Charter of the Mostly Harmless Alliance

The MHA Charter is the official constitution of the Mostly Harmless Alliance. It was ratified on Saturday, 26th September, 2009.

A. Applications
Any nation ruler may apply to become a Hitchhiker in the Mostly Harmless Alliance by applying to our Gate of Entry on the MHA forums. A successful Applicant; shall not belong to any other alliance, not be currently engaged in war with any other nation, and must be approved by the Ministry of Hitchhikers. Once approved, all Applicants will proceed into the MHAcademy for appropriate education and training. Upon completion of all requirements as set by the Ministry of Hitchhikers and upon successful graduation, Applicants shall become full members and henceforth be known as Hitchhikers.

B. Membership
All Hitchhikers must display "Mostly Harmless Alliance" in their nation's Alliance Affiliation at all times; act in accordance with the MHA Charter and policies at all times; never engage another nation in war without permission from the MHA Government; and will conduct their national and alliance affairs with respect, diplomacy, froodiness, and mostly harmlessness at all times. Above all else, Hitchhikers do not panic.

C. Departures
A Hitchhiker may only be expelled from the alliance after a free and fair trial by the MHA Court, whereby the Hitchhiker in question has committed severe or multiple violations of the MHA Charter or policies. A Hitchhiker may resign from the alliance at any time by posting a notice either on the MHA forums or to an available Triumvir or Minister. Hitchhikers who do so are considered to have left "in good standing" by the MHA. Hitchhikers who have been elected or appointed into a position within the alliance are expected to resign from their position before leaving the alliance.

A. The Triumvirate
The Triumvirate is a 3-member executive council, elected by the people of the alliance. The Triumvirate shall be responsible for management and leadership of the Executive Body, overseeing all Ministries and departments, deployment of alliance military, ratification and activation of treaties, management of all alliance affairs, representation of the alliance, and leadership of the alliance. The Hitchhiker’s Assembly elects Triumvirs for a term of 3 months, with one Triumvir elected each month. Triumvirs will act with respect, honor, dignity, and honesty, to their full capacity, for the complete duration of their term.

B. The Ministry
Alliance operations are organized into five equal departments, known as Ministries, consisting of War (Ministry of Destructor Fleets), Economics (Ministry of Towels), Foreign Affairs (Ministry of Babel Fish), Internal Affairs (Ministry of Hitchhikers), and Communication (Ministry of Bad Poetry). A Minister, appointed by the Triumvirate, shall lead each Ministry. The Ministers shall each be empowered to organize, manage, and improve their Ministry for the betterment of the alliance. In addition, the Ministry shall act as a recommendatory body to the Triumvirate to assist in discussions and decisions based on alliance operations. Each Ministry shall also appoint a Deputy Minister and a team of Secretaries in order to conduct alliance operations in their specified area.

C. Government Advisors and Other Positions
Government Advisors are former long-serving Triumvirs or Ministers appointed by the Triumvirate to assist and advise in any area of the alliance, as well as remain eligible to replace a Triumvir or Minister in a temporary capacity. Appointments are made at the completion of the Triumvir's term or Minister's appointment. A Triumvir who has served at least two terms, and whom does not wish to become a Government Advisor, will be granted the title of Retired Triumvir. The current Triumvirate will decide the access and powers of each Retired Triumvir, and may alter them at any time; such powers shall not exceed those of a Government Advisor, and Retired Triumvirs are not eligible to replace a Triumvir or Minister in any capacity. A Retired Triumvir may return to active service by withdrawing their title and nominating for their desired position. Forum Administrators may be appointed by the Triumvirate to oversee the alliance Forums, IRC Channels, or other official alliance facilities. The Triumvirs and Ministers may create other special positions as necessary to operate the alliance.

A. The Hitchhiker's Assembly
The Hitchhiker's Assembly is the official legislative body of the alliance; the venue in which the voice of the people will be heard. All Hitchhikers in good standing have an equal voice and an equal vote in the Assembly. This right is sacred, and shall not be denied from any member in good standing of the alliance. The jurisdiction of Assembly includes the MHA Charter and policies, the Executive Body, the Judicial Body, forums and IRC channels, foreign agreements ("treaties"), and the election of Triumvirs, Court Officers, and Assembly Representatives. The Assembly may also initiate a Vote of No Confidence against any or all members of the Executive, Legislative, or Judicial Body at any time.

B. Representatives of the Assembly
The Assembly shall elect two Representatives of the Assembly for the proper organization and application of the Assembly. Representatives will be elected individually for a term of three months each. The Speaker of the Assembly shall manage and moderate the Assembly forums, initiate and oversee all votes and elections (excluding the Speaker's own elections), and act as liaison between the Executive and Judicial Bodies, and the people. The Legislator of the Assembly shall put into writing any Motion of amendment to the Charter, maintain the Charter and any amendments, ensure the proper application of the Charter and policies, and to notify the Judicial Body of any breaches of the Charter and policies. The Legislature will oversee the election of the Speaker.

C. Voting
A Motion is a formal proposal to be put into action or legislation. Any Hitchhiker may propose any Motion in the Assembly at any time. All Hitchhikers within the Assembly shall have the right to vote on any Motion proposed, including the right to Abstain from Voting. Once a Motion has been discussed for at least 3 days (48 hours for urgent Motions), a Vote will be opened by the Speaker. A Vote will remain open for at least 3 days (48 hours for urgent Votes). The Motion is considered Passed if a Majority (greater than 51%) of those who voted support the Motion, the Motion is then considered ratified by the Assembly. Should the Vote receive less than this requirement, the Motion has failed. The Speaker is responsible for ensuring all Passed Motions are enacted immediately after the completion of voting. Amendments to the Charter, Supporting Policy Documents, or Votes of No Confidence will each require their own, higher voting requirements.

A. The MHA Court
The MHA Court is the alliance's judicial council, consisting of three Court Officers, responsible for the defense, prosecution, and judgment of Trials brought before them. The Hitchhiker’s Assembly elects Court Officers for a term consisting of 3 months. The Court Officers will rotate responsibility between Defense, Prosecution, and Chief Judge on a monthly basis; each Officer will serve for one month in each of those positions. The Defense Officer is responsible for conducting the case on behalf of a Defendant, to prove their innocence of the alleged charges, or to recommend sentencing based on the evidence provided. The Prosecution Officer is responsible for conducting the case against a Defendant, and to recommend the verdict and sentencing of the crime based on the evidence provided. The Chief Judge is responsible for reviewing and passing verdict on all Trials that are brought to the Court.

B. Jurisdiction
At all times the MHA Court is legally entitled to investigate, trial, and prosecute any member of the Alliance, regardless of position. The Court is held responsible with due care, in that it is responsible for ensuring a clear, accountable, and trustworthy system. The Hitchhiker’s Assembly oversees the Court, and the Assembly retains the right to overturn any decision by the Court. Court Officers shall act with honesty and integrity at all times, and shall follow the Precedent Guide in The Hitchhiker's Assembly for specific details on definitions of a crime and appropriate punishments. The maximum punishment that the Court can deliver shall be expulsion from the Alliance and destruction of the offender's nations for a pre-determined period. The Court shall be considered separate and independent from the MHA Government, though cannot remove any elected or appointed officials without a clear and fair trial in the MHA Court. The Court cannot infringe, bypass, ignore, or alter any portion of the MHA Charter or Supporting Policy documents.

C. Procedure
Any Hitchhiker may apply for a Trial following the Court procedure. All Trial Applications must contain a description of alleged crime with supporting evidence, and/or an indication of a specific violation in Charter or policy. The current Chief Judge will determine the validity of the crime and evidence and shall act to either Investigate, issue a Verdict without Trial, or initiate a Trial. Should a Trial be accepted, it shall normally be held in public in the MHA Court. For cases of personal and sensitive or Out of Character information, the Trial may be held in the Private Chambers, as determined by the Chief Judge. Through investigation and discussion, the Court Officers will ascertain the severity of the crime and appropriate punishment, if required. The Court's decisions are considered final unless overturned by a Motion in the Assembly.

A. Supporting Policy Documents
The MHA Charter may be supported by other documents (known as "policies") covering in further detail the operations, procedures, powers, regulations, and maintenance of the alliance, on the provision that all policies are presented and discussed in the Hitchhiker's Assembly, and ratified by the Hitchhiker's Assembly in order to be considered legally binding. Such policies will not alter, substitute, infringe, ignore or bypass any portion of the MHA Charter. Amendments to supporting documents shall be conducted by their individual requirements.

The current official Supporting Policy Documents are: The Harmless Revolution, The Hitchhiker's Code, and The Hitchhiker's Assembly.

B. Amendments
The Hitchhiker’s Assembly may amend the MHA Charter at any time, on the provision that all Amendments are presented and discussed in the Hitchhiker's Assembly, and ratified by the Hitchhiker's Assembly. Any alteration to the alliance's structure or operations as described here must be ratified by the Hitchhiker's Assembly first before coming into effect. Only the Legislator of the Assembly may physically edit the MHA Charter in accordance with a ratified Amendment by the Hitchhiker's Assembly.

To amend the Charter, an Amendment Motion must be created in the Hitchhiker's Assembly, with a discussion period of no less than five days. Following the discussion period, a Vote will be opened and all Hitchhikers will be given the right to vote, including the right to Abstain from Voting. The Voting period shall last for no less than five days. In order for the Motion to be passed, it must receive over 67% majority of those who voted in favor of the Motion, and the Legislator of the Assembly will immediately update the Charter. Should the Vote fail to reach that majority, the Motion has failed.

C. Democracy
The Mostly Harmless Alliance is constituted as a Democratic Society. Each and all the MHA Officials are elected by the Assembly or appointed by a body elected by the Assembly. Lifetime or indefinite terms for Officials are forbidden, with the only exception of titles purely honorific in nature and attributions. No Official, Elected or Appointed, is immune from removal by a Vote of No Confidence. This article cannot be removed, ignored, or bypassed in any way. Grammatical alterations to the wording of this article may occur, so long as alterations maintain the purpose of this article and continue to protect the Democracy of the Mostly Harmless Alliance.

D. Signatures
-The First Hitchhiker’s Assembly

-Crushtania of the Triumvirate

-Scutterbug of the Triumvirate

-Pourquoi of the Triumvirate

-Working Class Ruler, Revolution Author

-Dynasty, Revolution Author