[Proposal] Second Criminal Code Amendment (December 2019)

[Zapatian Workers State]

---

Second Criminal Code Amendment (December 2019)

Proposed By: Zapatian Workers State

Preamble

This amendment of the Criminal Code Act (September 2018) criminalizes sedition against the government and military of Lazarus and retroactively renumbers Section 12 as Section 13 and Section 13 as Section 14.

Section 1. Amendment of Section 12

(1) Section 12 shall be amended to read:

[table][cell]

Section 12. Sedition

(1) Any person who deliberately and purposefully makes open statements with the effect of eroding the confidence of the Lazarene public in the institutions of government and military, as opposed to specific officials within said institutions, shall be guilty of sedition.

(2) Any person who deliberately and purposefully makes open statements to demean standing Lazarene civil and military officials outside of the realm of constructive criticism, or otherwise disrespects the station of these officials with aggressively uncivil conduct, shall be guilty of sedition.

[/cell][/table]

Section 2. Amendment of Section 13

(1) Section 13 shall be amended to read:

[table][cell]

Section 13. Guilt and Sentencing

(1) No person may be found guilty of a crime not listed in this act.

(2) If found guilty of a crime, the Delegate may impose upon the person any punishment proportionate to the offence.

[/cell][/table]

Section 3. Addition of Section 14

(1) A Section 14 shall be added to the Criminal Code Act to read the following:

[table][cell]

Section 14. Definitions

In this Act:

‘Associated authorities’ is defined as off-site property administration including, but not limited to, the forum or Discord.

‘Banishment’ is defined as removal by the relevant authorities of a person from Lazarus.

‘Discord’ is defined as a public infrastructure located at ‘https://discord.gg/dahpMU2'.

‘Governmental duties’ is defined as an action or task required by a person’s position.

‘Material fact’ is defined as one which can reasonably and plausibly be expected to affect a person's future actions.

‘Off-site property administration’ is defined as a person or group who has the authority to administer public infrastructure, including, but not limited to, the Delegate, root administrator, administrators, global moderators, and moderators.

‘Opinion’ is defined as a view or judgment formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge.

‘Public infrastructure’ is defined as an area operated by the government or its associated authorities for use of the public, including, but not limited to, the NationStates region of Lazarus, the forum, or Discord.

‘Regional Forum’ is defined as a public infrastructure located at ‘https://nslazarus.com/index.php'.

‘Restricted area’ is defined as an area of the Regional Forum or Discord to which the general public is withheld access.

‘Root administrator’ is defined as a person who has the authority to empower and delegate administrator responsibility including, but not limited to, adding administrators, defining administrator groupings, and shutting down the public infrastructure.

‘Sitting of the Court’ is defined as an area administered by the Court.

‘Third party’ is defined as a person or group besides the two primarily involved in a situation.

[/cell][/table]

---

[Debussy]

Sounds like I could charge anyone with sedition.

[Zapatian Workers State]

Sounds like I could charge anyone with sedition.

I laid out quite clearly what should constitute sedition, which is erosion of the public confidence in the government and military as institutions, as opposed to specific individuals within them, and gratuitous verbal abuse of standing officials that falls outside of constructive criticism.

[Debussy]

Erosion of public confidence isn't very clear. It is an open ended phrase. We should be able to criticize our institutions and the people in them.

[Zapatian Workers State]

Erosion of public confidence isn't very clear. It is an open ended phrase. We should be able to criticize our institutions and the people in them.

It's not that ambiguous. What it means is that criticism of an official (if done respectfully) is permissible, but just going out and saying, "Lazarus sucks eggs," to be a jerk is not. if Lazarus were at war, we can't have people going and speaking out in favor of the enemy, even if they haven't hampered the military's efforts to cross the line into full treason.

Part of the reason I drafted this, for context, is because is have experience with negativistic trolls who criticize endlessly with no point. It... is not pleasant.

[Debussy]

It is very ambiguous. The military suck eggs. There isn't a lot of us, and we could be better. That statement would get me into court even if its true. There are better ways to deal with trolls than shutting everyone up who could be one.

[Zapatian Workers State]

It is very ambiguous. The military suck eggs. There isn't a lot of us, and we could be better. That statement would get me into court even if its true. There are better ways to deal with trolls than shutting everyone up who could be one.

I see your point. Forget I ever proposed this.

[Zapatian Workers State]

Disregard this entire thread. This is a terrible idea. I don't know what I was thinking.