Lorell Hall

Template:Branch-Government Lorell Hall is a massive building in Chume'Dan on Hapes Prime, where the senior government officials meet to discuss policies of the Hapes Consortium with the Sovereign. The name Lorell Hall has become synonymous with Hapan Government. The Consortium maintains a constitutional monarchy in which all power lies with the Crown, but the rights of all citizens are protected by the Constitution. The Sovereign is the Head of State and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. The Prime Minister and Ministers of the Crown are appointed by the Sovereign to assist with the governance of the Consortium.

Lorell Hall is made up of several councils which aid and advise the Sovereign in ruling the the Hapes Cluster. The most important of which is the Royal Council, which is the main executive cabinet and legislative body of the Consortium.

The Constitution has several sources; its primary source is the Statute itself, however many customs and conventions also form part of the unwritten constitution.

History

For a more detailed history on the Hapan government and the various cabinets, see History of Lorell Hall.

Lorell Hall was completed and established as the central building for governance in the Hapes Consortium in 2449 during the Second Antiquity Era. The Consortium had previously been controlled from the Royal Hapan Palace where the Queen-Mother and her Royal Advisors would meet with nobility, senior officials and high ranking military officers on a frequent basis.

With the massive expansion of the Hapes Consortium during the Second Expansion Era some four hundred years later, the sheer number of people travelling to he Royal Hapan Palace had rendered the Hapan government sluggish and slow-paced. The creation of Lorell Hall helped relieve some of the pressure on the Queen-Mothers.

Lorell Hall continued to function in this capacity until the final days of the Decline Era when the councils and Hapes Consortium splintered. The building was utilized by the Sword Confederacy during the Dark Age for larger meetings, but the building, along with the rest of Ta'a Chume'Dan was the target of numerous large scale attacks, making it unsafe for periods of time.

During the Phoenix Age, Lorell Hall was used for short periods of time before being renovated in the final days of King Andrew's rule.

The Government

The Sovereign

The Sovereign of the Hapes Consortium holds all executive and legislative power over the governance of the Consortium. All formal actions executed by any the government at all levels are done so in the name of the Sovereign. The Sovereign is also inviolable, in that the Royal Council holds the responsibility of all actions executed by the government. The Sovereign holds exclusive authority to appoint ministers at all levels, at his discretion.

The Regent

The Regent of the Hapes Consortium serves as the administrator of Consortium, often alongside or in place of the Sovereign, and most commonly when the Sovereign is either absent, incapacitated or is a minor and unable to rule. The Regent serves directly under the Sovereign, and thus his authority and word is considered of the Sovereign's.

It is important to note that the Regent is not the Sovereign's hand-picked successor, or heir to the throne. In the case when the Sovereign can no longer rule, the Regent shall rule in his or her place until the heir to the throne is fit to rule.

The Royal Council

The Royal Council is the Sovereign's cabinet, and is tasked with assisting and advising the Sovereign in all affairs of governance. The Council consists of the Ministers of the Crown of their respective Hapan ministries, and is presided over by the Prime Minister. Aside from the Sovereign, the Royal Council is the highest executive body over the Hapes Consortium.

Prime Minister

The Prime Minister is chosen by the Sovereign to preside over the Royal Council. His responsibilies include the supervision of the Ministers of the Crown in their performance and work.

Ministry of Justice

The Ministry of Justice is responsible for the lawmaking process in the Hapes Consortium and also oversees the judiciary system, with the Minister of Justice acting as the Chief Justice of the Court of King's Bench. Awaiting reform, this ministry is currently frozen, with no representation in the Royal Council.

Ministry of External Affairs

The Ministry of External Affairs is responsible for the establishment of more formal relations between the Hapan government and members of the galactic community. The ministry also represents the government in talks with foreign parties, be it corporations or governments.

Ministry of Defence

The Ministry of Defence is devoted to the management and administration of the Royal Hapan Armed Forces. It bridges the gap between the Hapan government and the Armed Forces, being subordinate to the Sovereign, yet superior to the individual branch commanders.

Ministry of Industry

The Ministry of Industry was established to help organise the massive construction projects of the Hapes Consortium. It has since expanded to take over the role of many defunct departments, now managing everything from construction, management of natural resources, recruitment and hiring of the labour force, and overseeing the trade market.

Ministry of Finance

The Ministry of Finance was established in order to manage the financial transactions of the Hapan government. The ministry is also responsible for monthly wages of all echelons of the government and Royal Hapan Armed Forces.

Ministry of Intelligence

The Ministry of Intelligence is a continuation of the old independent intelligence bureau Royal Hapan Intelligence and is tasked with gathering information on potential threats against the Hapes Consortium, both external and internal and are also responsible for policing the Hapes Cluster.

Ministry of Culture

The Ministry of Culture was established out of the remnants of the Ministry of Education and is tasked with documenting Hapan history, languages, art, music and other elements of Hapan culture.

The Planetary Council

Upper Council - Chamber of Lords

The Chamber of Lords is the gathering of the Lords and Ladies of the Hapes Consortium, where they can discuss various issues pertaining to their ruling systems, such as budgets and development projects.

Lower Council - Curia

The Curia is the name given to the council of the regional governors, otherwise know as the Archons. It consists of the Archon of the Rifle Worlds, the Archon of the Rim Worlds, the Archon of the Interior region, and the Prime Minister, who is the ex officio Archon of the Capital system. The primary purpose of the Curia is the gathering of the Archons for the purpose of discussing inter-regional and/or Cluster-wide policies, legislature, and potential conflicts.

The Courts

Court of King's Bench

The Court of King's Bench is the highest court in the Hapes Consortium and functions as a court of judicial review, often hearing appeals of judgements rendered by lower-tiered courts. Its rulings cannot be challenge. It also acts as the constitutional court model, being responsible for the interpretation of the Consortium's Constitution.

Royal Advisors

The Sovereign sometimes appoints Royal Advisors to the Command Council and Royal Council. They are usually former government officials who now hold the title Lord and have retired from most official duties. While they are welcome to give their advice and support on matters addressed in the council, they do not have an actual vote, should the matter call for that.

Civil Service

The Civil Service was established as a bureaucratic work force available to the various ministries and departments of Lorell Hall and also as an alternative to service within the Royal Hapan Armed Forces. Since the lower levels are not restricted to any specific ministry, it makes a large work force available to all departments of the government rather than one specific department at a time.

Ombudsman

A Hapan citizen is elected in to the office of the Ombudsman every three months by the population of the Hapes Consortium. Campaigns are announced on the Hapan HoloNet for some time before the actual election where the ballot boxes are usually open for a three day period. The person elected can be anyone except a member of Lorell Hall.

The person elected functions as a link between the citizens of the Consortium and the government, relaying complaints, concerns and suggestions that hold merit. The office is also tasked with functioning as a morale officer for Hapans.

Luke Starfyre was the first elected Ombudsman and served two terms before being replaced by Tovakanipi Toshikhan. Aviana Badara was elected later on with Lionola Ayun as the second runner up, the former served for two terms. The current Ombudsman is Venik Olok

See Also

• History of Lorell Hall

References

• HNN announces Zell Jaak as Prime Minister
• King announces the appointment of Gane Lant as Deputy Prime Minister
• Zell Jaak's resignation and the appointment of Gane Lant as his successor