The Dark Covenant of the Dark Jedi Brotherhood

Introduction

The Dark Jedi Brotherhood is a Star Wars fan club devoted to exploring the mystical nature of the Dark Side of the Force. In 2003, the Dark Jedi Brotherhood split ties with the Emperor’s Hammer, an internet club whose leadership had lost sight of the clubs primary goals and visions. The exodus from the Emperor’s Hammer let the Dark Jedi Brotherhood remember its roots and re-establish itself as a club that values its members.

The Dark Jedi Brotherhood sets the standard of integrity, intellect, and achievement for its members, allies, and the online communities in which it resides, providing the highest forms of entertainment value, social interaction, and fun.

The Dark Covenant is the culmination of the dream that began the 12th day of April, 2003. This document describes the basic organization, establishes the powers of the leaders and reserves the rights of the membership

Article I. The Covenant

Section 1.01 Purpose

(a) This Covenant details the systems and proceedings within the Brotherhood of Dark Jedi. It serves to guide the Brethren in knowledge of our basic structure and show them the way to our policies and procedures. The Covenant is the written authority that establishes the basic organization, the powers and limits of the leaders, and the rights of the membership.

Section 1.02 Amending the Covenant

(a) The Grand Master can freely amend the Covenant, except for Article I - Section 1.05, Article II, Article III, Article IV, Article VIII - Section 8.02, and this section with prior and appropriate notification made to the Dark Council.

(b) The Justicar can amend Article VIII, except for section 8.02 on the Rights of the Accused, with approval by either the Grand Master or three-fourths of the Dark Council.

(c) The Dark Council can amend the Covenant without the Grand Master’s approval by a three-fourths vote, except for Articles II, III, IV and this section.

(d) Article I - Section 1.05, Article II, Article III, Article IV, Article VIII - Section 8.02, and this section may only be amended by a three-fourths vote of the Dark Council.

(e) All amendments made to the Covenant must be documented and announced to the membership.

Section 1.03 Interpretation of the Covenant

(a) The Chamber of Justice is the interpreter of the Covenant. In matters of review, they will convene as a tribunal consisting of the Justicar, Right Hand of Justice and Left Hand of Justice to offer the final interpretation and set precedents.

Section 1.04 Decrees

(a) This Covenant provides a basic outline for all structures within the Brotherhood. The details of the daily process for running the Brotherhood within those structures are contained within the Brotherhood Decree System.

Section 1.05 Voting

(a) Any vote required by this Covenant must be preceded by a 48-hour discussion period. During the discussion period, the voting members are free to ask any questions they may have, state any concerns or opinions, or ask to see the other applications for comparison.

(b) Unfilled positions are not tallied in the voting totals in any fashion. If a position is empty, the total number of votes needed to pass a measure is reduced by one.

(c) Members are free to abstain from voting. Should a member abstain from voting, the required number of votes to pass the measure is not reduced.

(d) The provisions of this section do not apply to any of the voting procedures used within the Chamber of Justice, its juries or the appeals panel.

Article II. The Brethren

Section 2.01 Rights of the Brethren

(a) The Brotherhood recognizes and acknowledges that, first and foremost, the organization is an amalgamation of its members. The most important aspect, as well as the most valuable resource is the membership. The first goal of the Brotherhood’s leadership should always be to protect and serve the members, followed closely by a drive to meet their needs and wants as much as possible.

(b) Every member is valuable, and has a right to be treated as such, free of undue bias and disregard. So long as they desire to remain a valuable addition to the organization and do not abuse the right, then every member has the right to be here.

(c) All members regardless of rank or position shall be held accountable under the same standards of conduct. All indictments, trials and subsequent punishments will make no distinction between members based on rank, position or tenure within the Brotherhood, except in such cases that the Covenant has special provisions outlined for certain ranks, positions or tenures.

(d) Members of the Brotherhood have a right to free speech and expression, but must also have respect for and protect the rights of other members and members who are minors.

(e) Every member shall be free to choose which Clan they wish to belong to, except in cases where members have been banned from a Clan for disreputable conduct or behavior.

(f) Any member may approach his superiors with issues and complaints he is currently facing without harm. Complaints can always be sent to the direct superior of the member. If the complaint involves that superior, the complaint should follow the chain of command.

(g) Every member has the right to a fair and impartial system of justice.

(h) Every member has the right to be adequately acknowledged and rewarded for time, activity and efforts, and shall not be denied adequate and timely recognition based on personal bias and prejudice of their superiors. All rewards and recognitions are given according to merit.

(i) Any member regardless of position, rank, class, or tenure within the Brotherhood has the power to recommend another for elevation, orders, awards or other honors. All recommendations must be made to the proper authority, but will not be considered as would a request by one appointed the power to make a request for the specific honor.

Article III. The Grand Master

Section 3.01 Authority of the Iron Throne

(a) The Grand Master holds the highest authority in the Brotherhood, as granted to him by the membership through this Covenant.

(b) Authority not clearly delineated or reserved by this Covenant is reserved for the Grand Master.

Section 3.02 Appointment of the Grand Master

(a) The Dark Council is charged with verifying the adequacy of candidates for the position of Grand Master. No member who has been previously expelled by the Chamber of Justice is eligible.

(b) Upon leaving his position, the Grand Master can nominate a member to succeed him as the Grand Master. The Dark Council will then vote to ratify the nominee by simple majority. Upon ratification, the Successor shall undergo the Rite of Ascendancy.

(c) The Dark Council consists of the retiring Grand Master, the full-time Dark Council members and the Consuls.

(d) If the Dark Council does not ratify the initial nominee, the Justicar will hold an election. If the Justicar is candidate for the position, the most senior member of the Dark Council by rank and then time served on the Council will hold the election.

(e) The Justicar will accept nominations from any member of the Brotherhood. All nominations must be accepted by the nominee and confirmed by a member of the Dark Council.

(f) The Dark Council will vote to name the next Grand Master. A majority of votes must be obtained to become Grand Master. If no member gains a majority, the candidate with the lowest vote count will be removed and a vote will be held on the remaining candidates. This will be repeated until a majority is gained by a candidate.

(g) A member abstaining from a vote is dropped from the electorate for the remainder of the task at hand.

(h) The Star Chamber must approve of the new Grand Master. This approval will be assumed unless the Star Chamber vetoes within 48 hours of the election. After a veto, another election will be held without the formerly approved candidate.

(i) The Dark Council may, with a unanimous vote, overturn a Star Chamber veto.

Section 3.03 Indictment of the Grand Master

(a) There is a four-step process for removing a Grand Master. These steps in order are The Charge, the Vote of Remand, the Trial of Peers, and the Vote of Condemnation. Removal of the Grand Master through the Dark Council or the Star Chamber must follow all four steps in order.

(b) The Grand Master has no voting rights in the Dark Council with regards to his own indictment.

(c) A charge may be brought by any member of the Brotherhood to the Justicar. The Justicar will determine if the claim is actionable under Brotherhood laws. An actionable claim is one that may be brought as a valid claim against any other member of the Brotherhood. A member may appeal to the Dark Council on the Justicar’s ruling on whether the charge is actionable. The Dark Council may overturn the Justicar’s ruling on the charge’s actionability by a majority vote. Members that bring charges which are unactionable may be prosecuted in the Chamber of Justice per the Justicar’s discretion.

(d) The Justicar will investigate all actionable claims that are brought before him. The Justicar must give the Grand Master notice of the investigation. Failure to do so will result in a mistrial. The Justicar must send all actionable charges to the Dark Council and Star Chamber for the Vote of Remand.

(e) In a Vote of Remand, the Dark Council or Star Chamber must decide on whether the charge warrants a trial. If a majority of the Dark Council votes yes, or the Star Chamber so declares, the Grand Master will be sent to the Chamber of Justice for a Trial of Peers. If the claim is determined to be unworthy of a trial due to the charge being frivolous or with uncertain motives, the Dark Council may, by a majority vote, send the submitting member to the Chamber of Justice.

(f) In a Trial of Peers, the Justicar will sit as judge over a jury of twelve randomly selected Equite or Elder members from the Brotherhood to determine the guilt or innocence of the Grand Master. Chosen members must be currently in a clan or holding another active position. The burden on the Jury will be a three-fourths conviction beyond a reasonable doubt.

(g) Members of the Dark Council may not be chosen as jury members for the Trial of Peers.

(h) One week will be provided for discovery within the trial. Any evidence to be used by either party in their argument must be exchanged. Following discovery, the parties will have one week for the development of their case, at the end of which, arguments will be sent to the Justicar, jury and opposing party. The parties will each then have five days to develop a response to the opposing party’s arguments and send that to the Justicar, Jury and opposing party.

(i) The Grand Master is afforded the same right to appeal his case as given to all members as described below, however, his access will be removed and the Deputy Grand Master will be acting Grand Master during this time.

(j) If the Grand Master is found guilty after all appeals have been exhausted an immediate Vote of Condemnation must be initiated by the Dark Council and the Star Chamber. The Vote of Condemnation is used to distinguish between charges that should result in the removal of the Grand Master and those that simply deserve standard punishments. The Justicar will present the results of the Trial of Elders to the Dark Summit. A three-fourths majority vote of Dark Council members is needed to condemn and remove the Grand Master from his throne. Alternatively, the Star Chamber may declare condemnation of the Grand Master and remove him.

(k) Upon removal, the Justicar will initiate the process of succession as described in this article.

(l) A Grand Master who has been so removed shall not have the ability to nominate a successor for ratification.

Article IV. The Justicar

Section 4.01 Authority of the Justicar

(a) The Justicar is the Chief Judge of the Chamber of Justice, and convenes the court as necessary. The Justicar is second to no one with authority in the execution of Justice.

Section 4.02 Appointment of the Justicar

(a) The Grand Master shall nominate a member to the vacant position of Justicar.

(b) The Dark Council must confirm the nomination with a three-fourths vote.

Section 4.03 Indictment of the Justicar

(a) The Grand Master may move for the Justicar's removal. The Justicar will then be removed if the motion is approved by two-thirds of the Dark Council.

(b) The Justicar may otherwise be removed by a three-fourths vote of the Dark Council.

(c) If, for any reason, charges are being brought against the Justicar, the Grand Master will appoint an acting Justicar from the Dark Council for handling that one case only.

Article V. Pillars of the Brotherhood

Section 5.01 The Dark Council

(a) The Grand Master has created a Dark Council to assist in the administration and ruling of the Brotherhood. The full-time Council derives its powers from the Grand Master. The Consuls of the Brotherhood sit on the Dark Council as representatives of their Clans.

(b) The Grand Master and the Dark Council have the authority to make policy and procedure decrees within the limits of their positions.

(c) The Grand Master and the Dark Council have administrative authority over clans of the Brotherhood. Upon advice from and coordination with the Clan’s leaders, the Council can administer changes.

(d) The Grand Master and the Dark Council have solemn charge to maintain justice and equality within the Brotherhood.

Section 5.02 The Star Chamber

(a) The Star Chamber is the Overclan of the Brotherhood, charged with safeguarding its long-term security.

Section 5.03 The Shadow Academy

(a) The Dark Council maintains the Shadow Academy of the Brotherhood under the administration of the Headmaster.

(b) The Shadow Academy serves as the training grounds for all Brotherhood initiates, preparing them for clan membership. It further serves as a source of continued learning for all regular members.

Section 5.04 The Orders

(a) The Brotherhood is split into different Orders based on the powers, views, and interests of the members.

(b) There are three orders. They are the Order of the Sith, Order of the Krath, and Order of the Obelisk.

Section 5.05 The Clans

(a) Members of the Brotherhood are either Rogue Jedi or a member of a Clan. Clans are often divided into Houses, themselves often divided into Battleteams

(b) The leadership of the Clans, Houses and Battleteams are charged with the administration and activity of the structure under the advisement of the Dark Council. They create and maintain the identity and culture of the structure.

(c) Clan leadership is appointed by the Grand Master under advisement from the members.

(d) The Clan leadership has the power to determine the Order affiliation of Houses aligned to his Clan, under the advice of the Dark Council. The affiliation of the House may be changed to any order or may be multi-order.

Section 5.06 Societies

(a) The Grand Master can establish societies for furthering specific activities in the Brotherhood.

(b) Society leaders may be afforded Dark Council status at the behest of the Grand Master.

Section 5.07 The Guilds

(a) The Guilds are the groups that represent the Brotherhood in the areas of activity that are not traditionally used.

Section 5.08 The Tribunes

(a) The Tribune positions are held by regular members and cover important non-Dark Council aspects of the Brotherhood.

Article VI. The Art of the Vendetta

Section 6.01 General Principle

(a) The Art of Vendetta governs the warfare among the members of the Brotherhood. It applies to all brotherhood members and structures.

(b) The three types of Vendetta are the Rite of Supremacy, Great Jedi War, and Clan Feud.

(c) Unless otherwise specified by a specific Vendetta's rules, rogue members may not participate in the Arts of Vendetta.

(d) Wars between clans that involve major rewards and possessions must have the consent of the Grand Master.

Section 6.02 Use of Possessions and Honoraries

(a) Possessions or honoraries that have not been officially granted to a member may not be used during a Vendetta.

Article VII. Honors of the Brotherhood

Section 7.01 Ranks

(a) The Brotherhood is formed on a system of ranks. These signify the relative experience of the members.

(b) Grand Master is the highest rank and is reserved only for those who have served as Grand Master.

(c) The remaining ranks are split into three classes: the Elder Class, the Equite Class, and the Journeyman Class.

Section 7.02 Awards

(a) The Brotherhood distributes awards to Jedi deserving of recognition for various services.

(b) The awards are split into five categories. These include Sacramental Awards, Merit Awards, Vendetta Awards, Competitive Awards and Tertiary Awards.

Section 7.03 Other Honoraries

(a) Members are entitled to a Warbanner upon reaching the appropriate rank

(b) Members are entitled to owning a lightsaber, and customizing the saber at the appropriate ranks.

(c) Members are given robes to display their rank.

Article VIII. Justice

Section 8.01 The Chamber of Justice:

(a) The Justicar appoints to the Chamber members as he sees fit to assist in the work of the court. The Right Hand of Justice, serving as prosecutor, and The Left Hand of Justice, serving as defense counsel, will be appointed by the Justicar for non-consecutive, six-month terms.

(b) The Chamber of Justice convenes to determine the guilt or innocence and appropriate punishment of a member accused of misconduct by his superiors.

(c) Any member may issue a complaint to the Justicar requesting an investigation. All investigations will be conducted by the Chamber of Justice unless otherwise decreed by the Grand Master or Justicar.

(d) The Chamber of Justice is dependent on the timely administration of all aspects of every case. The Justicar must be available on a regular basis. Provisions for his absence must provide for alternative methods of contact and the use of the Hands of Justice to administrate the Chamber. The Justicar must be aware of his important role in the Brotherhood and should resign if time constraints keep the court on a constant delay.

Section 8.02 Rights of the Accused

(a) Members accused of a violation of these articles shall be presumed innocent until proven guilty, and no right granted by this Covenant may be revoked without due process.

(b) All members shall have the right to remain silent, and not offer incriminating evidence against themselves.

(c) All members shall be offered the right to assistance from members of the Brotherhood in assisting to defend them. The choice by default is the Left Hand of Justice, though the defendant possesses the right to seek aid from any parties willing to assist in their defense.

(d) All members are guaranteed freedom from punishments ex post facto.

(e) All members are afforded the right to choose between a Trial by Justicar, a Trial by Tribunal, or a Trial by Jury in their case as detailed in the following sections. The court shall not choose for them, unless the defendant refuses to select for themselves.

(f) All members are afforded the right to use the appropriate appeals process as described in the following sections.

(g) Members may not be convicted on evidence presented through hearsay testimony. Prosecution may only be based on emails, logs and other documents detailing the infringement as it occurred.

(h) All members shall have the right to know what charges are being laid against them, in addition to what penalties the prosecution is seeking to have placed against the defendant in the case of a conviction.

Section 8.03 Process of Adjudication

(a) After receiving a complaint, the Chamber of Justice investigates the merit of the accusation and informs the Grand Master of the commencement of an investigation.

(b) If there is sufficient merit, the Right Hand of Justice has the task of completing the charge sheet against the accused. The Justicar and the party bringing the case before the Chamber must approve the charges levied against the accused prior to sending them to the Jury.