Bill of Rights of the Republic of Inora

ARTICLE I: FREEDOM OF THOUGHT, EXPRESSION, AND INFORMATION

Freedom of Thought and Belief

Every person possesses the absolute right to hold any belief, ideology, philosophy, religion, or worldview, or none at all.

No belief shall be punished, restricted, compelled, or regulated by the state.

Freedom of Expression

Every person possesses the right to express ideas, opinions, criticism, satire, offense, dissent, or hostility toward any individual, group, institution, ideology, or government entity.

This right explicitly includes:

• Political speech
• Religious and anti-religious speech
• Criticism of the Republic, its laws, officials, or citizens
• Offensive, unpopular, or inflammatory expression

The state shall never censor speech.

Limits on Expression

Expression may be sanctioned only where it constitutes:

• A credible threat of unlawful violence against a specific person or property
• Direct incitement of an imminent criminal act with demonstrable malicious intent

Mere offense, hatred, insult, advocacy, rhetoric, or abstract endorsement of harm does not constitute incitement.

Hate speech, as a category, shall not exist in law.

Art, Information, and Depictions of Harm

The state may regulate the creation and distribution of material that directly exploits or sexually abuses children or depicts real criminal acts committed against unwilling victims.

However:

• Depictions of violence, crime, or harm for purposes of education, journalism, analysis, documentation, art, or self-defense training shall not be prohibited.
• Material accessed voluntarily by consenting adults, including behind paywalls or in private spaces, shall not be censored.
• No law may broadly prohibit depictions of harm in a manner that suppresses reality, knowledge, or lawful education.

No Prior Restraint

No speech, expression, or publication shall be restrained prior to its occurrence.

ARTICLE II: RIGHT TO LIFE, SELF-DEFENSE, AND SELF-PROVISION

Inherent Right to Self-Defense

Every person possesses the inherent right to defend their own life, the life of another, and their bodily integrity against unlawful force using proportionate means.

This right is fundamental and shall not be infringed.

Defense During Commission of a Crime

When a person uses force to defend themselves or another while a crime is being committed or imminently attempted against them, such defense shall be presumed lawful unless disproven by clear evidence.

No person shall be punished more severely for defending life than the person who unlawfully threatened it.

Defense Against State Actors

The right of self-defense and defense of others applies equally against unlawful acts committed by private persons or by any state actor, official, agent, or representative acting outside lawful authority.

No office, uniform, badge, order, or claimed mandate shall convert an unlawful act into a lawful one.

Intervention by Citizens

Any citizen may lawfully intervene to stop an unlawful act threatening life or bodily integrity, including acts committed by state actors, provided such intervention is proportionate and undertaken in good faith.

No person shall be punished for such intervention where the act would have been lawful if committed against a private aggressor.

Prohibition of Asymmetric Punishment

No person shall receive greater punishment for a defensive act than the aggressor who initiated the unlawful threat.

Right to Bear Arms

Citizens possess the right to keep and bear arms for lawful purposes including self-defense and defense of others.

The baseline right shall include ownership of common defensive arms.

Additional arms may be subject to competency requirements established by law.

Laws regulating arms shall regulate competence, not permission.

Self-Provision

Every person possesses the right to provide for their survival, safety, health, and household needs through their own lawful effort.

Where the government monopolizes a service and fails to provide it, all restrictions on self-provision immediately cease.

ARTICLE III: EQUALITY BEFORE THE LAW

Equal Treatment

No person shall be denied rights, protections, or equal application of law based on characteristics beyond their control, including but not limited to birthplace, ancestry, race, sex, age, disability, or origin.

No Special Classes

No class of persons shall receive greater rights, privileges, immunity, or exemption from law.

Uniform Accountability

The law shall apply equally to all persons, including officials and agents of the state.

ARTICLE IV: JUSTICE

Section 1: Purpose of Justice

Justice exists to:

• Protect rights
• Resolve disputes
• Hold individuals accountable for violations
• Restore balance where harm has occurred

Justice is not punishment for its own sake. Justice is the enforcement of boundaries through lawful process.

No system, office, or individual may substitute vengeance, ideology, expediency, emotion, or wealth for justice.

Section 2: Justice as Public Infrastructure

Access to justice is a public good and a foundational obligation of the Republic.

No person shall be denied the ability to seek, defend, or obtain justice due to lack of wealth.

Core justice functions shall be publicly funded and freely accessible at the point of use.

If a society cannot provide justice, it forfeits legitimacy.

Section 3: Due Process

No person shall be deprived of life, liberty, property, rights, or citizenship without due process of law.

Due process requires:

• Formal accusation supported by evidence
• Public notice of charges
• Fair hearing before an impartial tribunal
• Opportunity to present evidence and argument
• Determination of guilt by jury where required
• Application of lawful sentence without alteration

No emergency, office, order, or claim of authority may bypass due process.

Section 3A: Right Against Self-Incrimination

No person shall be compelled to testify, speak, provide statements, or otherwise bear witness against themselves in any legal or investigative proceeding.

The exercise of this right shall not be construed as evidence of guilt.

Section 4: Equality Before the Law

All persons are equal before the law.

No person shall receive preferential treatment, harsher punishment, leniency, immunity, or procedural advantage on the basis of:

• Wealth
• Status
• Office
• Occupation
• Birth
• Origin
• Race
• Sex
• Age
• Belief
• Ideology
• Disability
• Popularity
• Political alignment

Justice shall recognize only conduct and evidence.

Section 5: Right to Defense and Representation

Every person has the right to defend themselves in any legal proceeding.

Any person may be represented by:

• Themselves
• Any other consenting citizen
• Any retained individual of their choosing

No license, credential, or professional designation shall be required to represent another.

The burden of competence rests with the individual providing representation.

The state shall not restrict representation except to prevent demonstrable abuse, fraud, or coercion.

Section 6: Prohibition of Pay-to-Win Justice

Justice shall not be influenced by wealth.

The following practices are prohibited:

• Deliberate procedural delay
• Financial exhaustion of opposing parties
• Artificial complexity
• Strategic obstruction
• Exploitation of technical loopholes

No legal proceeding may continue beyond the exhaustion of relevant evidence and legitimate argument.

No party may impose costs, delays, or complexity upon another party without that party's consent.

Justice shall proceed at the speed of evidence, not money.

Section 7: Determination of Guilt

Determination of guilt shall be made by:

• A jury of citizens meeting lawful civic competency requirements, where required by law
• Or lawful summary process for minor offenses, as established by statute

Guilt is individual.

No person may be punished for:

• Crimes committed by another
• Association
• Ancestry
• Group membership
• Collective identity

Section 8: Sentencing

Punishment shall be determined exclusively by law through a deterministic sentencing system.

Sentences shall be:

• Proposed through public legislative process
• Approved by citizen vote
• Codified prior to enforcement

Upon conviction:

• Sentencing shall be automatic
• No judge, official, or authority may alter the sentence
• Same crime, same circumstances, same punishment

Judgment is human. Punishment is mechanical.

Section 9: Proportional Economic Penalties

Economic penalties shall be proportional to the offender's capacity.

The goal of economic punishment is equal burden, not equal numbers.

Wealth shall not reduce consequence. Poverty shall not amplify it.

Specific calculation methods shall be established by law.

Section 9A: State Accountability for Information

The state, its agencies, officials, and representatives may be held accountable for the intentional or reckless release of materially misleading, deceptive, or untruthful information to the public.

Such conduct constitutes an abuse of authority where it materially affects public decision-making, rights, safety, or lawful conduct.

Liability shall require demonstrable evidence of intent, reckless disregard for truth, or knowing misrepresentation.

Good-faith error, incomplete information disclosed as such, or subsequently corrected statements shall not constitute punishable conduct.

Section 10: Appeals

Verdicts may be appealed only on grounds of:

• Procedural error
• New evidence
• Juror misconduct

Sentences may be appealed only for:

• Error in calculation
• Misapplication of the sentencing system

Appeals shall not retry facts absent new evidence.

Section 11: Judges as Public Servants

Judges are public servants whose role is to:

• Enforce procedure
• Safeguard rights
• Admit or exclude evidence
• Moderate proceedings
• Prevent abuse
• Ensure fairness

Judges shall not:

• Create law
• Modify law through interpretation
• Substitute judgment for evidence
• Alter sentences

Judges are obligated to assist unrepresented parties in understanding procedure. Correction of process does not constitute advocacy.

Judges are subject to recall by the citizens. No judicial office confers immunity.

Section 12: Jury Service and Compensation

Jury service shall never impose financial harm.

Jurors shall be compensated at a rate equal to the income they would have earned through normal employment during service, including:

• Salaried workers
• Hourly workers
• Contract workers
• Self-employed individuals

Any juror may voluntarily decline compensation.

No employer may penalize, terminate, or disadvantage a person for jury service.

Section 13: Evidence and Integrity

Legal proceedings shall be decided solely on:

• Evidence
• Reasoned argument
• Applicable law

The following are prohibited:

• Financial inducement
• Political pressure
• Social coercion
• Media influence
• Emotional manipulation
• Character attacks unrelated to facts

All proceedings shall be recorded and publicly accessible except where narrowly restricted to prevent direct harm to victims.

Section 14: Professional Expertise

Parties may retain individuals with legal, technical, or procedural expertise.

Payment for expertise shall not:

• Affect admissibility of evidence
• Shift burdens of proof
• Delay proceedings
• Influence outcomes

Expertise improves argument quality, not legal standing. Knowledge does not confer authority.

Section 15: Plain Process Requirement

Legal procedure shall be plain, public, finite, and understandable.

If a process requires memorization, insider knowledge, procedural traps, or obscure rules to navigate, it is unconstitutional.

Judges have an affirmative duty to correct misunderstanding and prevent procedural abuse.

Section 16: Restoration of Rights

A person who has lost rights through lawful conviction may have such rights restored after a period of lawful behavior, as determined by law.

Restoration shall be possible, attainable, and governed by objective criteria.

Section 17: Closing Justice Principle

Justice is not a contest of wealth, endurance, or credentials.

It is a public function whose only inputs are evidence and reason.

No person shall be punished more severely for defending life than the person who threatened it.

ARTICLE V: CITIZENSHIP AND PARTICIPATION

Voluntary Citizenship

Citizenship is voluntary. No person is compelled to become or remain a citizen.

Application Is Not Guarantee

All persons may apply for citizenship. Acceptance is subject to lawful requirements and is not guaranteed.

Civic Competency

The exercise of full civic privileges may require demonstration of civic competency.

Reasonable exemptions shall be established for persons with cognitive or physical impairments, ensuring dignity, fairness, and non-punitive treatment.

ARTICLE VI: RETAINED RIGHTS

Non-Exhaustion

The enumeration of rights in this Bill shall not be construed to deny or disparage other rights retained by the people.

Interpretive Rule

Rights shall be interpreted expansively. Restrictions shall be interpreted narrowly.

ARTICLE VII: ANIMAL RIGHTS AND PROTECTION FROM ABUSE

Section 1: Moral Standing of Animals

Animals are sentient beings capable of suffering.

The Republic recognizes a duty to prevent cruelty, abuse, and unnecessary harm to animals.

Animals are not property in the moral sense, though they may be lawfully owned, cared for, or stewarded.

Section 2: Prohibition of Abuse

Any act of abuse against an animal is prohibited.

Abuse includes, but is not limited to:

• Neglect resulting in suffering or harm
• Beating, torture, or intentional infliction of pain
• Mutilation or exploitation
• Killing without lawful justification

Any abuse against an animal shall be treated as the same offense as the equivalent act committed against a human, subject to the distinctions set forth in this Article.

Section 3: Duty of Care

Any person who assumes responsibility for an animal assumes a duty of care.

Failure to meet this duty constitutes abuse.

The inability or unwillingness to provide care does not excuse neglect.

Section 4: Self-Defense and Defense of Others

Force may be used against an animal only where necessary to:

• Defend human life or bodily integrity
• Defend another animal from imminent harm

Such force must be proportionate to the threat.

No person shall be punished for actions taken in good faith to stop an imminent attack by an animal.

Section 5: Necessity-Based Killing of an Animal

Where an animal has caused, is causing, or poses an imminent and uncontrollable threat of serious harm or death to a human, the animal may be lawfully killed if no reasonable alternative exists.

Such action shall be considered defense of life, not abuse.

This includes situations where:

• An animal has killed or grievously injured a human
• An animal is actively attacking or imminently threatening a human
• Continued existence of the animal presents a clear and ongoing danger

No requirement of medical procedure, sedation, or professional intervention shall apply where immediate action is necessary to protect human life.

The use of force must be reasonably necessary under the circumstances, and the burden shall be on the state to prove abuse rather than necessity.

This exception exists solely because animals cannot be held morally or legally accountable, and because preservation of human life takes precedence where the two are in irreconcilable conflict.

Section 6: No Justification by Convenience

Economic convenience, personal preference, entertainment, punishment, or frustration shall never justify harm to an animal.

Section 7: Enforcement and Standing

Any person may report or intervene to stop ongoing animal abuse, subject to proportionality and lawful process.

The state has an affirmative obligation to investigate credible allegations of animal abuse.

Section 8: Closing Principle

Power over animals does not grant permission to cause suffering.

To harm a defenseless being without necessity is a violation of justice.

ARTICLE VIII: PERSONAL AUTONOMY, CONSENT, AND ASSOCIATION

Section 1: Bodily Autonomy and Consent

Every person has the right to bodily autonomy.

No medical treatment, procedure, or intervention shall be performed without informed consent, except where a person is unconscious or incapacitated and immediate action is necessary to preserve life or prevent serious harm.

Section 2: Freedom of Movement and Residence

Every person has the right to move freely and reside where they choose, subject only to lawful ownership and use of property.

No person shall be penalized solely for sleeping on public property.

This does not exempt any person from laws governing sanitation, safety, littering, obstruction, or public nuisance.

Section 3: Freedom of Association and Contract

Every person may freely associate, contract, exchange labor, and engage in voluntary agreements of service.

No license or credential shall be required to perform a service unless explicitly required to prevent demonstrable harm.

Any person offering services must not misrepresent their qualifications.

Where qualifications are disclosed truthfully, all parties assume the risks of voluntary agreement.

Payment for services does not imply state endorsement or guarantee of competence.