NEW Story: Menhit Tank
Constitutional Firming Laws
Part of the law series of articles.
The Constitutional Firming Laws establish a framework for the Commonwealth to exercise federal authority in constitutionally ambiguous areas through provisional legislation that either “firms” into permanent law or lapses through successful challenge. The Commonwealth can enact Provisional Acts which, if unchallenged for seven years, become permanent law. The process is supervised by the Constitutional Tribunal.
| Stage | Description |
|---|---|
| Provisional Act | A law created by the Commonwealth in a constitutionally ambiguous area. It operates as normal federal law but has a special legal status for seven years. |
| Firming Period | A seven-year window during which the provisional act can be challenged. During this period, the act may be modified, restricted or lapse entirely based on a Constitutional Tribunal ruling. A successful challenge by an affected republic, citizen, or legal entity can cause the act to “weaken,” leading to its modification or lapsing. |
| Confirmatory Referendum | If an act is succesfully weakened through legal challenges as determined by law, it must have majority support in a public referendum after year four of the firming period. |
| Permanent Federal Precedent | If no successful challenge is mounted within the firming period, the act automatically becomes permanent federal law. |
Initially enacted in 2019, the laws were reformed in 2025 after several constitutional crises. In 2023, the Commonwealth attempted to firm a dozen acts at once, creating a “constitutional paralysis.” A year later, a law that was successfully challenged after convictions had already been made resulted in the immediate release of 847 prisoners and substantial compensation process involving the construction of new homes.
The 2025 amendments introduced several safeguards to prevent such crises from recurring. Acts that are weakened through successful challenges must pass a referendum after four years, and any three constituents can jointly veto a provisional act within the first two years. Additionally, no more than five provisional acts may be in firming at the same time.
After the reforms, laws with serious criminal penalties can’t be enforced without prior approval from the Constitutional Tribunal. If a law is successfully challenged, any convictions are automatically expunged and those affected receive compensation.
There are currently two acts in the firming period: amendments to the Commonwealth Defence Act (2030), which is scheduled for a referendum, and the Commonwealth Revenue Act (2063), which is being reviewed by the tribunal.