Emperor to spend six weeks in exile

The trial of Emperor Jonathan I has come to an end, with the Monarch having been found guilty of three counts of treason against former emperor Esmond III.

The Emperor has agreed to spend six weeks outside Austenasia to atone for helping to overthrow Esmond III.

The trial, which took place online in the Imperial Court, saw the Emperor being tried for three actions he committed during December 2010 and January 2011 while Crown Prince in the process of overthrowing Esmond III in favour of Declan I.

The Emperor convened the trial after reflection on the circumstances under which his predecessor came to power, stating that he wished to see justice done.

As Monarch, the Emperor is immune from prosecution by anyone other than himself, and so technically served as judge, prosecutor, and defendant in the trial. However, for simplicity’s sake, the prosecution was argued by Sir Sebastian Linden and the defence by King Adam I of Überstadt.

The trial came to an end on 19 January, with the jury finding the Emperor guilty of all charges. He did not appeal the outcome, and was sentenced this morning by the consuls to six weeks of exile, during which he will not set foot in Austenasia.

Due to the status of the Monarch, he is not legally obliged to submit to said sentence. However, the Emperor has stated that he will voluntarily do so, spending most of the time at the Austenasian Embassy to the United Kingdom (located in Roehampton).

The exile will not in any way affect the smooth running of Austenasian government: the Emperor has not been deprived of any of his powers, and will simply exercise them online or via telephone.

Emperor puts himself on trial

The first criminal trial since May 2009 has begun in Austenasia, with the Emperor himself on trial.

HIM Emperor Jonathan I has, in an unprecedented move, charged himself with three counts of treason against Esmond III for actions committed over December 2010 and January 2011 in regards to his role in bringing Declan I to power.

In the Emperor’s recent Christmas broadcast, he announced a desire to see the legality of his role in those events investigated in order to rectify any outstanding injustices.

A select committee of the Privy Council was gathered, which helped organise a trial.

The events in question took place during and after the War of the Orlian Reunification in December 2010, when the then Crown Prince Jonathan successfully orchestrated a conflict between the Carshalton Nations to bring Declan I to power as joint Monarch in opposition to Esmond III. Although the then Crown Prince admitted his role in events the following year, no legal action was ever taken against him.

With the trial taking place in the Imperial Court, the Emperor is by a technicality judge, defendant, and prosecutor. However, in the interests of simplicity and justice, the prosecution is being argued by Sir Sebastian Linden and the defence by King Adam I of Überstadt.

The trial is taking place over Skype due to differences in time zones between the prosecution and defence. As such, it will likely take several days. The smooth running of the government is not likely to be affected during this time.

More details about the trial will be made public as events unfold.

The eligibility of the Prime Minister

Article by Lord Adam von Friedeck, Duke of Washington (a.k.a. King Adam I of Überstadt).

Esteemed friends and colleagues:

From time to time, baseless disputes enter our community of small nations, and this week, a new one emerged: the question, raised by foreign journalists, of whether Lord Admiral Joseph Kennedy, the incumbent Prime Minister, retains his electoral mandate. I can say with confidence that he does.

Horatio Eden, writing for the Daily Micronational, first raised the matter, observing that Austenasia’s population has grown since Lord Kennedy was elected last year. This is especially significant given that demographic shifts were partially responsible for the calling of the last general election. Attempting to justify his concern, Mr. Eden claims that the voters that gave him over 68% in the election now comprise about a third of the Empire. However, this is false.

As the Emperor clarified to the House of Representatives yesterday, while the Empire has seen an increase in residents over the past nine months, not a single new subject has been naturalized (Austenasian Subjects are those with legal citizenship, and those residents without this status lack suffrage). Therefore, there has been no change in Lord Kennedy’s electoral mandate. The same people who formed the electorate nine months ago remain the entirety of the electorate today.

The Prime Minister’s Office is aware of no popular opposition to Lord Kennedy’s premiership within the Empire, and welcomes all feedback and input Austenasians may have concerning the Imperial Government’s policies and activities. As for Mr. Eden, I acknowledge that he most likely misunderstood the facts of the situation and did not act out of malice. Those motivated by personal dislike of Lord Kennedy to further misrepresent the situation in other news outlets are invited to correct themselves.

Faithfully yours,

Lord Adam, Duke of Washington
Chief of Staff, Prime Minister’s Office

Consuls appointed for 2016

Emperor Mother Margaret and Emperor Grandmother Joyce, the newly-appointed consuls for 2016.

New Year’s Day 2016 has seen the appointment of the Emperor’s mother and grandmother as the year’s consuls.

The two Consuls of Austenasia are the Empire’s highest judicial authorities, with the duty of passing sentence on convicted criminals. However, due to Austenasia’s practically non-existent crime rate, their function is mostly ceremonial, primarily being used to name the year after.

Prime Minister Lord Admiral Joseph Kennedy has appointed as 2016’s consuls Emperor Mother Margaret and Emperor Grandmother Joyce, the only two members of the immediate Imperial Family to have not yet served as consul.

Emperor Grandmother Joyce, at 93, is the oldest person to have been appointed consul to date, as well as the first consul who is not technically an Austenasian national.