime Minister and approved by the Assembly. The Prime Minister and Admiralty The Admiralty, which shall comprise the Prime Minister and the board of admirals, may establish further hierarchy, create programs, and appoint deputies as they see necessary.
Amendments to the Military Code
1. Admiralty
(1) The Admiralty is a commission comprising up to three Captains and the Prime Minister, or their appointed designee. A Captain on the Admiralty shall be called an Admiral.
(2) The Admiralty shall be the supremeprimary entity leading the military, hold responsibility for the planning and overseeing all missions of the military, decide all personnel matters including applications and promotions, and handle disciplinary actions as a tribunal.
(3) In case of a vacancy on the Admiralty, the Prime Minister may appoint a Captain with approval by the Assembly to become an Admiral. Should there be no Admirals, the military shall not operate except for the self-defense of the South Pacific, for the defense of an ally, or for the purposes of explicit treaty obligations.
3. Rules
(1) A member of the military must show respectful behavior towards a superior, must not bully, humiliate, or intimidate their subordinates, and must not act in an unbecoming manner toward their peers.
(2) A member of the military may not intentionally or recklessly disobey a lawful command given by a superior, or intentionally or recklessly put at risk, delay, or otherwise disrupt a lawful operation.
(3) A member of the military may onlynot be a member of another military with assent of the Admiralty, which it may rescind at any time and for any reason. If the member’s other military is on the opposing side of an arbitrary R/D conflict, the member may not change sides for the duration of the operation, and shall be considered suspended from the military for the duration of the operation should they be engaged on the opposing side.