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1 Sovereign Defense & Crown Office Act OF THE SOVEREIGN MAGISTRAL ORDER OF THE TEMPLE OF SOLOMON Ordo Regius Magistralis Templi Solomonis Enacted by the Government and Ratified by the Grand Master (Act of 2009, as Amended in 2016) The text of this Act is the complete amended version, with all previous Acts, amendments, sovereign orders and administrative regulations fully incorporated, as consolidated from all traditional, customary and enacted sovereign protocols and laws of the Sovereign Magistral Order of the Temple of Solomon since 1118 AD. 2013, 2016 Sovereign Magistral Order of the Temple of Solomon. All International Rights Reserved. 2 Preamble Whereas, the Sovereign Magistral Order of the Temple of Solomon is a sovereign subject of international law, exercising governmental rights and authorities as a non-territorial principality of statehood, with legal and jurisdictional independence; Whereas, the chivalric, ecclesiastical, nobiliary and sovereign legitimacy of the Order, and juridical continuity from its original foundations, is established by documented facts of the historical record and by recognized doctrines of customary international law; Whereas, the proven historical purpose and established tradition of the Order is the function of knightly service under the sacred Code of Chivalry to defend the disadvantaged, protect the defenseless, and uphold the principles of good over evil for the advancement of civilization; Whereas, the primary interests and functions of the Order and its government consist of defending, upholding and advancing international law, human rights, the rule of law, and the collective heritage of humanity; Whereas, in the modern era those primary interests and functions of the Order are pervasively under offensive attack by state-sponsored terror organizations, state-supported criminal organizations, and corrupted state agencies and foreign governments, both overtly and covertly; Whereas, such systemic violations against the rule of law both warrant and require the strongest possible legal protections for the defense of the sovereignty, security, rights and operations of the Order and its Crown Officers; The Sovereign Magistral Order of the Temple of Solomon has enacted the present juridical law as a parliamentary Act, to provide for the national security and common defense of those whose protection and welfare depend upon the official activities of our sovereign principality. Article 1 Title & Enactment 1. The full title of this law shall be the "Sovereign Defense and Crown Office Act of 2009" (as amended in 2016). The short title shall be the "Crown Office Act" (hereinafter "Act"). 2. This public law is duly officially enacted by the Government of the Order of the Temple of Solomon (hereinafter "the Order") as a sovereign subject of international law, by approval of its titled officials of the Grand Mastery, and by ratification by His Most Eminent Highness the Prince Grand Master as Head of State. 3. The present Act comprises a fundamental body of public law defining the named sphere of sovereign rights and authorities of the non-territorial principality, and thus constitutes a binding multilateral contract and covenant between the Order, its Crown Officers and other Subjects, and all third parties of the general public and the international community. 3 4. The present Act also serves as public law providing benefits supporting the sovereign rights and authorities of the Ancient Catholic Church, possessing its own autonomous statehood as a sovereign subject of international law in its own right, as a Sister State under Ecclesiastical and Sovereign Patronage of the Order, under Constitution Article 12. For the purposes of this Act, wherever applicable in context, all references to the Order, its departments and governmental officials fully incorporate simultaneous or alternative reference to the Ancient Catholic Church, and its analogous departments and pontifical officials. Article 2 Status of Crown Officers 1. A "Crown Officer" of the Order is defined as any person within the sovereign governance of the Prince Grand Master who holds a titled position as Grand Officer (of the Grand Mastery), Magistral Officer (of the parliamentary Government), Diplomatic Agent, Consular Official or Crown Delegate, sovereign Nobility of the Order, any special chivalric Title of Office of the Order under the Constitution Article 15.9, or any official Office of Government under the Constitution Article 15.12. 2. Holding title of office as a Crown Officer of the Order is separate from and does not require direct participation in the chivalric or ecclesiastical aspects of the Order. (Constitution, Article 16.1) 3. Due to the multifaceted aspects of the Order as a secular state government, ecclesiastical authority, sovereign house of nobility, historical institution, cultural and humanitarian organization, the scope of official functions for all Crown Officers is not limited to the apparent authority implied by their customary titles. 4. It is hereby established by law, that the sphere of official capacity of all Crown Officers fully extends to many areas overlapping with the otherwise "personal" lives of those state officials, including ostensibly "social" meetings, all forms of ecclesiastical activity, professional "networking" through consulting or contracting, and supporting "commercial" activity for the purpose of generating funds to support non-profit or governmental operations, as well as all travel or transport to and from such events. 5. It is further established by law, that work for any non-profit organizations, and participation in any spiritual or religious groups or activities, which are related to the historical missions, governmental interests and functions of the Order, whether on a paid or volunteer basis, also constitute officially sanctioned activities within the scope of official functions of all Crown Officers. 6. All Crown Officers, regardless of the ostensible nature or implied sphere of their formally issued Title of Office, are also charged with standing orders to remain on reserve status as officers of state security, such that they may be called upon at any time to implement, support or assist the defense of the Order as a sovereign subject of international law. 4 Article 3 Credentials of Crown Officers 1. Due to the long-term context of the sovereign governmental, ecclesiastical, chivalric and nobiliary responsibilities of the Order as a historical institution, appointments and issuance of Title of Office to Crown Officers are effected on a long-term basis. Official appointments and credentials may be issued to Crown Officers on a lifetime basis, or indefinitely without any expiration date. However, all such documents issued by the Order to all Crown Officers are subject to revocation at the will of the Sovereign Grand Master. 2. All credentials issued to Crown Officers, including identifying documents and any appurtenant materials and accessories, constitute the exclusive physical property of the Order, inherently carrying a strict obligation to return the property to the Order immediately upon termination or discontinuation of active status of the type indicated on the printed components of those materials. Failure or refusal to honour an official request to return credentials, by physically returning the materials within 30 days, carries a penalty of 10,000 GBP for each instance, in addition to all other applicable penalties arising under both civil and criminal law. 3. By force of international law, all official credentials of Crown Officers must be honoured by foreign authorities when presented, with all related rights and privileges effectively invoked at the moment of presentation of credentials. 4. For subsequent verification or confirmation of the current active status of issued credentials, beyond the statutory presumption of legitimate long-term validity, any interested foreign authority may submit an inquiry to the Order (through its official website). The Order will issue a written statement in reply, within a reasonable timeframe without undue delay. Article 4 Status of Diplomatic & Consular Officials 1. Appointment as a Diplomatic Agent, Consular Official or Crown Delegate of the Order is separate from and does not require direct participation in the chivalric or ecclesiastical aspects of the Order. (Constitution, Article 16.1.) 2. Service as a Diplomatic Agent, Consular Official or Crown Delegate is separate from and does not require holding Nationality in the Order as a nation-state. (Constitution, Article 8.3) Crown Officers may engage in Diplomatic service for the Order as a professional or career undertaking, based upon possessing relevant qualifications. 3. Holding a Passport of Nationality in the Order is reserved solely for the separate and limited purpose of having a valid travel document for practical use in international travel, and is not a requirement of Diplomatic service. By force of international law, Diplomatic privileges and immunities are fully and effectively invoked by presentation of Diplomatic credentials, without any requirement for a Passport travel document. (UN Convention on Diplomatic Relations, Articles 1, 3.1(a), 47.1, 13.) 4. Diplomatic Agents, Consular Officials or Crown Delegates of the Order as a sovereign subject of international law shall generally be selected and appointed based upon the following criteria: 5 A. Candidates for Diplomatic appointment must possess professional skills, expertise and qualifications in one or more areas relevant to the functions and purposes of their official capacity as a Crown Officer. Diplomatic appointments are granted only to a qualified individual with sufficient capabilities to effectively perform a relevant diplomatic or consular function, as determined by the Government. This element can be satisfied by the candidate submitting a full and complete curriculum vitae (CV) with applicable supporting credentials for review and approval by the Government. B. Candidates for Diplomatic appointment must demonstrate professional understanding of the history, cultural heritage, juridical bases, and sovereignty under international law of the Order, sufficient to effectively and professionally represent the Order as a principality of statehood, and to promote its lawful interests, powers and authorities, as well as its contributions to humanity and the advancement of civilization. This element can be satisfied by the candidate signing a formal Affidavit and Certification stating that (s)he has carefully read, thoroughly studied, and fully understood: (1) the Temple Rule as the founding Charter of the Order, (3) the Constitution of the Order, (3) all Acts and Laws the Order, and (4) all Templar Skills Training materials of the Order. C. Candidates for Diplomatic appointment must meet an additional qualifying requirement, that of demonstrating leadership in philanthropy, by substantial economic sponsorship of non-profit humanitarian projects supported by the Order. (Constitution, Article 21.4-21.5). This element can be satisfied by the candidate making, or by directly causing or arranging, a fully tax-deductible financial contribution directly to a non-profit organization indicated in writing by the Government at the time of appointment, in an amount to be mutually determined with the approval of the Government. 5. As exceptions to the non-profit philanthropy criteria in Section C of the present Article: The Government may authorize a waiver of Section C in particular cases, if the candidate is unable to contribute or procure direct sponsorship, but otherwise convincingly demonstrates capability of and commitment to philanthropic leadership by undertaking fundraising activities; The Sovereign Grand Master at his sole discretion may waive Section C in unique cases, if the candidate demonstrates extraordinary qualifications under Section A or B, and if other compelling interests of the Order necessitate expedited Diplomatic appointment. 6. Candidates for Diplomatic appointment may be nominated by any Grand Officer of the Grand Mastery or any Magistral Officer of the Government, which in turn may be based upon recommendation and referral by any Crown Officer. To receive status with Diplomatic Credentials, a candidate must be approved by a simple majority (more than 50%) vote of the Government, followed by official ratification and royal appointment by the Sovereign Grand Master. 7. Diplomatic appointments shall be issued for a period of 5 years, with renewal subject to review of continued qualification under the initial issuing criteria, such renewals to be issued for subsequent periods of 5 years. Diplomatic appointments are subject to revocation only on constitutional grounds or on the grounds of any substantial violation of the Laws of the Order. (Constitution, Article 22, Article 23.3.) 6 Article 5 Diplomatic Service as Amnesty & Asylum 1. As a sovereign subject of international law not having a central body of sovereign land as territory analogous to a "country", the means and capacity of the Order for granting physical asylum and sanctuary to persecuted persons is practically limited to its official Embassy premises operating in foreign countries, as may be established from time to time, and thus may be subject to visa protocols of the host countries for access to Embassy facilities. 2. Notwithstanding the physical limitations of Embassy premises, the Order has the juridical capacity as a sovereign state to grant broader legal protection of amnesty and asylum to political dissidents and victims of human rights violations located in foreign territories, by exercising its lawful authority to grant Diplomatic status as a Crown Officer to such persecuted persons. Such official status may be granted whenever it is reasonably expected to be effective in protecting persecuted persons while residing in or travelling between foreign countries. 3. The use of Diplomatic service as a form of legal and political amnesty and asylum, as a program, shall be based upon mandatory fulfillment of all normal requirements for Diplomatic appointment as established by the present Act. 4. Any person granted Diplomatic appointment as a means of amnesty and asylum shall agree to genuinely serve in that official role as a Crown Officer on behalf of the Order as a sovereign principality of statehood. Such role shall include assisting and facilitating protection for other political dissidents, victims of human rights violations or persecuted persons, in addition to contributing to the sovereign operations of the Order other relevant skills and expertise which may be possessed by such person. Article 6 Privilege & Protection of Crown Officers 1. All Crown Officers, as natural persons, are protected by sovereign immunity against any and all civil or criminal liabilities, lawsuits or charges, directly or indirectly arising from, relating or incidental to the performance of their official functions. 2. No foreign country, government, state agency or court shall presume to impose their own conceptions of "official capacity", and no interpretation of what constitutes "official functions" shall contradict the provisions of the present legislative Act, as applied to all Crown Officers of the Order. 3. In the event of any uncertainty in particular cases, for the avoidance of debate or dispute as to what in fact constitutes officially sanctioned activities within the lawful scope of official authority acting in an official capacity, any interested foreign authority shall submit an inquiry to the Order (through its official website). The Government, either itself, through an appropriate Ministry or by the Office of the Crown Registrar, will issue a written determination in reply, within a reasonable timeframe without undue delay. Only the Government alone shall autonomously determine whether or not the activity in question falls within the authority of protected official conduct. 7 4. Due to the rarity and uniqueness of the historical form of non-territorial principality of the Order, being characterized by a traditionally small body of governing officials, the role of all Crown Officers is broader in scope and higher in significance than may appear from their customary titles. Accordingly, all Crown Officers who additionally hold Diplomatic Credentials are legally deemed "High Officials" of the government of the Order for the purposes of international law. By force of international law, such Crown Officers hold absolute immunity, which is wholly exempt from any scrutiny by any foreign authorities of the scope of their official functions and official capacity. (ICJ Congo v. Belgium, 51-55.) 5. In the event that, due to discretion of modesty or operational confidentiality, the sovereign status of a Crown Officer is not disclosed directly by presentation of credentials nor indirectly by public constructive notice, foreign authorities shall not have liability for willful or negligent violation of privileges and immunities of the Crown Officer. However, once pre- existing official status of a Crown Officer prior to the adverse action is disclosed, whether by direct or public notice, the resulting invocation of sovereign privileges and immunities shall have absolute and immediate effect, applying retroactively, such that any adverse action against the Crown Officer must be terminated, retracted and corrected by all foreign officials involved. 6. It shall be a criminal offense for any private person or foreign official, also carrying liability for any private organization, quasi-governmental entity or government entity of which such person or official is an agent, to disregard, undermine or otherwise violate the protected rights, status, privileges and immunities of any Crown Officer as established under conventional or customary international law. 7. Jurisdiction over any criminal offenses against a Crown Officer is vested in the sovereign judiciary as the Magistral Courts of Justice or any appointed Court of Record of the Order. (Constitution, Articles 23-25.) The provisions of the Sovereign Protection and Rule of Law Act of 2010 shall apply to such criminal charges and legal proceedings, in addition to the provisions of the present Act. Article 7 Authorization of Self Defense for Crown Officers 1. Crown Officers are reasonably expected to foreseeably be in a position to exercise sovereign authority, or to take official action, which directly results in protection of the physical safety and security of other Crown Officers or Subjects of the Order, or of other persons seeking asylum and sanctuary with the Order, including those who may be under imminent threat of bodily harm. Crown Officers whose titles or specialties may otherwise appear to be unrelated to security may be called upon at any time to exercise their official capacity for such protective or defensive purposes, in connection with various humanitarian projects of the Order related to upholding and enforcing human rights and the rule of law against unlawful adversity. 2. Due to the diverse nature of powers and authorities of Crown Officers of the Order, any threat or act of unlawful interference with the rights and authorities of a Crown Officer, hindrance of the performance or effectiveness of official functions or activities, or sabotage of operational capabilities, is deemed to constitute a clear and present danger of imminent or inevitable bodily harm to Subjects or protected persons under the sovereignty or temporary asylum of the Order as a principality of statehood. 8 3. It is hereby established by law (on the basis of the legal facts set forth above in the present Article), that any threat or act of unlawful interference, hindrance or sabotage made to, against, about, pertaining to, or in the presence of a Crown Officer, thereby triggers and invokes the right to "self defense", which fully includes the legal doctrine of "defense of others". 4. It is further established by law, that in the event that a Crown Officer has a reasonable belief based upon credible information of the occurrence or existence of any unlawful threat or act, if such official in good faith has any reason to believe that the threat or act is likely to result in bodily harm to the official or to any innocent third person, whether directly or indirectly, whether imminently or inevitably, then such Crown Officer is fully authorized to use armed or lethal force (including by use of lawful firearms), if deemed necessary to prevent or deter the expected harm, in lawful and justified self defense or defense of others. Article 8 Jurisdiction and Scope of Crown Proceedings 1. Notwithstanding sovereign immunities of the Government and Crown Officers of the Order, the Order as a sovereign principality and its Crown Officers may be subject to legal process exclusively within the provisions of the present Act. 2. Legal standing for any claim against a Crown Officer is limited exclusively to officially recognized Nationals or other Subjects of the Order. No other third parties shall have legal standing to bring any claim. Any claim of such parties which by force of international law are subject to exclusive application of the present Act are thereby extinguished, and cannot be the subject of any process by any foreign state. 3. Subject matter of any claims against a Crown Officer is limited exclusively to liabilities arising from obligations, duties or actions, as established by the Bill of Rights (Constitution, Article 28) and traditional jurisprudence at common law. 4. Jurisdiction over any and all civil claims or criminal complaints against a Crown Officer is exclusively vested in the sovereign Judiciary as the Magistral Courts of Justice or any appointed Court of Record of the Order. (Constitution, Articles 23-25.) 5. While Crown Officers may be the subject of legal process, obligated to respond for the administration of Justice, they shall not have any personal civil liability to any private claimants, nor any criminal liability to any foreign state, but rather the Order itself shall honour and satisfy any judicial awards resulting from a civil claim, and only the Order itself may enforce any punitive measures resulting from criminal charges. 6. Crown Officers shall have personal liability only to the Order itself, such that the Order may privately bring a claim against its own Crown Officer for any damages incurred by the Order in satisfying a judgment award to third parties arising from any breach of obligations or liabilities created from any unauthorized actions by the Crown Officer. 9 Enactment & Ratification The present Sovereign Defense and Crown Office Act of 2009, as Amended in 2016, is hereby fully enacted and ratified, in accordance with Article 20 of the Constitution, by the following legal acts of the Government and Grand Mastery: Enacted by the Government: ____________________________________ 03 March 2016 His Excellency Viscount Michael Henry Dunn Grand Commander as Chairman of the Government Sovereign Magistral Order of the Temple of Solomon Ratified by Magistral Assent of the Grand Master: ____________________________________ 03 March 2016 His Most Eminent Highness Prince Matthew of Thebes Sovereign Grand Master as Head of State Sovereign Magistral Order of the Temple of Solomon
