New Imperial titles

Revision as of 09:04, 24 July 2014

Overview

Only the Imperial Senate has the power to create a new Imperial title. If another house, such as the Imperial Synod wants a new Imperial title to be created to help them discharge their responsibilities then they must request the Senate create the position for them.

New titles have the potential to possess wide-ranging powers with little or no oversight or constraints. Because of this new titles are subject to constitutional scrutiny by the magistrates to ensure that they preserve the spirit of the Imperial Constitution and do not unduly change the separation of powers between the five great houses of the Empire, Imperial Synod, Imperial Senate, Imperial Bourse, Imperial Conclave, and the Imperial Military Council.

Powers

A title may be assigned one or more legal powers. In the vast majority of cases these are either powers exercised by members of one of the arms of government - or they are powers exercised by that house collectively. For example a burser created by the Senate to investigate expenditure by senators and seek out malfeasance, could be granted the power of inquisition (a power normally exercised collectively by the Synod) and the right of address in the Senate (a legal power normally granted to senators and the like).

Titles created by the Senate in this way do not need to follow the normal restrictions on their usage. For example, for the Senate to employ the power of commission requires a motion be proposed by a senator and approved by majority vote. If the Senate wished to give greater support the Imperial Military Council they could create a title with the power of commission over military procurement - with the duty to arrange the resupply of Imperial armies.

Secrecy

It is possible for the Senate to create an Imperial title that can circumvent the normal legal checks and balances by accessing legal powers without the house that controls those powers having to vote each time they are used. The accompanying ease with which this allows these powers to be used is often cited as the reason for creating a new Imperial title, although historically the same reason is often given for abrogating the title later.

However it is never possible to create an Imperial title that is able to use powers in secret that would normally require a vote or official process of some kind. Normally the magistrates will insist that such powers are authorized using a suitable announcement to the relevant house, such as a Senate announcement. This allows the members of that house to be aware how their powers are being used, it allows the civil servants to determine when powers are being legally accessed and in the Senate it allows the decisions to remain subject to the veto of the Imperial Synod.

Limitations

It is not possible to dictate how a power may be used - the Senate is forbidden from extending its power by creating titles under their direct control. However the Senate can set limitations on how any legal powers can be used. The standard limitations are by nation, territory or house - the holder of that title can then only use those powers on members of that nation, territory or house or commissions based in that nation or territory.

For example, a title might carry the responsibility to secure the defences of Holberg. This title could come with the legal authority to resupply armies of The League and repair fortifications in Holberg. The holder of this title would not be able to resupply other armies or fortify other regions.

It is not acceptable to limit a title in other ways. For instance, it is possible to create a title with the responsibility to support the welfare of the Church of the Little Mother, with the legal authority to authorize the construction of churches and cathedrals. But legal authority could not be constrained in any way so that only the Church of the Little Mother could benefit from the construction.

Restrictions

All Imperial citizens are forbidden to hold more than one Imperial title concurrently. Attempts to create an Imperial title which appears to have more powers than are appropriate for the position are usually ruled unconstitutional - as an attempt to bundle too many responsibilities and power together.

Responsibilities

Senators are encouraged to define carefully what the responsibilities of any Imperial title they propose to create. It is not possible to place legal requirements on how the powers a title possess must be discharged, the holder of an office cannot legally be directed on what actions to undertake to uphold their office. However the responsibilities of an office are important - the Synod is expected to use the stated responsibilities of an office to judge whether a citizen is failing in their duties and needs to be removed by revocation.

Stipend

Any title may be granted a stipend - a regular income which is drawn directly from the Imperial treasury. Titles with responsibilities that are likely to incur significant costs are the most eligible for a stipend, but any post can have one attached to it in theory. A tiny stipend is occasionally used to demarcate an Imperial title from a ceremonial title.

Creating New Powers

The powers of the houses and the titles associated with those houses are well known and understood by constitutional scholars. It is perfectly possible for the Senate to create a new legal power - but any attempt to do so will bring close scrutiny from the magistrates to ensure it is compliant with the ethos of the Constitution. It is usually simpler to incorporate existing legal powers rather than create new ones.

Appointment

When a title is created, the Senate must decide how the position is appointed. The normal constitutional approach is that an Imperial title will be appointed by whichever arm of the Imperial government it draws most of its powers from.

For example, the Quartermaster General of the Imperial Armies helps the Military Council by resupplying their armies. However the power to authorize the resupply of Imperial armies lies with the Senate - so the most common method is to have the Imperial Senate appoint the position.

The magistrates will almost always allow the Imperial Senate to divest this responsibility to another house if they feel it is appropriate. So the Senate could choose to have the Military Council appoint the Quatermaster General if they felt this was appropriate. However the magistrates will normally act to prevent the Senate drawing undue power to itself by claiming the appointment of new Imperial titles which are more properly the business of another house. For example, if another Imperial college of magic were constructed, the magistrates would almost certainly insist that a dean be appointed by the Conclave.

Imperial, National, and Virtue Positions

Most Imperial titles are Imperial positions. Any citizen of the Empire is eligible to hold and Imperial position.

The Senate can declare that a new title they have created is a national appointment. A national position is still an Imperial title, but only a citizen of that nation may hold the title. Most of the five houses have standard mechanisms for appointing national positions to allow the people of that nation to make the decision more easily.

In addition a title that is appointed by the Synod may be declared a virtue appointment. Any citizen may hold a virtue appointment, but it indicates the title will be appointed by the cardinal of the appropriate virtue, rather than the wider Synod.

Election

The standard processes for appointing a citizen vary with each house. The methods described represent "well worn paths", common approaches that have been used for decades or more and consequently are known to commonly pass constitutional scrutiny without issue.

It is possible for a Senate motion to request that an Imperial title employ a novel method of election or have an unusual tenure or method of removal. All such motives are automatically subject to a high degree of scrutiny by the constitutional magistrates; the magistrates tend to be very conservative figures and anything that is novel or unique is often regarded with suspicion, just on principle.

Removal

According to the constitution Imperial titles that are appointed by the Senate, Synod, or Military Council should be subject to revocation by appropriate assemblies of the Imperial Synod. Imperial titles that are appointed by the Conclave or the Bourse are not. As with the election, it is theoretically possible for a Senate motion to request that an Imperial title be subject to removal by different or additional means, but such originality is usually frowned upon and rarely passes constitutional scrutiny. In particular attempts to grant the Senate the power to remove a citizen from an Imperial title are always declared unconstitutional.

The Imperial Senate

The Senate has a traditional set of guidelines for all appointments by the Senate.

The Imperial Synod

An Imperial position appointed by the Synod is usually elected by judgement of the General Assembly of the Synod or by judgement of the Assembly of Nine. The position would normally be eligible to be revoked by both assemblies.

A national position appointed by the Synod is usually elected by judgement of the appropriate National Assembly. The title would then be subject to revocation by the national assembly as well as the General Assembly and the Assembly of Nine.

A virtue position appointed by the Synod would be selected by the cardinal of that virtue. The title-holder can then be revoked by their Virtue Assembly and by the General Assembly.

The Gatekeepers are examples of virtue appointments elected by the Synod, one for each virtue.

The Imperial Bourse

An Imperial position appointed by the Bourse is auctioned to the highest bidder. The money paid by the successful bid is added to the Imperial treasury.

The Bourse appoints national positions by vote of members of that nation who hold the resources traditional for that nation. For example, a League position in the Bourse is usually elected by vote of League business owners. Each citizen who owns the right resource receives a number of votes proportional to the size of their resource which they can cast for a single candidate of their choice whenever the position is elected. To be eligible to vote the required resources are:

No titles appointed by the Imperial Bourse can be revoked by the Synod - but these positions are usually reappointed each year.

The Golden Trees of Seren is an example of an Imperial appointment appointed by the Bourse. The Master of the Imperial Mint is an example of a national appointment appointed by the Bourse.

The Imperial Military Council

An Imperial position appointed by the Military Council is elected by simple majority of any member of the Military Council who is eligible to vote who is present when the election takes place. It is customary to carry out the election with a show of hands at the start of a Military Council session. A national position appointed by the Military Council follows the same process, but only the generals of that nation are allowed to vote.

An Imperial appointment by the Military Council can normally be revoked by the General Assembly and the Assembly of Nine, while a national appointment can also be revoked by the appropriate National Assembly.

The Imperial Conclave

An Imperial or national position that is appointed by the Conclave is normally elected by a standard process of declaration of candidacy. Conclave positions cannot be revoked by the Synod, but can be reappointed at any time by the Conclave following a new declaration of candidacy.

The Dean of the Lyceum is an example of an Imperial position appointed by the Conclave.

Automatic Titles

Some motions of the Senate result in the automatic creation of a new title. For example, if the Senate create a new Highborn army, then this results in the automatic creation of a new Highborn General. If the Imperial armies complete the conquest of a territory, then this results in the automatic creation of a new Senator. If a motion causes a title to be created then any variation to the powers or appointment of the title desired by the Senate must be specified at the point where the motion is passed; the title is assumed to come into being at that point - even though the position usually remains vacant until any work required is complete.

Example

The Auditor of Senatorial Accountability is a ceremonial title appointed by the Synod, with a variation that the position be appointed by the Assembly of Nine, rather than the General Assembly. As the position has no formal powers, this variation is not subject to any constitutional scrutiny. It is noted that the title would benefit from powers such as the right to speak in the Senate and the right to address the Senate or the power of Inquisition.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 ==Overview==
-Only the [[Imperial Senate]] has the power to create a new [[Imperial title]]. If another house, such as the [[Imperial Synod]] wants a new Imperial title to be created to help them discharge their responsibilities then they must importune the Senate to create the position for them.
+Only the [[Imperial Senate]] has the power to create a new [[Imperial title]]. If another house, such as the [[Imperial Synod]] wants a new Imperial title to be created to help them discharge their responsibilities then they must request the Senate create the position for them.
-New titles have the potential to possess wide-ranging powers with little or no oversight or constraints. Because of this new titles are subject to constitutional scrutiny by the [[Officers_of_the_Law#Magistrates|magistrates]] to ensure that they preserve the spirit of the [[Imperial Constitution]] and do not unduly change the separation of powers between the five great houses of the Empire, the Synod, Senate, Bourse, Conclave and Military Council.
+New titles have the potential to possess wide-ranging powers with little or no oversight or constraints. Because of this new titles are subject to constitutional scrutiny by the [[Officers_of_the_Law#Magistrates|magistrates]] to ensure that they preserve the spirit of the [[Imperial Constitution]] and do not unduly change the separation of powers between the five great houses of the Empire, [[Imperial Synod]], [[Imperial Senate]], [[Imperial Bourse]], [[Imperial Conclave]], and the [[Imperial Military Council]].
 ==Powers==
@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
 Titles created by the Senate in this way do not need to follow the normal restrictions on their usage. For example, for the Senate to employ the power of commission requires a motion be proposed by a senator and approved by majority vote. If the Senate wished to give greater support the [[Imperial Military Council]] they could create a title with the power of commission over military procurement - with the duty to arrange the resupply of Imperial armies.
+===Secrecy===
+It is possible for the Senate to create an Imperial title that can circumvent the normal legal checks and balances by accessing legal powers without the house that controls those powers having to vote each time they are used. The accompanying ease with which this allows these powers to be used is often cited as the reason for creating a new Imperial title, although historically the same reason is often given for abrogating the title later.
+However it is never possible to create an Imperial title that is able to use powers in secret that would normally require a vote or official process of some kind. Normally the magistrates will insist that such powers are authorized using a suitable announcement to the relevant house, such as a [[Senate announcement]]. This allows the members of that house to be aware how their powers are being used, it allows the civil servants to determine when powers are being legally accessed and in the Senate it allows the decisions to remain subject to the [[veto]] of the Imperial Synod.
 ===Limitations===
-It is not possible to dictate how a power may be used - the Senate is forbidden from extending its power by creating titles under their control. However the Senate can set limitations on how any legal powers can be used. The standard limitations are by nation, territory or house - the holder of that title can then only use those powers on members of that nation, territory or house or commissions based in that nation or territory.
+It is not possible to dictate how a power may be used - the Senate is forbidden from extending its power by creating titles under their direct control. However the Senate can set limitations on how any legal powers can be used. The standard limitations are by nation, territory or house - the holder of that title can then only use those powers on members of that nation, territory or house or commissions based in that nation or territory.
-For example, a title might carry the responsibility to secure the defences of Holberg. This title could come with the legal authority to resupply League armies and repair fortifications in Holberg. The holder of this title would not be able to resupply other armies or fortify other regions.
+For example, a title might carry the responsibility to secure the defences of [[Holberg]]. This title could come with the legal authority to resupply armies of [[The League]] and repair fortifications in Holberg. The holder of this title would not be able to resupply other armies or fortify other regions.
 It is not acceptable to limit a title in other ways. For instance, it is possible to create a title with the responsibility to support the welfare of the Church of the Little Mother,  with the legal authority to authorize the construction of churches and cathedrals. But legal authority could not be constrained in any way so that only the Church of the Little Mother could benefit from the construction.
 ===Restrictions===
-Any title which includes one or more legal powers may not also have oversight of a [[mercantile investment]] - it is not possible to grant legal powers to a sinecure or minister - all attempts to do so are always ruled unconstitutional - an attempt to bundle too many responsibilities and power together.
+All Imperial citizens are forbidden to hold more than one Imperial title concurrently. Attempts to create an Imperial title which appears to have more powers than are appropriate for the position are usually ruled unconstitutional - as an attempt to bundle too many responsibilities and power together.
 ===Responsibilities===
-Senators are encouraged to define carefully what the responsibilities of any Imperial title they propose to create. It is not possible to place instructions on how the powers a title possess must be discharged, the holder of an office cannot legally be directed on what actions to undertake to uphold their office. However the responsibilities of an office are important - it is not unknown for citizens to face the threat of revocation by the Synod for failing to adequately discharge the responsibilities of an Imperial title they have accepted.
+Senators are encouraged to define carefully what the responsibilities of any Imperial title they propose to create. It is not possible to place legal requirements on how the powers a title possess must be discharged, the holder of an office cannot legally be directed on what actions to undertake to uphold their office. However the responsibilities of an office are important - the Synod is expected to use the stated responsibilities of an office to judge whether a citizen is failing in their duties and needs to be removed by [[revocation]].
 ===Stipend===
 Any title may be granted a stipend - a regular income which is drawn directly from the Imperial treasury. Titles with responsibilities that are likely to incur significant costs are the most eligible for a stipend, but any post can have one attached to it in theory. A tiny stipend is occasionally used to demarcate an Imperial title from a [[Imperial title#ceremonial title|ceremonial title]].
-A title may '''not''' be given a disbursement - they may be assigned a stipend but it is not legal to allocate a one-off payment from the treasury to the first holder of a title.
 ===Creating New Powers===
@@ Line 31: / Line 34: @@
 ==Appointment==
-When a title is created, the Senate ''must'' decide which arm of the Imperial government the title will be bound to; the [[Imperial Senate|Senate]], the [[Imperial Synod|Synod]], the [[Imperial Conclave|Conclave]], the [[Imperial Military Council|Military Council]] or the [[Imperial Bourse|Bourse]]. This decision normally dictates how the appointment will take place - and how the occupant can be removed. Once a title is created, the house association cannot be changed - a title can be abrogated - dissolving it completely - but it cannot be amended to associate it to a different house.
+When a title is created, the Senate ''must'' decide how the position is appointed. The normal constitutional approach is that an Imperial title will be appointed by whichever arm of the Imperial government it draws most of its powers from.
+For example, the [[Quartermaster General of the Imperial Armies]] helps the Military Council by resupplying their armies. However the power to authorize the resupply of Imperial armies lies with the Senate - so the most common method is to have the [[Appointments_by_the_Senate|Imperial Senate appoint the position]].
+The magistrates will almost always allow the Imperial Senate to divest this responsibility to another house if they feel it is appropriate. So the Senate could choose to have the Military Council appoint the Quatermaster General if they felt this was appropriate. However the magistrates will normally act to prevent the Senate drawing undue power to itself by claiming the appointment of new Imperial titles which are more properly the business of another house. For example, if another Imperial college of magic were constructed, the magistrates would almost certainly insist that a dean be appointed by the Conclave.
+===Imperial, National, and Virtue Positions===
+Most Imperial titles are Imperial positions. Any citizen of the Empire is eligible to hold and Imperial position.
-It is anticipated that the association between a title and a house will be chosen on the basis of the nature of the title - not on the powers the title possess. Titles that do not do this risk being rejected on the grounds of being unconstitutional. For example, the [[Master of the Imperial Mint]] is bound to the Imperial Bourse - but the holder of the title has powers to speak in the Senate. Likewise the [[Conscience of the Senate]] is bound to the Synod - but has the power to vote in the Senate.
+The Senate can declare that a new title they have created is a national appointment. A national position is still an Imperial title, but only a citizen of that nation may hold the title. Most of the five houses have standard mechanisms for appointing national positions to allow the people of that nation to make the decision more easily.
-The Senate can choose to declare a bound title to be a national appointment or an Imperial appointment. A national appointment is still an Imperial title, but it affects who is eligible for the title and how it is appointed. In addition a title that is bound to the Synod may be declared a [[The Way|virtue]] appointment.
+In addition a title that is appointed by the Synod may be declared a [[The Way|virtue]] appointment. Any citizen may hold a virtue appointment, but it indicates the title will be appointed by the [[cardinal]] of the appropriate virtue, rather than the wider Synod.
-Any title that is a national appointment can only be held by a member of that nation.
+===Election===
+The standard processes for appointing a citizen vary with each house. The methods described represent "well worn paths", common approaches that have been used for decades or more and consequently are known to commonly pass constitutional scrutiny without issue.
-===The Imperial Senate===
+It is possible for a [[Senate motion]] to request that an Imperial title employ a novel method of election or have an unusual tenure or method of removal. All such motives are automatically subject to a high degree of scrutiny by the constitutional magistrates; the magistrates tend to be very conservative figures and anything that is novel or unique is often regarded with suspicion, just on principle.
-An Imperial appointment bound to the Senate is appointed by vote of the [[Senate]]. Any such vote requires the greater majority to pass, that is two-thirds of all the Senators of the Empire must approve the candidate - otherwise no candidate is appointed. The occupant of such a title can be revoked by the [[The_Assemblies_of_the_Synod#The_General_Assembly|General Assembly of the Synod]] or the [[The_Assemblies_of_the_Synod#The Assembly of Nine|Assembly of Nine]]
-A national appointment bound to the Senate is chosen by unanimous approval of the senators of that nation. If those senators cannot come to a unanimous agreement, then they each nominate an eligible candidate, and appointment is made by majority vote of the [[Senate]]. The title-holder can be revoked by the appropriate [[The_Assemblies_of_the_Synod#The_National_Assemblies|National Assembly]], the General Assembly or [[The_Assemblies_of_the_Synod#The_Assembly_of_Nine|The Assembly of Nine]].
+===Removal===
+According to the constitution Imperial titles that are appointed by the Senate, Synod, or Military Council should be subject to revocation by appropriate assemblies of the [[Imperial Synod]]. Imperial titles that are appointed by the Conclave or the Bourse are not. As with the election, it is theoretically possible for a [[Senate motion]] to request that an Imperial title be subject to removal by different or additional means, but such originality is usually frowned upon and rarely passes constitutional scrutiny. In particular attempts to grant the Senate the power to remove a citizen from an Imperial title are always declared unconstitutional.
-Although the Imperial generals serve on the Military Council, they are examples of national appointments bound to the Senate; they are appointed by the senators of their nation. The Throne is an example of an Imperial appointment bound to the Senate.
+==The Imperial Senate==
+The Senate has a traditional set of guidelines for all [[appointments by the Senate]].
-===The Imperial Synod===
+==The Imperial Synod==
-An Imperial appointment bound to the Synod is appointed by vote of the General Assembly of the Synod or by the Assembly of Nine. The title-holder can be revoked by the General Assembly of the Synod or the Assembly of Nine.
+An Imperial position appointed by the Synod is usually elected by judgement of the General Assembly of the Synod or by judgement of the Assembly of Nine. The position would normally be eligible to be revoked by both assemblies.
-A national appointment bound to the Synod is chosen by majority vote of the members of the appropriate National Assembly. The title-holder can be revoked by the appropriate National Assembly, the General Assembly or the Assembly of Nine.
+A national position appointed by the Synod is usually elected by judgement of the appropriate National Assembly. The title would then be subject to revocation by the national assembly as well as the General Assembly and the Assembly of Nine.
-A virtue appointment bound to the Synod is chosen by the Cardinal of the appropriate virtue. The title-holder can be revoked by their [[The_Assemblies_of_the_Synod#The_Virtue_Assemblies|Virtue Assembly]] or by the General Assembly.
+A virtue position appointed by the Synod would be selected by the [[cardinal]] of that virtue. The title-holder can then be revoked by their [[The_Assemblies_of_the_Synod#The_Virtue_Assemblies|Virtue Assembly]] and by the General Assembly.
-The Gatekeepers are examples of virtue appointments bound to the Synod, one for each virtue.
+The Gatekeepers are examples of virtue appointments elected by the Synod, one for each virtue.
-===The Imperial Bourse===
+==The Imperial Bourse==
-An Imperial appointment bound to the Bourse is appointed by auction to the highest bidder.
+An Imperial position appointed by the Bourse is auctioned to the highest bidder. The money paid by the successful bid is added to the Imperial treasury.
-A national appointment bound to the Bourse is selected by a unique mechanism for each nation. For example, the League select their national bourse positions by secret vote of business owners; the Marchers by vote of farm owners while the Varushkans select their national Bourse appointments by secret vote of the mine and forest owners of the nation. Highborn appointments are done by vote of congregation owners, Freeborn appointments by vote of fleet owners, Dawn, Wintermark and Imperial Orc appointments are done by vote of those who control military units. Navarr appointments are voted by herb garden owners, Urizen appointments are voted by mana site owners.
+The Bourse appoints national positions by vote of members of that nation who hold the resources traditional for that nation. For example, a League position in the Bourse is usually elected by vote of League business owners. Each citizen who owns the right resource receives a number of votes proportional to the size of their resource which they can cast for a single candidate of their choice whenever the position is elected. To be eligible to vote the required resources are:
-No titles bound to the Imperial Bourse can be revoked by the Synod - instead these positions are reappointed each year.
+* [[Brass Coast]] - [[Fleet]]
+* [[Dawn]] - [[Military unit]]
+* [[Highguard]] - [[Congregation]]
+* [[Imperial Orcs]] - [[Military unit]]
+* [[Navarr]] - [[Herb garden]]
+* [[The League]] - [[Business]]
+* [[The Marches]] - [[Farm]]
+* [[Urizen]] - [[Mana site]]
+* [[Varushka]] - [[Mine]] or [[Forest]]
+* [[Wintermark]] - [[Military unit]]
-[[Imperial_Bourse#The_Golden_Trees_of_Seren|The Golden Trees of Seren]] is an example of an Imperial appointment bound to the Bourse. The [[Master of the Imperial Mint]] is an example of a national appointment bound to the Bourse.
+No titles appointed by the Imperial Bourse can be revoked by the Synod - but these positions are usually reappointed each year.
-===The Imperial Military Council===
+[[Imperial_Bourse#The_Golden_Trees_of_Seren|The Golden Trees of Seren]] is an example of an Imperial appointment appointed by the Bourse. The [[Master of the Imperial Mint]] is an example of a national appointment appointed by the Bourse.
-An Imperial appointment bound to the Military Council is short-listed by the members of the military council and then selected by the Senate. To create a short-list, papers are passed to every individual with a vote on the Military Council who is present. They can write one or more names on their paper which are collected by the civil servants. All the names put forward are collated and the list is passed to the Senate who may choose any individual from the list by majority vote of senators at the next senate session. If the list only contains a single name, that individual is automatically appointed without recourse to the Senate.
-A national appointment bound to the Military Council follows an identical process, but only the generals of that nation are allowed to present candidates for the short list. An Imperial appointment can be revoked by the General Assembly or the Assembly of Nine, while a national appointment can also be revoked by the their National Assembly.
+==The Imperial Military Council==
+An Imperial position appointed by the Military Council is elected by simple majority of any member of the Military Council who is eligible to vote who is present when the election takes place. It is customary to carry out the election with a show of hands at the start of a [[Military Council session]]. A national position appointed by the Military Council follows the same process, but only the generals of that nation are allowed to vote.
-===The Imperial Conclave===
+An Imperial appointment by the Military Council can normally be revoked by the General Assembly and the Assembly of Nine, while a national appointment can also be revoked by the appropriate National Assembly.
-An Imperial or national appointment that is bound to the Conclave is appointed by a standard process of [[Conclave_session#Declaration_of_Candidacy|declaration of candidacy]]. Conclave positions cannot be revoked by the Synod, but can be reappointed at any time by the Conclave following a new declaration of candidacy.
-The [[Dean of the Lyceum]] is an example of an Imperial appointment bound to the Conclave.
+==The Imperial Conclave==
+An Imperial or national position that is appointed by the Conclave is normally elected by a standard process of [[Conclave_session#Declaration_of_Candidacy|declaration of candidacy]]. Conclave positions cannot be revoked by the Synod, but can be reappointed at any time by the Conclave following a new declaration of candidacy.
-===Variations===
+The [[Dean of the Lyceum]] is an example of an Imperial position appointed by the Conclave.
-It is perfectly possible for the Senate to propose variations to the mechanisms for appointing a title, but such variations are subject to close constitutional scrutiny. Variations that make a post more specific and help to achieve a specific goal are likely to pass such scrutiny more easily, variations which do nothing other than extend the control of the Senate over the post are likely to be rejected as unconstitutional, as an attempt by the Senate to interfere in the workings of another house.
 ==Automatic Titles==
-Some motions of the Senate result in the automatic creation of a new title. For example, if the Senate create a new Highborn army, then this results in the automatic creation of a new Highborn General. If the Imperial armies complete the conquest of a territory, then this results in the automatic creation of a new Senator. If a motion causes a title to be created then any variation to the powers or appointment of the title desired by the Senate must be specified at the point where the motion is passed; the title is assumed to come into being at that point - even though it is not filled until any work required is complete.
+Some motions of the Senate result in the automatic creation of a new title. For example, if the Senate create a new Highborn army, then this results in the automatic creation of a new Highborn General. If the Imperial armies complete the conquest of a territory, then this results in the automatic creation of a new Senator. If a motion causes a title to be created then any variation to the powers or appointment of the title desired by the Senate must be specified at the point where the motion is passed; the title is assumed to come into being at that point - even though the position usually remains vacant until any work required is complete.
 ==Example==
-The [[Auditor of Senatorial Accountability]] is a ceremonial title bound to the Synod, with a variation that the position be appointed by the Assembly of Nine, rather than the General Assembly. As the position has no formal powers, this variation is not subject to any constitutional scrutiny. It is noted that the title would benefit from powers such as the [[Appointments_to_the_Senate#Right to Speak|right to speak]] in the Senate and the [[Appointments_to_the_Senate#Right of Address|right to address]] the Senate or the power of [[Inquisition]].
+The [[Auditor of Senatorial Accountability]] is a ceremonial title appointed by the Synod, with a variation that the position be appointed by the Assembly of Nine, rather than the General Assembly. As the position has no formal powers, this variation is not subject to any constitutional scrutiny. It is noted that the title would benefit from powers such as the [[Appointments_to_the_Senate#Right to Speak|right to speak]] in the Senate and the [[Appointments_to_the_Senate#Right of Address|right to address]] the Senate or the power of [[Inquisition]].
+{{Senate Further Reading}}
 [[Category:Senate]]
 [[Category:Imperial Titles]]