Magistrates are the representative voices of citizens within a settlement.
Alongside the responsibility to select and oath a worthy citizen as the crown
ruler (see HELP OATH), they also wield the power to veto the leader's
appointments to the Consul.
Issuing a Veto
When a new ruler is crowned, one of their first orders of business is often
to appoint a highly trusted left and right hand man, known as Consuls. Consuls
have powers nearly on par with the crown, and they serve to assist with
administration of the settlement.
In order to maintain a system of checks and balances, Magistrates have the
power to veto a Consul at any time using MAGISTRATE VETO <consul>. Once a
veto is issued against a Consul, it is in the hands of the other two Magistrates
to either confirm or override the veto. Only one of the other Magistrates need
agree with the veto for it to succeed, which they may do by also issuing the
MAGISTRATE VETO <consul> command.
When the majority of the Magistrates are in agreement of the veto, the Consul
will be stripped of their position and power immediately.
Each Magistrate may only issue a veto against one Consul at a time. If any
vetoes have been issued, Magistrates may review them by typing VETOES.
Retracting a Veto
If a Magistrate issues a veto in error, or changes their mind following the
issue of a veto, they may retract it by simply using MAGISTRATE UNVETO.
This will remove the mark against the Consul.
Crown and Magistrate Conflicts
It must be noted that such is the power of the crown, that they could reappoint
a vetoed Consul member. This would be done in direct defiance of the Magistrates
which represent the citizens, thus in direct defiance of the settlement on a
whole. Should this unfortunate abuse of power occur, the Magistrates are advised
to unoath the crown immediately to strip them of their powers.
With great power comes great responsibility, and government officials are
encouraged to be mindful of such and hold all responsible for the wellbeing
of the settlement and its citizens.