Supreme Court Bar Bill [Final passage at vote]

[Meeker]

Supreme Court Bar Bill

Section 1: Findings
   1. The role of legal professionals needs formal recognition and a framework under Law.
   2. The system for providing state counsel to criminal defendants would not provide as competent counsel as is feasible.

Section 2: The Supreme Court Bar
   1. There shall be a Supreme Court Bar.
   2. Admittance to the Supreme Court Bar shall be at the discretion of the Supreme Court.
   3. The Supreme Court may make regulations pertaining to the Supreme Court Bar, including regulations regarding activity (posting frequency), expulsion and admittance.
   4. The Supreme Court may delegate administrative duties to the Attorney General as it sees fit.

Section 3: Representation of Criminal Defendants
   1. Section 7, Clauses 1 through 3 of the Consolidated Criminal Justice Act is repealed.
   2. Defendants in criminal trials shall not be denied access to legal counsel from an active Atlasian citizen. A defendant shall have the right to waive his right to legal counsel.
   3. If a defendant requests that a Federal Court appoint counsel for him, then the Court shall appoint a member of the Supreme Court Bar to represent the defendant.
   4. A Supreme Court Bar member shall be able to refuse to represent a defendant on grounds of conflict of interest, however, final determination of conflict of interest shall be made by the Supreme Court.
   5. Any member of the Supreme Court Bar who refuses to represent a state criminal defendant without proper excuse shall be expelled from the Supreme Court Bar.
   6. The Supreme Court may make regulations pertaining to the appointment of counsel in a trial, including systems for rotation between different counsel.
   7. No person shall be a member of the Supreme Court Bar without being a registered Atlasian citizen who has had at least one vote counted in the past two regular scheduled elections. If a person was not a registered voter at the time of the last scheduled election, then he shall be able to hold a provisional membership of the Bar until the next scheduled election at the discretion of the Supreme Court.
   8. The Attorney General may nominate persons he deems fit for membership of the Supreme Court Bar to the Supreme Court. Individual citizens may nominate themselves for membership of the Supreme Court Bar, but shall require the sponsorship of an existing member of the Bar.


Sponsor: Conor

[Meeker]

Well, I for one like this bill.

[Meeker]

We are now voting on this legislation. Please vote Aye, Nay or Abstain.


Aye

[Meeker]

Tally on Final Passage

Aye: 7 (Meeker; Conor; CultureKing; Verily; Colin; Earl; Afleitch)
Nay: 0
Abstain (Yet to vote): 2 (Hughento; Friz)

With seven in favor, none opposed and two abstaining, this legislation has enough votes to pass. Senators have twenty-four hours to change their votes.

[Meeker]

Final Tally on Final Passage

Aye: 7 (Meeker; Conor; CultureKing; Verily; Colin; Earl; Afleitch)
Nay: 0
Abstain: 2 (Hughento; Friz)

With seven in favor, none opposed and two abstaining, this legislation passes. It is presented to the President for his signature or veto.