Hearing: Temporal, Cultural and Societal Non-Interference Bill

[Vedek Tabor]

Councilors, I hereby bring up the following bill for a hearing before the Sub-Council. No less than 72 hours for debate and consideration of amendments.

Temporal and Cultural Non-Interference Bill

Counselor Kalix of Trill submits:

A bill where a Non-Interference Law similar to Starfleet General Order 1 will be put in place, to make sure that there are no changes in the timeline, paradoxes, Interference in the internal affairs of another society, and or societies possesing scientific or technological knowledge or equipment that they are not wise enough as a society to posses.

BE IT ENACTED by the Federation Council and with the consent of the President of the United Federation of Planets as follows:

Section I: Title

This Bill shall be referred to as the "Temporal, Cultural and Societal Non-Interference Bill"

Section II: Prohibitions

1: Providing knowledge of other inhabited worlds (even if individuals or governments in the society were already aware of such) to peoples who had not started using warp technology.
2: Providing knowledge of technologies or science to a culture that does not posses faster than light travel.
3: Taking actions that support one faction, culture or government within a society over another.
4: Helping a society escape the negative consequences of their own actions.
5: Helping a society escape a natural disaster when the society knew about its existence before it occured.
6: Intefering in the internal affairs of another society.
7: Contacting a society that does not have faster than light travel.

Section III: Prohibitions relating to temporal travel

1: Interferance in historical events is prohibited.
2: If transported to the past, It is prohibited to discuss or mention to the inhabitants of that time the true temporal origin of the person or group of people from the future.
3: If transported to the future, it is prohibited discuss what happens in the future to people after returning to the present time.

Section IV: Exceptions in this bill

1: Reffering to Part 5, Section II "Helping a society escape a natural disaster when the society knew about its existence before it occured.", this can only be done if said society posseses faster than light travel and or formally has requested assistance.
2: Reffering to Part 1, Section III "Interferance in historical events is prohibited.", this can only be done if interference is neccesary to maintain and preserve the timeline.
3: Reffering to Part 3, Section III "If transported to the future, it is prohibited discuss what happens in the future to people after returning to the present time.", this can only be done if that knowledge absolutely neccesary to maintain Federation Security.
4: The only way someone can be pardoned from getting prosecuted due to breaking these laws, there must be a vote in the federation council and the president has to approve this pardon aswell.
5. This bill shall not allow nullifying the Guaranteed rights of Federation citizens, nor to prevent enforcement of the Guarantees.

Section V: Enactment

This bill will become law once it is constitutionally enacted.

[Vedek Tabor]

The Chair also extends an invitation to the Bill Sponsor to address the committee at any time during this process.

[Toran Kalix]

I would like to make some changes, if the council permits me to do so.

I would like to remove Part 4, Section II "Helping a society escape the negative consequences of their own actions."
I would also like to add a part in Section IV which will be as follows:

5: Reffering to Part 6, Section II "Intefering in the internal affairs of another society.", this can be done if the person doing this has permission from said society.

I would also like to change Part 1, Section IV, "Reffering to Part 5, Section II "Helping a society escape a natural disaster when the society knew about its existence before it occured.", this can only be done if said society posseses faster than light travel and or formally has requested assistance."
I would like to change this to the following:

1: Reffering to Part 5, Section II "Helping a society escape a natural disaster when the society knew about its existence before it occured.", this can only be done if said society posseses faster than light travel and or have had a referendum or a similar mechanism on weather or not to request assistance from the Federation.

[Vedek Tabor]

I will take the Councilor's request as a motion to amend by Unanimous Consent, as he is not a formal member of this sub-council at this time. 24 hours for any members to object.

[Idris]

I object. There was no unanimous consent required last time. You cannot be so blatantly partisan in your decisions.

[Vedek Tabor]

The objection is heard. Councilor, since you are not a member of the sub-council and Councilor Idris has objected to a request to suspend the rules to allow you offering amendments to your bill in the sub-council, I regret that they cannot be considered.

The Counselor from Delta is called to order for her remarks towards the Chair. I would remind her that the Councilor from Trill is from another party than myself, so any accusation about partisanship on my part is not only illogical but also factually incorrect. I will allow 24 hours for this hearing to continue before proceeding to a vote on whether or not to refer the bill to the full council.

[Idris]

When you claim a privilege for yourself, but deny it a member of the other party, the matter of partisanship become a matter of fact.

[Idris]

I shall tell a bit of a story, which eventually touches on this bill. The planet Cyndriel, called by some Betazed, once was the site of a conflict between the gods and the demons. The gods won, and in the process founded the thirteen houses, each embodying a god or group of gods, a virtue, one church in a pantheon of churches, and these houses together acted as what we would call a government. These stood until the Federation considered their membership.

At the time, the Federation considered the separation of church and state to be essential. They would not admit Cyndriel membership unless they changed their culture to conform to the principle. This doctrine has passed into history. As I think the Vedec will admit, the Federation allows cultures to combine religious and government functions today. For example, a priest is allowed to become a president, not just of a member culture, but of the Federation.

But in talking to the Cyndriel consulate staff, they are very interested in seeing this bill passed. They are considering changing their culture back. The Federation nor any of it’s agencies could effect a change in their culture. Nothing the Council could do could effect what Cyndriel does to their culture.

Think about it. I am inclined to favor this bill, but think about it. It significantly effects the ability of this Council to promote a given cultural trait. It means any bill which could be construed as changing the culture becomes optional on a member by member basis. The member planet could just say no. Taxes also could become skewed. A member which cared deeply about its culture could reject Council promoted changes, but would they still be required to pay for bills which result in cultural change?

Do the guarantees effect the culture whose members are given rights defined by the Federation? Would this bill forbid the Federation from enforcing the guarantees on a planet whose culture is modified to conflict with them? Is, thus, this bill unconstitutional?

Think about it.

[Vedek Tabor]

When you claim a privilege for yourself, but deny it a member of the other party, the matter of partisanship become a matter of fact.

Councilor,

Only members of the committee can propose amendments unless unanimous consent is adopted. I would sign an executive order today to add the Councilor from Trill to this sub-council, but no doubt it would cause an uproar with some in this chamber--including the Councilor from Delta. Naturally, he is welcome to make amendments on the full council floor if the bill is called up there.

I remind the Council that members of the public are watching these proceedings and expect better behavior from their elected representatives. I encourage the Council to remember the importance of respect and decorum in our proceedings.

[Idris]

I am about to offer an amendment. Note, I have waited for the 24 hours to pass without objection, so that am intending to amend the changed bill.

In Section IV, the exceptions section, I would add the following exception to improve constitutionality. The intent is to avoid conflict with existing law.

“5. This bill shall not allow nullifying the Guaranteed rights of Federation citizens, nor to prevent enforcement of the Guarantees.”

I would encourage committee members to think of any other culture changing Federation law so that we may consider more exceptions. I have not thought of any I would so exclude.

Note, while this bill is not obviously partisan, the friendly amendment and the above amendment were discussed in the Federalist caucus.