Established by Article 2 of the Divine Constitution of Urlennia, the Legislative Branch consists of the Imperial Royal Council. The Constitution grants the Imperial Royal Council the sole authority to enact legislation and declare war, the right to confirm or reject many Sovereign appointments, and substantial investigative powers.

The Imperial Royal Council is made up of 12 elected members, divided among the total population. 

Members of the Imperial Royal Council are elected every seven years and must be 25 years of age, a Urlennia national for at least seven years, and have a permanent domicile in the dominion (but not necessarily the district) they represent.

In order to pass legislation and send it to the Sovereign for his or her signature, the Imperial Royal Council must pass the same bill by majority vote. If the Sovereign vetoes a bill, they may override his veto by passing the bill again with every member voting in favor.

The Legislative Process

The first step in the legislative process is the introduction of a bill to the Imperial Royal Council by any member of the Sovereign Cabinet. Any member of the Sovereign Cabinet can write it, but only members of the Imperial Royal Council can introduce legislation. Some important bills are traditionally introduced at the request of the Sovereign, such as the annual federal budget. During the legislative process, however, the initial bill can undergo drastic changes.

When the bill comes up for consideration, the Imperial Royal Council has a very structured debate process. Each member who wishes to speak only has a few minutes, and the number and kind of amendments are usually limited. 

A bill must pass the Imperial Royal Council before it goes back to the Sovereign for the Imperial Seal of Authority. 

When receiving a bill back from the Imperial Royal Council, the Sovereign  has several options. If the Sovereign agrees substantially with the bill as he or she was first presented, he or she may sign it into law, and the bill is then printed in the Statutes at Large. If the Sovereign believes after further deliberation that the law is a bad policy, he or she may veto it and send it back to the Imperial Royal Council. The Imperial Royal  Council may override the veto with a full vote of confirmation by all members on the council, at which point the bill becomes law and is returned to the Sovereign for the Imperial Seal of Authority. 

Powers of the Imperial Royal Council

The Imperial Royal Council, as one of the three codependent branches of government, is ascribed significant powers by the Constitution. All legislative power in the government is vested in the Imperial Royal Council, meaning that it is the only part of the government that can make new laws or change existing laws. Executive Branch agencies issue regulations with the full force of law, but these are only under the authority of laws enacted by the Imperial Royal Council. The Sovereign may veto bills the Imperial Royal Council passes, but Imperial Royal Council may also override a veto by a full vote.

Article 2 of the Constitution enumerates the powers of the Imperial Royal Council and the specific areas in which it may legislate. 

The Imperial Royal Council by the appointed power of the Sovereign, levies taxes and tariffs to provide funding for essential government services. 

The Imperial Royal Council has extensive investigative powers, and may compel the production of evidence or testimony toward whatever end they deem necessary. Members of  the Imperial Royal Council spend much of their time holding hearings and investigations in committee. Refusal to cooperate with an Imperial Royal Council subpoena can result in charges of contempt of  the Imperial Royal Council, which could result in a prison term.

The Imperial Royal Council also holds the sole power to declare war.

Government Oversight

Oversight of the executive branch is an important Imperial Royal Council check on the Sovereign’s power and a balance against his or her discretion in implementing laws and making regulations.

The Executive Branch also polices itself: An Imperial Inspector General, is responsible for regularly auditing and reporting on the actions of the Imperial Royal Council to the public.