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Server Law is the supreme law on the server. It outlines the basic principles under which individuals and players are expected to operate, comprising of matters on building, roleplay and general behaviour.
History
Before the creation of the Server Law document, much of the server's legal traditions were set by uncodified precedents that were mutually agreed upon and understood by every player. As the server evolved, more traditions were created as rulings were handed down by the server administration. During the initial version of bits & Bytes Vanilla, a rudimentary legal framework was created in which all countries' judicial matters were handled by the Supreme Court of Legal District, as was the jurisdiction of Legal District itself.
The uncodified system continued into bits & Bytes Vanilla 1.1. However, one precedent that was not fully understood was in regards to the creation of new countries. This particular matter underwent constant regulation changes as new countries were created, even during orbis. and UniCity. This changed during bits & Bytes Vanilla 1.2, where Victor Tran codified the current process of country and territory establishment, however other legal traditions were still uncodified, such as those regarding server heritage among other things. As well, more members began to join the server, further creating the need for a centralized laws document.
On 25 August 2022, The Pixel Polygon officially created the Server Law document and codified all known and clearly defined legal traditions. From that point onward, all new rules and laws for the server were properly documented.
Provisions
Definitions
This article defines that the RFC 2119 specifications on keywords are followed.
Ignorance of the Law
This article formally codifies the legal principle of Ignorantia juris non excusat.
Server Access
The Server Access section governs the membership of the Minecraft server. It defines that only regular and veteran members with a linked Discord account may join the server. Membership may also be at the discretion of the server administration.
The Discord server rules also form part of the law. In order to separate the Minecraft server operators with the Discord server staff, Minecraft-only operators are not allowed to act on players that break Discord rules without the consent of Discord staff.
Countries and Cities
This article outlines the process by which new countries and territories are established and expanded. It also outlines the essential services that a country/city should offer, but is only encouraged, not mandatory.
Economy
Due to the limitations of the EssentialsX plugin, only this currency is allowed to be accepted as legal tender.
AirCS Race
If an AirCS Race is being planned or scheduled, this article allows the server administration to temporarily override any law or other legal agreement until the completion of the race.
Legal District
This article governs the Legal District territory and outlines the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of Legal District. It establishes that both are under the direct rule of the server administration. However, it also keeps the legal precedent that The Pixel Polygon is the sole authority for any construction work in the territory.
Heritage
Due to the age of the server, many of the server's oldest buildings are considered to be artifacts of historical and cultural significance. In order to protect these structures, heritage laws are embedded directly into this law, giving the server administration full authority to decree a heritage site. These cannot be overridden by any local laws.
Exemption from Liability
The 'Exemption from Liability" clause was created in response to frivolous lawsuits over minor building errors. So as not to waste court time and resources on structures that would very obviously pose a safety issue, certain sites on the server were granted legal immunity.
Protection of Public Projects
This article protects underground structures from being arbitrarily removed by a jurisdiction if a server administrator or judge declares it to be a public project. It was created in response to various threats of transit lines being removed whose path had crossed into another jurisdiction.
Freedoms
Basic freedoms are granted in this article. Article 23 of Server Law protects any person not partaking in roleplay. This is intended to protect players only present for creative gameplay from being subject to laws that may otherwise prevent them from playing the game. With this clause, roleplay is seen as entirely voluntary.
Wartime
The 'Wartime' article sets the rules of war. These rules are very strictly defined and carries punishments against Minecraft accounts should they be violated so as not to cause any violence or tension to carry outside the game space.
Language
The Discord server is composed of people of different native languages. However, English is shared as a common language between every member. Since some members have expressed an intent to create jurisdictions with different official languages, the 'Language' clause was created to allow for flexibility in using languages other than English in buildings, and roleplay to an extent, but also ensures that communication in English is available at all times.
Nationality
This article ensures that every person has a nationality and prevents any player from becoming stateless.
Union and Secession of States
As part of a rising movement by various territories to secede from their associated state, this ensures that only non-violent, diplomatic secession is recognized.
Vanity Laws
Section 47 of Server Law is itself a vanity law.
Units of Measurement
This article sets the standard units for distance and speed. It also sets the standard that laws which state a time or time interval may be assumed in terms of real world time, except if it is explicitly stated otherwise.
Server Administrative Organizations
This article allows the server administration to create an organization that may operate in any jurisdiction.