Criminal and Civil Codes, citizenship law enacted
BALDWIN HOUSE, Glenora — HRH The Grand Duke signed both the Criminal Code (A.S. 2408) and Civil Code (A.S. 2409) into law yesterday at the conclusion of his meeting with the Council of State, marking an significant day in Eniarku’s legal and institutional development. The pair of Acts of State mark the first laws of their kind in the nation’s history, providing for numerous types of criminal offenses and punitive sanctions, as well as regulating contracts, estates, and other important dimensions of civil law.
Naturally, the statutes are shorter in length relative to comparable macronational laws. Speaking on behalf of the Council of State, HRH The Prince of August noted that “the Government’s overarching goal […] was to craft broad-strokes statutes in order to avoid the need for constant updating or judicial proceedings to clarify laws. I believe we achieved that here, while also providing clear and concise law for our citizens.” Insofar as there are generally few criminal offenses committed by individuals under Eniarku’s de jure authority (as is the case for many micronations), the Criminal Code serves largely as a backstop; in contrast, the Civil Code will likely play a more prevalent role in the day-to-day activities of citizens.
Thursday’s meeting also saw the enactment of the Immigration and Citizenship Act (A.S. 2407), another novel statute by Eniarkian standards, to regulate the admission of immigrants through a new visa process, as well as provide paths to naturalization for residents born abroad. The law includes language requiring the Government to create accessible applications for these processes, a feature that several officials have suggested will be incorporated into the Government’s main website when updates resume, a process put on hold by administrators earlier this month.