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Witanmoot
The Witanmoot or Witan is the upper chamber, which along with the Monarch and the House of Assembly, constitutes the Parliament of New England. Established by an amendment to the Constitution of New England in 2018, the Witan is an appointed body consisting of 215 members, who are known as Members of the Witan or MWs.
The Witan is not a legislative chamber, and instead serves just two functions. First it acts as the council that confirms the succession to the throne, and second, it is the body that debates constitutional matters and has the sole authority to put any proposals to change the constitution to the people in a referendum. The name Witanmoot comes from the word Witen which means wise man or counselor. In Anglo-Saxon England, the Witenagemot was a convocation of the land's most powerful and important people including senior clergy, ealdormen and the leading thegns.
Functions & Powers
Unlike the House of Assembly, which must met at least once every three months, the Witan seldom meets at all. Since it was created in 2018, the Witan has convened just three times. Two of these meetings confirmed the succession, while the other was a constitutional convention that made recommendations to amend the constitution in 2037. Aside from these functions, the Witan has no power. It cannot debate legislation, and cannot propose legislation of any kind outside the Royal Proclamation Acts and the Constitutional Amendment Acts.
The Succession - By convention, the succession passes to the heir as soon as the predecessor has died, which is a legal device known as "natural succession". Legally however, the Witan must approve the succession and confirm that it is the will of the people, which occured in 2036 and 2045. While the Witan can overturn the natural succession, it is unlikely to ever do so unless the successor is believed to be completely unfit for office. Nevertheless, a debate is the held among the members of the Witan, and from this discussion a new monarch is chosen. At that point, the Royal Proclamation Act is passed and the new monarch is formally acclaimed before the Witan. Upon taking the oath, the monarch is deemed to have succeeded to the throne.
Constitutional Change - The most potent function of the Witan is the power to recommend a change to the constitution. The House of Assembly may, by a two-thirds majority, recommend the Witan assemble to debate one or more specific changes to the constitution. The Witan cannot make recommendations for change outside the terms of reference it has been set. Once an agreement on the proposed change has been reached, a question is submitted to all voters for their consent in a referendum. The only time the Witan convened in this fashion occured was in 2037, when it debated several amendments to the constitution, of which three were agreed upon and submitted to a referendum for approval.
Membership
Membership of the Witan is quite large. At present there are 215 voting members who can sit on the Witan. Most eligible members take up their role on the Witan when called. The voting members are:
| State of the Witan | |
|---|---|
| Grouping | Members |
| Members of the House of Assembly | 103 |
| Aldermen of the Counties | 97 |
| Justices of the Supreme Court | 5 |
| Chief-Marshals | 4 |
| Ecclesiastical Leaders | 4 |
| University Members | 2 |
All members are automatically appointed to the Witan for the term of their substantive position. The two university members are elected for six year terms by a vote of all graduates of the New England National University. These members also sit on the University Senate and are considered to the representatives of all university graduates. There are also a three non-voting members, the Chancellor, the Usher of the Black Rod and the Clerk of the Witan.
Officers
The Witan is chaired by the Royal Chancellor, who is appointed by the King on the advice of the government. The Chancellor has a variety of functions outside the Witan and the position is therefore always filled, conventionally by a former First Minister of the same party as the government of the day. Outside the Witan, the Chancellor attends the State Opening of Parliament, is Keeper of Great Seal of State and acts as a Regent of the Kingdom if the monarch is unable to hold office.
On the floor of the Witan in session, the Chancellor is aided by the Clerk of the Witan, who along with his deputy, advises the Chancellor on the privileges and standing orders of the Witan. The Clerk keeps time during a debate in the Witan and informs the Chancellor when a Members time has expired. The Clerk maintains much of the day-to-day operations of the Witan, including recruitment of staff, financial matters, information technology and facilities management.
The Chancellor is also assisted by the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod, who has a number of official duties revolving around the management of the Witan. The Black Rod is first and foremost the personal attendant of the Monarch in the Great Hall of Parliament during the State Opening of Parliament and during the proclamation of the Monarch in the Witan. As secretary to the Royal Chancellor, the Black Rod serves as keeper of the Doors of the Witan. During the sittings of the Witan, the Black Rod is charged with carrying the Mace of the Witan into and out of the chamber for the Royal Chancellor as Speaker of the Witan.
Convocations
The Witan has convened three times in it's history. It has meet twice times to elect a new Monarch and on the other occasion, it convened as a body to debate constitutional change. The dates of the convocations were:
| Convocations of the Witan | ||||
| # | Dates | Chancellor | Members | Purpose |
| 1 | 29 - 31 January 2036 | Yvonne Gates | 181 | Election of Monarch |
| 2 | 6 - 18 May 2037 | Yvonne Gates | 181 | Constitutional Amendment |
| 3 | 8 - 9 December 2045 | Sir John Tudor | 213 | Election of Monarch |
