Article I — Reconstitution #
Proposed · 6 clauses
I.1 — Purpose. Neo Rome is a voluntary civic association dedicated to the study and renewal of Roman civic life through published law, public service, deliberation, and common institutions. Its authority within the association arises from the consent of its citizens.
I.2 — Constitutional order. This Code is the highest internal rule of the association, subject to applicable law. Assembly resolutions and administrative rules must conform to it. Roman titles describe offices created under this Code; historical sources inform interpretation without independently conferring powers.
I.3 — Founding adoption. At least five eligible adults may constitute the founding assembly. The complete proposed Code, the list of consenting founders, and the proposed meeting arrangements must be circulated to every founder at least fourteen days before adoption. Adoption requires the recorded assent of every person entering the founding compact; a person who declines remains outside the association. Adoption takes effect when at least five assents and the adopted text are entered in the Public Record.
I.4 — First institutions. Within thirty days of adoption, the founders shall elect the officers described in Article IV using the ordinary voting rules below. Until then, a coordinator chosen by a majority of the founders may arrange meetings and preserve records. The coordinator may neither collect common funds nor impose disciplinary sanctions. This temporary mandate ends after thirty days.
I.5 — The assembly. Every citizen has one vote in the general assembly, which may meet and vote online. An ordinary meeting or written ballot requires seven days’ notice, the full text of each proposal, and a voting period of at least seven days. At least half of eligible citizens, rounded upward, must participate for a quorum. Unless this Code provides a higher threshold, a proposal passes with more than half of valid votes cast for or against it. Abstentions count toward quorum only; a tie defeats the proposal.
I.6 — Participation and notice. The voting register is fixed when notice is issued. Every admitted citizen aged eighteen or above is eligible, except during a final, time-limited suspension imposed under Article III. Notice must reach each citizen’s registered contact address. At least three citizens, or one tenth of the register rounded upward, whichever is fewer, may require a proposal to be put to a ballot within thirty days. Voting arrangements must provide reasonable access across time zones and disabilities.
Article II — Citizenship #
Proposed · 6 clauses
II.1 — Admission. Any person aged eighteen or above may apply by affirming this Code, providing a reliable private contact address, and agreeing to observe the association’s published rules. Ancestry, nationality, religion, wealth, and lawful political belief shall create no additional qualification or privilege. One person may hold one membership.
II.2 — Decision and review. The Registrar shall acknowledge an application within seven days and decide it within thirty days against the published conditions. Any refusal must state specific reasons privately and explain the right to seek review under Article III within thirty days. Silence does not constitute admission. An applicant may seek review of an overdue decision.
II.3 — Rights. Citizens may vote, propose measures, seek office, inspect the public governing records, criticize officeholders, and participate in lawful civic activities. Good-faith dissent and complaints shall receive protection from retaliation. Membership rights begin when admission is recorded and communicated to the applicant.
II.4 — Duties. Citizens shall act honestly in common affairs, respect others’ equal standing and privacy, disclose conflicts when exercising entrusted powers, and refrain from threats, harassment, fraud, or misuse of common resources. They shall use only powers expressly entrusted to them.
II.5 — Names and privacy. A citizen may use a chosen civic name publicly. The Registrar may privately request proportionate evidence of eligibility or duplicate membership where reasonably necessary. Collection and retention must follow Article V. Public disclosure of a legal identity shall require consent or a legal obligation.
II.6 — Withdrawal. A citizen may withdraw by notice to the Registrar, effective on receipt. Confirmation shall be sent within seven days. Withdrawal ends voting and officeholding, while existing lawful obligations and the duty to return entrusted property remain. It creates no exit charge. A former citizen may reapply under the ordinary admission rules.
Article III — Equal Standing #
Proposed · 6 clauses
III.1 — Equal protection. Every citizen has equal standing under this Code. Office, donations, length of membership, and honorary titles confer no additional vote or immunity. The association shall make reasonable accommodations for participation and apply its rules consistently.
III.2 — Grounds and remedies. Discipline may address a specific breach of a rule in force when the conduct occurred. Available measures are a warning, removal of access to entrusted resources, removal from office, suspension for up to ninety days, and expulsion for serious or repeated breaches. Measures must be proportionate, state their duration and reasons, and account for less restrictive ways to address the harm.
III.3 — Fair procedure. A complaint must identify the conduct, the rule involved, and supporting information. The respondent shall receive written notice, access to the substance of the evidence with necessary privacy protections, at least fourteen days to answer, and an opportunity to be heard and assisted by a person of their choice. The burden rests on the complaint; a finding requires that a breach be more likely than not on the evidence. Decisions require written reasons.
III.4 — Independent review. The assembly shall appoint three impartial reviewers for each case by ordinary ballot. Complainants, respondents, witnesses, and persons with a material conflict must recuse themselves. External volunteers may serve where the membership cannot supply enough independent reviewers, subject to confidentiality. A majority of the panel decides. A refusal of admission or an overdue decision is reviewable through the same process.
III.5 — Appeal. A person affected may appeal within thirty days on grounds of procedural unfairness, material error, disproportionality, or significant new evidence. A fresh panel, selected in the same manner, may affirm, vary, or return the decision for rehearing and should decide within thirty days of appointment. Expulsion and suspension of voting rights take effect after the appeal period or a timely appeal is concluded. If an impartial panel cannot be formed, final sanctions must wait.
III.6 — Urgent protection. An officer may restrict access to a specific platform or entrusted asset for up to seventy-two hours where necessary to address an immediate, documented risk. Reasons and a means to respond must be provided promptly. An impartial panel may authorize one extension of up to fourteen days. These restrictions leave voting rights intact, expire automatically, and must never prevent a report to competent public authorities.
Article IV — Public Office #
Proposed · 6 clauses
IV.1 — Defined mandates. The assembly shall elect a Convener to organize proceedings, a Registrar to administer membership and records, and a Quaestor to administer approved finances. Each office shall publish its responsibilities and contact route. The assembly retains legislative and budgetary authority; an officeholder may act only within a recorded mandate.
IV.2 — Election and tenure. Nominations shall remain open for at least seven days, followed by a secret ballot of at least seven days with the quorum in Article I. Election requires more than half of valid candidate votes; where necessary, the two leading candidates proceed to a runoff. A tie for advancement or in the runoff requires a fresh ballot among the tied candidates. A sole candidate requires a yes-or-no confirmation by ordinary vote. Terms last one year, with a maximum of two consecutive terms in the same office followed by a one-year interval.
IV.3 — Separation and conflicts. One person may hold only one of these three offices at a time. Officers shall disclose material personal or financial interests and recuse themselves from related decisions. Gifts or payments connected to office require disclosure. No officer may approve a payment to themselves or review their own conduct.
IV.4 — Vacancy and handover. An officer may resign by notice. The assembly may appoint a temporary replacement by ordinary ballot and must hold an election within thirty days of a vacancy. Temporary service ends on election or after sixty days, whichever comes first. Outgoing officers shall transfer records, credentials, and property securely within seven days. If an officer cannot call a required ballot, the citizens entitled to request one under Article I may organize it.
IV.5 — Accountability and recall. Officers shall report at least quarterly. The assembly may recall an officer after fourteen days’ notice, an opportunity to respond, and a secret ballot meeting the ordinary quorum and a two-thirds majority of votes cast for or against recall. Recall concerns continued confidence in office; findings of misconduct and membership sanctions follow Article III.
IV.6 — Delegation and limits. Any additional office or committee requires a published resolution stating its purpose, powers, reporting duty, budget, and expiry date. Delegation creates no power to amend this Code. No general emergency power permits suspension of the Code, extension of an officer’s own term, or expenditure outside Article VI.
Article V — Public Record #
Proposed · 5 clauses
V.1 — Publication. The Registrar shall maintain a dated Public Record of the adopted Code, amendments, resolutions, election totals, office mandates, and financial reports. Drafts and adopted measures shall be clearly distinguished. Ordinary decisions shall be published within seven days; a rule takes effect no earlier than publication unless it specifies a later date.
V.2 — Integrity. Each adopted instrument shall identify its text, adoption method, voting totals, effective date, and responsible office. Earlier versions must remain accessible. Corrections shall be dated and explained, preserving the original entry. Secret ballots shall publish aggregate totals without revealing individual choices.
V.3 — Protected records. Private membership details, ballot identities, and sensitive case materials shall be access-controlled and separated from public records. Public case summaries shall omit identifying details where disclosure would be unnecessary or harmful. Reasons for withholding material must be recorded and may be reviewed under Article III.
V.4 — Data stewardship. Before collecting personal information, the responsible office shall publish its purpose, access rules, retention period, and contact for correction or deletion requests. Collect only what is reasonably necessary, use appropriate safeguards, and delete it when its stated purpose and lawful retention needs end. Personal data shall never be sold.
V.5 — Continuity of custody. At least two authorized custodians shall maintain secure recovery arrangements and periodic backups of institutional records. Access shall be reviewed when an officer leaves. A loss, unauthorized disclosure, or material alteration shall be documented and addressed promptly, with affected people notified where appropriate or legally required.
Article VI — Common Affairs #
Proposed · 6 clauses
VI.1 — Authorized resources. Common resources shall support the association’s stated purposes. Before receiving money, the assembly must identify the lawful person or entity holding it, approve written custody arrangements, and publish a budget. Association funds must be separately accounted for and held through an arrangement permitted by applicable law.
VI.2 — Spending controls. Every payment requires a recorded purpose within the approved budget and authorization by two unconflicted officers, one ordinarily being the Quaestor. Where recusal leaves too few officers, the assembly shall appoint an independent authorizer. Payments require receipts or an explanation of equivalent evidence. New borrowing, guarantees, or unbudgeted commitments require prior assembly approval.
VI.3 — Dues and gifts. Any dues require a published proposal stating amount, purpose, due date, and a hardship-waiver procedure, followed by ordinary assembly approval. No liability arises before adoption and notice. Donations confer no extra vote or office. Gifts carrying conditions incompatible with this Code shall be refused.
VI.4 — Reporting and scrutiny. The Quaestor shall publish quarterly income, expenditure, balances, and outstanding commitments. An annual review shall be conducted by a person appointed by the assembly who took no part in authorizing the transactions reviewed. Citizens may request supporting records subject to proportionate privacy redactions.
VI.5 — Common work. Local chapters, study groups, and civic projects may be recognized through published mandates. They remain subject to this Code and may bind the association only within express written authority. Contracts shall name the actual contracting person or entity and the source of authorization.
VI.6 — Winding up. Dissolution requires thirty days’ notice, participation by at least two thirds of eligible citizens, and approval by at least three quarters of votes cast for or against. The resolution shall appoint custodians to settle lawful obligations, protect personal data, preserve appropriate public records, and transfer any remaining common assets to a compatible nonprofit purpose where legally permitted. Membership alone confers no entitlement to a distribution.
Article VII — Amendment #
Proposed · 5 clauses
VII.1 — Initiative and notice. An amendment may be proposed by the citizens entitled to request a ballot under Article I. Its exact text, reasons, affected provisions, and intended effective date must be circulated at least twenty-one days before voting opens. Material changes restart the notice period.
VII.2 — Adoption threshold. An amendment requires a ballot open for at least seven days, participation by at least two thirds of eligible citizens rounded upward, and approval by at least two thirds of valid votes cast for or against. Abstentions count toward quorum only. Failure to reach either threshold leaves the existing text in force.
VII.3 — Foundational guarantees. Voluntary membership and withdrawal, equal voting rights, fair disciplinary procedure, and compliance with applicable law are conditions of this founding compact. An amendment may not extinguish these guarantees or confer hereditary office, personal immunity, or retroactive disciplinary liability.
VII.4 — Publication and transition. Every adopted amendment shall include any transition arrangements, be entered in the Public Record within seven days, and take effect no earlier than fourteen days after publication. Changes to term limits shall not extend the incumbent’s current term. Conflicting subordinate rules must be identified and brought into conformity.
VII.5 — Review of operation. Within one year of founding adoption and annually thereafter, the assembly shall review the Code’s operation, including access to participation, financial controls, disputes, and administrative burden. A review creates no automatic amendment; all changes follow this Article.
Article VIII — Applicable Law #
Proposed · 5 clauses
VIII.1 — Scope. This Code governs the association’s internal affairs to the extent permitted by applicable national and local law. Citizenship denotes membership in the civic association and confers no governmental nationality, immigration status, immunity, or territorial jurisdiction.
VIII.2 — Legal arrangements. Before incorporation, fundraising, employment, contracting, or regulated activity, the assembly must establish the relevant legal arrangements and obtain advice appropriate to the jurisdiction and activity. Adoption of this Code alone does not determine incorporation, tax treatment, or the enforceability of an agreement.
VIII.3 — External remedies. Internal review preserves every person’s access to courts, regulators, emergency services, and other competent authorities. Participation imposes no mandatory waiver of statutory rights or compulsory external arbitration.
VIII.4 — Interpretation and severability. Interpretation shall give effect to the text, equal standing, voluntary participation, and the association’s stated purposes. A provision that cannot lawfully operate shall be set aside only to the necessary extent, recorded with reasons, and referred to the assembly for correction. The remaining provisions continue so far as they can operate coherently.
VIII.5 — Historical foundations. The Justinianic tradition and the political writings discussed on the Foundations page are sources of historical and philosophical inspiration. Any claim of Roman civic continuity expresses Neo Rome’s contemporary position. Powers exercised under this Code require the consent and procedures stated here.