Legislation Introduction Thread

[Frodo]

I say we should take control of both North and South Atlasia as the continents are both named after this country.

If you really want to take control of both continents, the best means of binding them to Atlasia is through trade.  It is more subtle than just acquiring them outright. 

[Frodo]

The Right to Life Amendment
The following shall be added to Article VI of the Constitution as Clause 16:

16. No Atlasian person may be deprived of their right to life under the uses of abortion, euthanasia, or capital punishment.

A. The practices of abortion, euthanasia, and capital punishment will be completely outlawed by the Government of Atlasia.

B. The definitions of the terms in Clause B are as follows:
Abortion:  The termination of pregnancy and expulsion of an embryo or of a fetus that is incapable of survival.
Euthanasia:  The act or practice of ending the life of an individual suffering from a illness or an incurable condition, as by lethal injection or the suspension of extraordinary medical treatment, also referred to in this law as "assisted suicide."
Capital Punishment:  The penalty of death for the commission of a crime.

C.  Any person who violates this law by administering an abortion or an assisted suicide shall be sentenced to twenty-five years in prison; if the law is violated a second time they shall be sentenced to life inprisonment without the possibility of parole.

D.  Any regional government that continues to execute convicted criminals following the ratification of this law shall have all federal funding for roads and highways rebuked.

E.  All criminals currently sentenced to death in Atlasia are commuted to life inprisonment without the possibility of parole following the ratification of this amendment.

F.  This law will be administered by the Office of the Attorney General.

G.  This law will take effect upon its ratification by the regions.

Isn't this an amendment best left to the regions to decide as they see fit, rather than imposed by the federal government?

[Frodo]

(1)The sentence of any person convicted of a capital felony and sentenced prior to the effective date of this bill to a sentence of death is commuted to a sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of release.
(2)The maximum term of an indeterminate sentence shall be fixed by the court and specified in the sentence as follows: (1) For a class A felony, life imprisonment; (2) for a class B felony, a term not to exceed twenty years; (3) for a class C felony, a term not to exceed ten years; (4) for a class D felony, a term not to exceed five years; (5) for an unclassified felony, a term in accordance with the sentence specified in the section of the general statutes that defines the crime; and (6) for a capital felony life imprisonment Without the possibility of parole.
(3)No person shall be put to plea or held to trial for any crime the punishment of which may be life imprisonment or life imprisonment without the possibility of release, unless an indictment has been found against such person for such crime by a grand jury legally impaneled and sworn, and no bill shall be presented by any grand jury unless at least twelve of the jurors agree to it.
(4)In any criminal prosecution in which the defendant has been sentenced to death and has taken an appeal to the Supreme Court of Atlasia or brought a writ of error, writ of certiorari or petition for a new trial, the taking of the appeal, the making of the application for a writ of certiorari or the return into court of the writ of error or petition for a new trial shall, unless, upon application by the attorney general and after hearing, the Supreme Court otherwise orders, stay the execution of the death penalty until the clerk of the court where the trial was had has received notification of the termination of any such proceeding by decision or otherwise, and for thirty days thereafter.

Assuming that the regions and the federal government operate their own prison systems (drawing on the US model), is this strictly for federal prisoners on death row, or does this also extend to those at the regional level as well? 

[Frodo]

Federal crimes

Then can you add a clause or section to your bill specifying exactly that -that this bill only affects those death row in-mates held in federal prisons, and will not infringe upon the prerogatives of the regions?