====== Hearing Regarding International Relations ======

<data !story>
Description [wiki]       : The Veolian Commonwealth accuses the Astrian Colonial Authority of negotiating in bad faith, and requests a ruling on their right to assign a representative they see fit to represent them
Forum [forum]*           : 2333, 2374, 2375, 2389
Type*                    : Politics
Characters [ref]*        : 
Factions [ref]*          : 
Locations [ref]*         : Senate, Ministry of Justice
Start Date [date]        : 2014-10-09
End Date [date]          : 2015-08-06
Related Stories [ref]*   : 
Story Teller [ref::user] : 
</data>
<data faction_reward #Reward: Senate Discussion>
Story [ref]: [[]]
Faction [ref]*: Astrian Colonial Authority, Praetorian Empire, Veolian Commonwealth
Influence: 1
</data>
<data faction_reward #Reward: Hearing Participation>
Story [ref]: [[]]
Faction [ref]*: Sundarian Federation, Teprogrenaian Consensus, Astrian Colonial Authority, Praetorian Empire, Veolian Commonwealth
Influence: 2
</data>

Based on private correspondence between [[Characters~Serrah]] and [[Characters~Kachiso Doshima]], where Serrah feels insulted by the astrian senator, the [[Factions~Veolian Commonwealth]] accuses the [[Factions~Astrian Colonial Authority]] of negotiating in bad faith. Further, they request a ruling from the [[Ministry of Justice]] on the issue of a world's sovereignty to assign any representatives they see fit, and whether another Union world can declare a representative unfit to represent their world.

At the same time, [[Serrah]] raises the issue of the insult in the Senate which leads to some discussion on the matter, and eventually an apology from the [[Characters~Lord-Master]] of the Astrian Colonial Authority. Serrah accepts the apology, leaving only the hearing to be decided.

===== Hearing =====
At the hearing investigator [[Characters~Pilos]] quickly gets to the bottom of the accusation of negotiations in bad faith. The Veolian Commonwealth withdraws their accusation of negotiating in bad faith, after which the hearing is suspended for a while before second part of the hearing commences.

In the second part of the hearing investigator Pilos investigates the interpretation of international law regarding the sovereignty in the assignment of representatives.

The Veolian Commonwealth pose that any Union member has the sovereign right to assign as representative any individual they choose, and that this choice can not be countermanded by any Union member. They base their argument on the principle that each member world may assign a senator by their own customs, and that in parallel the same should hold for representatives, even if such is not explicitly stated so in law.

After Pilos asked several questions of Serrah on the position of the Commonwealth he opened the floor for other Union worlds to state their position:
  * [[Characters~Lonco Morubixaba]] (of the [[Factions~High Chiefdom of Skuldda]]) believes that a representative should be representative for the people he represents
  * [[Characters~Peinaili]] (of the [[Factions~Sundarian Federation]]) states her support for the Veolian position
  * [[Characters~Tassar]] (of the [[Factions~Teprogrenaian Consensus]]) states his support for the Veolian position
  * [[Characters~Ardios Eldrilith]] (of the [[Factions~Praetorian Empire]]) is of the opinion that refusing to talk with a negotiator can not be separated from political consequences
  * [[Characters~Kachiso Doshima]] (of the [[Factions~Astrian Colonial Authority]]) states that a nation is not obliged to provide any reason for breaking of negotiations and as such there is no such thing as having 'no right to break off negotiations'

After considering the various testimonies and declarataions the Minister of Justice, [[Characters~Mathi-ey C'b'rton]] pronounces the [[Ruling on Representatives in International Relations]] which shall stand until such a time as the Senate creates law to overwrite it.