Constitution of the Kingdom of Cascadia
Deeply mindful of our responsibilities before God and the people of our sovereign states and communities, we the representatives of the people of Alaska, British Columbia, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and the Yukon, submit to the people of those states this
ARTICLE I: THE FORMATION OF THE KINGDOM OF CASCADIA
Section 1. Commonwealths.
A. The peoples of the sovereign communities of Alaska, British Columbia, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and the Yukon, come together voluntarily to form a confederation, to be called ‘The Kingdom of Cascadia.’
B. The sovereign communities comprising the Kingdom of Cascadia shall be known for the purpose of this Constitution as ‘Commonwealths.’ The use of this term does not bind those communities to any form or style of government that may otherwise be implied by the use of that term. The Commonwealths retain their sovereignty in all matters consistent with individual rights, though certain powers are delegated to the Kingdom for the duration of the confederation established by this Constitution. They thus exercise all rights which are not entrusted to the Kingdom, including the right of secession from this confederation.
C. New Commonwealths may be admitted by Parliament into this confederation, upon their agreeing to this Constitution by a vote of their legislature or people. No new Commonwealth shall be created within the jurisdiction of another Commonwealth, nor shall any Commonwealth be formed by the junction of two or more Commonwealths, or parts of Commonwealths, without the consent of the Legislatures of the Commonwealths concerned.
Section 2. Status of this Constitution.
A. This Constitution of the Kingdom of Cascadia, and the laws made in execution of it, shall be the supreme law of the confederation, and the sole foundation for the exercise of executive, legislative, and judicial power by the Kingdom of Cascadia; the judges of every Commonwealth shall be bound hereby, anything in the constitution or laws of any Commonwealth notwithstanding. The Constitution of the United States and the Constitution Act (1982) of Canada are hereby repealed within the Kingdom of Cascadia.
B. All treaties made, or which shall be made, under the authority of the Kingdom of Cascadia, shall also constitute the supreme law, except that the Kingdom of Cascadia shall not assent to any treaty or agreement that either weakens or supersedes this Constitution or any portion thereof.
C. Any law, convention, legal precedent, or constitutional practice or usage in force immediately before or at the time of the enactment of this Constitution that is inconsistent with this Constitution shall, upon the ratification of this Constitution, cease to have effect to the extent of the inconsistency.
D. The use in this Constitution of the pronouns ‘he,’ him,’ and ‘his’ should be understood as referring to males and females equally.
Section 3.
The Seat of Government of the Kingdom of Cascadia shall be the city of Victoria, on Vancouver Island, in the Commonwealth of British Columbia. The Commonwealth of British Columbia hereby agrees to lease to the Kingdom of Cascadia for a period of ninety-nine years the Parliament Buildings and Government House in Victoria, for the use of the national Government.
Section 4.
The flag of the Kingdom of Cascadia shall be a horizontal bicolour of dark green over white. In the upper hoist shall be a circle of five-pointed white stars, the number of stars corresponding to the number of Commonwealths in the Kingdom. [Section changed by Third Amendment.]
Section 5.
Parliament shall have the power to dispose of and make all necessary rules and regulations respecting the territory or other property belonging to this Kingdom; and nothing in this Constitution shall be so construed as to prejudice any claims of the Kingdom of Cascadia, or of any Commonwealth.
ARTICLE II: RIGHTS RETAINED BY THE COMMONWEALTHS
Section 1.
Within ten days of the adoption of this Constitution, the legislatures of each of the ratifying Commonwealths shall provide for the election of Constitutional Conventions. Each Commonwealth Convention shall draft a new constitution for its Commonwealth, or amend its existing constitution, sufficient to respect and preserve the economic and political rights of the people as defined in this Constitution, and carry out the other responsibilities herein defined.
Section 2. Partnership Among the Commonwealths, and Between the Commonwealths and the Kingdom.
A. The Kingdom of Cascadia shall guarantee to each Commonwealth in this confederation its territory, its sovereignty within the limits consented to in this Constitution, and a government that respects the political, property, and economic rights detailed in this Constitution. The Kingdom of Cascadia shall protect each Commonwealth against invasion.
B. The citizens of each Commonwealth shall be entitled to all privileges and immunities of the citizens in the several Commonwealths. No citizen shall be prevented from entering, traveling through, settling in, or leaving any other Commonwealth.
C. A person charged with a crime in any Commonwealth who shall flee from justice and be found in another Commonwealth shall, on demand of the executive authority of the Commonwealth from which he fled, be delivered up to be removed to the Commonwealth having jurisdiction of the crime. No Commonwealth shall grant asylum to, or otherwise harbor, anyone who has fled justice in another Commonwealth.
D. In all cases where clear distinction of administrative or executive jurisdiction between Kingdom and Commonwealth agencies is unclear, the Royal Court of Appeals of the Kingdom of Cascadia and all lower courts are hereby instructed to rule in favor of the Commonwealths.
E. No Commonwealth shall enter into any treaty, alliance, or confederation with another Commonwealth; pass any law impairing the obligation of contracts; or exercise any of the powers granted solely to Parliament or the Sovereign in this Constitution. [Section changed by First Amendment.]
F. No Commonwealth shall lay a tax on confederation property or personnel save by consent of Parliament.
Section 3.
Each Commonwealth retains the right and power, as a sovereign political community, to withdraw from this confederation without interference from the Kingdom government or any other Commonwealth. The Kingdom may not employ any military or economic means to compel a Commonwealth to remain in the confederation. Former Commonwealths wishing to rejoin this confederation may do so using the procedure described in Article I, Section 1 of this Constitution.
