Constitution of Tumbra

The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Tumbra is the supreme law of the Federal Republic of Tumbra. Consisting of a preamble, ten sections, 44 articles and 230 clauses, it deals primarily with the basis of the Federal Republic, the rights of those living in it, and the foundations of the government of the Federal Republic. Since it came into force in 1864, multiple amendments have occurred to keep the Constitution up to date with the State; today it is regarded as one of the most well-written Constitutions to exist.

History and Background

The first influence of the written Tumbran constitution came from within the White League, who themselves were influenced by James Edwards' revolutionary treatise on the founding of a new republic. Emboldened by this treatise, Gordon Hamilton - who would later serve as the first President of the Federal Republic - and other like minded military officers came together to form the White League, whose membership soon grew. Its authorship is largely attributed to most of the so-called Founders of the Republic, with the first Chief Justice of the Federal Constitutional Court, Samuel Cohen being widely regarded as the main author and drafter of the Constitution, with evidence of early drafts being found amidst his personal belongings dating back as early as 1862.

Other acknowledged drafters include Gordon Hamilton, Ralph Davidson, Michael Turner, John Crowley (who particularly influenced the structure of the Federal Parliament), and Alexander Schmidt (who essentially wrote the entirety of Section II by himself).

The Constitution was promulgated on 7 January 1864, 2 days after the formation of the Provisional Government of the Federal Republic. Over the years, the Constitution has been amended to represent the changing needs of the growing nation, the most significant of which was the official transformation of the Federal Republic from a semi-presidential form of government to a fully parliamentary form of government, as well as restrictions on the powers of the President, which were passed in 1876.

Several parts of the Constitution allowed for acts of Parliament to further expand on what was put out in the Constitution. These acts, which are generally placed at the end of the Constitution, are part of a body known as Constitutional law, and are often taken as part of the Constitution. They are, however, regular Acts of Parliament which may be amended with a simple majority of votes in either house of Parliament, instead of constitutional amendments, which require two-thirds of the Parliament to alter.

Contents

The contents of the entire Constitution come down to slightly over ten thousand words, making it a relatively short Constitution; this has attracted praise and criticism in equal fashion - on one hand, allowing the Federal Government to govern with less rules, instead allowing it to enshrine constitutional conventions without them having to be written down; on the other hand, such conventions, if not properly documented, could very well be broken by a government not interested in following them. Clause 228, however, or the "Irrevocability Clause", enshrines certain clauses of the Constitution such that they may not be removed or amended to be rendered moot; in practice, should any such Constitutional amendment pass both Houses of Parliament, the President would immediately refer said amendment to the Federal Constitutional Court for judicial review.

External links

"Full text of the Constitution of Tumbra".