Government of Sivad (Classic Journeys Era)

The Government of Sivad is the body that governs Sivad and its colonies. Sivad is a unitary state, a constitutional monarchy and a liberal democracy. It does not have a codified constitution. The structure of its government broadly echoes the government of the United Kingdom on 20th Century Earth.

Sovereign
Main Article: Sivadian monarch

The King or Queen of Sivad is the head of state of the Kingdom of Sivad. The roots of the monarchy can be traced back to King Franklin I, who unified Sivad under his banner following the end of the Kretonian Occupation. While the power of the monarchy has dimished since that time as Sovereigns continued to hand over power to the people's elected representatives, the King's powers, known as the royal perogative, are still extensive. Most perogative powers are exercised by ministers and civil servants in the name of the Crown, though some, such as the power to dissolve parliament, are exercised by the King himself on the advice of his First Councillor and cabinet.

It has long been the rule under Sivad's unwritten constitution that the political power is ultimately exercised by the Parliament, with the King and the Council of Peers having largely ceremonial roles. The government is in the gift of the King, though by convention he is bound to appoint as First Councillor the person who can command the majority of support in the Council of Equals.

Since the Isherwood Restoration of King Richard I, the balance of power has shifted ever so slightly back towards the monarch, due to a number of circumstances including the King's enormous personal popularity and several incidents which have reflected negatively on the Council of Equals. The King has, for exampled, been forced to withhold the royal assent when the government of Paul Moncrief proposed the Specialist Emancipation Act.

The current King of Sivad is Richard I, who is the son of Franklin I, the first King of Sivad. He acceeded to the throne in June 3002. He is married to Queen Ashley, who was briefly monarch when it was believed the King was dead. Under the Sivadian Act of Settlement of 3005, the succession to the throne will pass to the firstborn child of Richard and Ashley, or to the eldest heir in the line of Franklin I.

Judiciary
Main Article: Sivadian legal system

Sivad has a comprehensive system of common law courts, with seperate systems of courts for criminal and civil matters. The Council of Peers is the highest court of Kingdom of Sivad, taking only the most important cases that will effect the law of the entire Kingdom. Below the Council are the courts of the Supreme Court of Judiciature of Sivad, the most important of which is the High Court of Sivad, which is the ordinary court of final appeal. Below the High Court, the Court of Appeals and the Court of the Third Circle hear appeals from Civil and Criminal cases, respectively. Sivad's trial courts of general jurisdiction, that is, those empowered to hear all indictable criminal matters or civil suits for any amount of damages, are called the Court of the Second Circle and the Court of the Common Law, respectively. Below these are courts of limited jurisdiction, the Courts of the First Instance, which hear both minor criminal and civil matters.

List of government departments

 * Department of Culture, Media, Tourism and Sport
 * The Admiralty
 * Department of Health
 * Department of Trade and Industry
 * Foreign and Colonies Office
 * Home Office
 * Ministry of Specialist Affairs
 * Treasury Department