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Private Capital Vessels Act
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| Bernard_Oriel | Date: Tuesday, 30 Oct 2012, 5:41 PM | Message # 1 |
 Colonel general
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| The Private Capital Vessels Act
Private Capital Vessels must be appropriately ensured to at least the level of three times their marketable value and will not be licensed unless they can demonstrate possessing such insurance. Owners shall have unlimited liability for the conduct of ships and are advised to take precautions and insure appropriately to the risks. The ship must have an in-date "Ships Operating License" issued by the Bureau of Ships and Services that identifies the vessel in question as compliant with safety standards and is fully spaceworthy.
Private Capital Vessels must demonstrate crew manifests include fully trained navigational and engineering crew. Each ship must be captained by an officer with an official Bureau of Ships and Services "Captain's Accredited License".
Private Capital Vessels must have an "Arms Load-Out Permit" from the Bureau of Ships and Services.
Private Capital Vessels may not be owned by individuals or corporations which have been prosecuted and convicted in Imperial court of any Criminal offense in the last five years unless an Imperial Moff grants exception.
Imperial Moffs or Sector Governors may grant or refuse permits for Private Capital Vessels which meet the guidelines in this act at their discretion.
Sector Governments shall decide whether Private Capital Ships are permitted in their Sector - or may choose to approve or deny certain organizations for operation in their sector.
Private Capital Vessels shall have a 20% Imperial Surcharge levied on any transaction not involving a Member Government or the Empire itself. Transfer of such vessels requires the approval of an Imperial Governmental Officer of Governor Rank or Above, who may levy further administrative fees if they feel needful.
Private Capital Vessels may be inspected at any time by agents of the Imperial Government or of the Commerce or Defense Committee. All supporting documentation provided to be issued a license and a blueprint of each Private Capital Vessel shall be held on the Defense Committee Database.
Private Capital Vessels shall be expected to carry political officers at the expense of their owner if it is thought appropriate by the Imperial Sector Moff in the jurisdiction the license is issued in.
No Private Capital Vessel shall be in excess of 1000 meters in any given dimension.
Private Capital Vessels have no exceptional rights by virtue of their size and are other than the regulations specified here be treated as any other vessel would be under the law of the Empire and it's Members. Should such a vessel or it's crew commit an offense against Planetary Law they must comply with local and Imperial Law enforcement.
Definitions
Private Capital Vessel shall be applied to all armed military starships, greater than 100m in any dimension that is owned by any non-governmental organization, corporation or individual.
Questions regarding if a vessel is an armed military starship shall be referred to the Defense Committee. Vessels smaller than 100m may be declared Capital vessels if they are comparably armed to a capital ship class of above 100m in length at the discretion of the Defense Committee.
Discretionary Clause
Shipwrights and Manufacturers may submit a petition to the Defense Committee, enumerating vessels which (while identifiable as Capital under this act, may not reflect the nature of a particular vessel or set of vessels) they feel are wrongly identified. A consultative group may be formed to give expert testimony upon these petitions, these shall be made up of a mix of elected politicians and experts, the Defense Committee may approve or deny exemptions for vessels which may fall under this act but are improperly classified as "Private Capital Vessels".
These may be countermanded by any form of higher authority (Imperial Moffs, The Imperial Senate, the Imperial Ruling Council, etc).
Enforcement
Imperial Moffs, Governors, Sector Rangers and Imperial Law Enforcement Agencies may enforce these regulations. The Imperial Court System shall be the Judicial System through which this act is enforced.
Possession, sale or operation of an unregistered Capital Ship shall result in appropriate criminal charges being brought in Imperial Criminal Court. This shall be considered a Capital Crime if it can be demonstrated the vessel has been used in any further malign capacity. If not then the Imperial Judge shall have discretion upon the sentencing of those convicted under this act.
Submitting false documentation shall be classified as Fraud in the value of no less than three times the ship's market value.
Use of these licensed ships in breach of the Prohibition of Private War Act (to attack a Member World without due cause, Member Authority or Imperial Authority etc) will be a felony for those who issue the order and a misdemeanor for those who execute it, the Imperial Judicial System shall have discretion as to punishment based on the severity of the offense.
The minimal punishment for these offenses shall be forfeiture of the ship and/or the right to own such ships in future and/or an unlimited (but proportionate) fine.
Bernard Oriel
Senator for the Planet of Vjun
1st Earl Malreaux (Second Creation)
Vjun Delegation to the Imperial Senate
Message edited by Bernard_Oriel - Thursday, 08 Nov 2012, 2:57 PM |
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| LomenRyuun | Date: Tuesday, 30 Oct 2012, 11:15 PM | Message # 2 |
 Lieutenant general
Group: Users
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| Apparently if this law passes, Senators, any person who owns a YZ-775 medium transport will now be owning a capital ship, considering it is armed with turbolasers and capable of carrying five heavy suits, I'm fairly confident.
Do we truly need an act to govern private ownership of capital vessels? I'm also fairly confident that people owning private yachts to an extent would be penalized by this. This act truly is over-regulation.
Lomen Ryuun
Senator, Doldur Sector
Senator, Druckenwell
Representative, Monor II (10 BBY - 9 BBY)
Representative, Geridard
Representative, Boranall
Representative, Therenor Prime
Vice-chairman, Defense Committee (Temporarily suspended)
Controlling Shareholder - Druckenwell Arms Corporation
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| Bernard_Oriel | Date: Wednesday, 31 Oct 2012, 0:27 AM | Message # 3 |
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Colonel general
Group: Users
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| Senator.
There is at present zero explicit legal framework for the management of these vessels.
Is it right that there is no Imperial-wide law governing ownership of such potentially mass destructive weapons? Of course not.
This isn't over regulation, this is riding into an area where there is currently zero regulation.
A YZ-775, is a heavily armed vessel, it's quite capable of wiping out a town before it could be intercepted and neutralized. Pilots licenses are already required, I don't see why it's unreasonable to require a license to be held to register your ownership of a (even small scale) Warship - ultimately what a Capital ship is. Should owners of ships with turbolasers not be expected to have appropriate insurance to pay for potential damage caused by their weapons loadout?
This is an act which actually benefits Private Owners of Capital Vessels. If you traveled to Alsakan, as a private citizen, in a capital vessel, it would be impounded and seized as per local law without recourse to the Imperial Courts and without being given the option to abjure the jurisdiction, the same applies across many Core worlds. Many sectors ban turbolasers, a huge number even ban quadlasers for civilian ownership.
This protects these owners Senator Ryuun, from the legal consequences of their ship causing an accident or incident in the form of mandating insurance. It protects owners from arbitrary seizure of Private vessels by worlds without just cause.
It's an act to protect Imperial Member Worlds, The Operators of Private Capital Ships and create a safe and more responsible spacelane network for everyone. It should be noted that several agencies (including my own Committee) have stated a belief that the loadout is excessive for civilian use. You're a fighting man Ryuun, you've seen the awful effects of Turbolasers (maybe not to the extent those who served in the Corps did), but I can tell you at first hand it's a misery.
Taris was destroyed by Turbolaser Fire thousands of years ago in a shocking scene available in the public holos. The Turbolasers on the freighter you speak are (as used to bombard Taris - or as the Seps used in the Humbarine Genocide) Twin Turbolasers. Now, I've no trouble with jack public owning such a weapon, providing he holds a suitable operators qualification (issued by his planet) and is fully qualified to operate a ship with such destructive fire.
One of those weapons could fell the 500 Republica Tower: Were it misused as at Taris or Humbarine. I say yes! Let the people own what they wish, so long as they need to be so armed for a lawful purpose - but if they wish to go armed with weapons of Mass Destruction then simple laws must apply. It's hardly onerous to require trained crews, a ships owner to be licensed and it be clearly set down that any inappropriate behavior with such a weapon in your charge is actionable by you losing the ship which disrupted the peace - and if you feel it's wrong you can go to law over it.
So yes. I want to protect you, I, these ship owners and everyone in the Galaxy by passing this act to Equalize their status in law (not discriminate against Private Capital Vessels) with the regulations required of Member ships. It makes no sense to carefully govern the use of planetary ships without applying rules at least as stringent to private ones.
This Act will complete a comprehensive drive which I have attempted to see pushed through, governing how conflicts can and should be fought, protection of civilian assets, protection of medics, protection of POWs, etc. Capital ships are (to my satisfaction) currently regulated in all contexts but Private Ownership - and that needs to be sorted out before we have some ghastly incident where some drunken unqualified spacer wastes a city block thinking he's using his laser on practice simulation mode.
Come now, no vessel is prohibited under this act. Just the requirements to own such ships, the responsibilities and rights of those who own such ships and the general framework for enforcement of said rules.
Spacelanes Article
The Regulations of Article 1.5 of the Peace and Parity Act shall consider to have precedence in the event of a legal conflict and the major spacelanes shall remain open for the use of all Imperial Members.
Bernard Oriel
Senator for the Planet of Vjun
1st Earl Malreaux (Second Creation)
Vjun Delegation to the Imperial Senate
Message edited by Bernard_Oriel - Wednesday, 28 Nov 2012, 4:19 PM |
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| Verence_Terrawin | Date: Wednesday, 31 Oct 2012, 0:47 AM | Message # 4 |
 Major general
Group: Users
Messages: 285
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| Does the Commerce Committee consider that this motion will serve to improve the quality and safety of the space lanes for all users of the hyperlanes.
Is it just me, or ought there to be some sort of "cap" in Private individuals owning ships of a certain grade? I just don't see the need (unless the owner is compensating for something), Capital ships eat credits by the thousands for each hour of operation. I have to question, what sane man would feel the need to own such a craft?
I'm fine with some exorbitant Senator or Magnate travelling in a personal CR90 or CR70.
The thought of it being legal for former Separatist individuals to hold capital ships scares me, I admit.
The idea of an individual owning a vessel above a kilometer in length (unless lightly armed) is concerning; this approaches the sort of dangerous Star Frigate and Cruiser level we saw from the Confederates, I don't like the idea of these rattling around as some eccentric billionaire's toy. While I would hope most men of means might also have some measure of mental capacity, I have little confidence in the fact.
I propose the following Amendments
"Capital ships over 1km in Length armed with anything but defensive weapons are prohibited for Private but not Corporate ownership, it shall be legal for a Private Individual to own a Corporation which possess vehicles of such a length but it shall be administered as an asset of the Corporation and not the personal toy of the Corporation's owner."
Verence Terrawin
Senator of Alsakan
First Lord of the Foreign Office, Alsakan
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| LomenRyuun | Date: Wednesday, 31 Oct 2012, 4:13 PM | Message # 5 |
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Lieutenant general
Group: Users
Messages: 696
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| Senator Terrawin, I shall address your points first.
To begin with, if someone has the credits to pay for the upkeep, crew, fuel and all costs associated with a capital vessel, that is their freedom to do so. Likewise, is some billionaire playboy wants to own a vessel over a kilometer in length and turn it into a floating harem if he wants, why shouldn't he be able to arm it to make it effective against pirates and raiders? There's no reason to limit people. I have full confidence in the Imperial Navy's finest to be able to handle any such types if the need arose with a bare minimum of fuss. I daresay a majority of planetary naval forces could do the same. After all, they are trained professionals.
Now, Senator Oriel:
This is over-regulation, and I will demonstrate how so in the following list, but I will get to that. A YZ-775 is a very capable transport vessel which, albeit being rather heavily armed, is quite capable of hauling freight and not requiring the cost of an escort due to its load-out being capable of deterring quite a large number of raiders if attacked. Granted, certain Imperial agencies may well have deemed it a bit excessive in armament, but CEC has the proper authorization from the Bureau of Shipyards and Construction. As such, how do these freighters navigate these sectors that have a ban on turbolasers or even quad lasers? Might we have a number of how many sectors do such? I would be interested in seeing the ratio of sectors that ban such versus those that don't. I believe it's a viable point to this argument. After all, we cannot simply base it off of Alsakan's odd rule. After all, by your law here, any trader in a YZ-775 who traveled to Alsakan would have their ship taken, which is simply ridiculous.
Therefore, 'requirements to own such ships' as you put it and by the wording of your act, make it quite hard to own the following vessels without them somehow falling into the class of 'capital vessel:'
- YZ-775 medium transport
- C-3 liners (if converted with weaponry)
- Ferryboat liners (if converted with weaponry)
- Minstrel-class space yacht
- Barloz-class heavy freighters
- Container transports
- VCX-700 heavy couriers
- YKL-37R Nova Courier
- YV-929 armed freighter
This is just a very, very, very small list of vessels that I browsed through that would be affected by your law. It strikes me that the Defense and Commerce Committees have a very broad range of discretionary power here that is a little too wide for my tastes.
Lomen Ryuun
Senator, Doldur Sector
Senator, Druckenwell
Representative, Monor II (10 BBY - 9 BBY)
Representative, Geridard
Representative, Boranall
Representative, Therenor Prime
Vice-chairman, Defense Committee (Temporarily suspended)
Controlling Shareholder - Druckenwell Arms Corporation
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| Bernard_Oriel | Date: Wednesday, 31 Oct 2012, 5:52 PM | Message # 6 |
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Colonel general
Group: Users
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| As deputy chairman of the Defense Committee (although suspended), I invite you to demonstrate your abundant knowledge of the Subject Senator Ryuun.
Define for us, a capital ship as you'd like to see it classified in law.Added (31 Oct 2012, 5:52 PM)
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And as per Senator Ryuun's complaints, I've increased the minimum weapon loudout to be classed as Capital-class.
Bernard Oriel
Senator for the Planet of Vjun
1st Earl Malreaux (Second Creation)
Vjun Delegation to the Imperial Senate
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| LomenRyuun | Date: Wednesday, 31 Oct 2012, 9:51 PM | Message # 7 |
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Lieutenant general
Group: Users
Messages: 696
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| I will refer to the Encyclopedia Galactica in that a capital ship refers to any armed military starship that exceeds a length of one hundred meters.
Lomen Ryuun
Senator, Doldur Sector
Senator, Druckenwell
Representative, Monor II (10 BBY - 9 BBY)
Representative, Geridard
Representative, Boranall
Representative, Therenor Prime
Vice-chairman, Defense Committee (Temporarily suspended)
Controlling Shareholder - Druckenwell Arms Corporation
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| Bernard_Oriel | Date: Thursday, 01 Nov 2012, 8:39 PM | Message # 8 |
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Colonel general
Group: Users
Messages: 803
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| I incorporated your suggestion Senator Ryuun.
Bernard Oriel
Senator for the Planet of Vjun
1st Earl Malreaux (Second Creation)
Vjun Delegation to the Imperial Senate
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| Senator_Cambrist | Date: Friday, 02 Nov 2012, 7:35 PM | Message # 9 |
 Lieutenant general
Group: Users
Messages: 761
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| Quote (Senator_Terrawin) Does the Commerce Committee consider that this motion will serve to improve the quality and safety of the space lanes for all users of the hyperlanes.
I'll raise this measure at the next meeting of the Committee, but speaking only for myself, no, it would not. The "safety" of the spacelanes perhaps, provided that the Empire devotes the not inconsiderable resources it must to enforce this measure. But as far as the "quality" of a spacelane as an avenue for commerce, I fear this measure will serve only to impede many ships on their lawful course under the present law, which is determined by Sector Moffs (rightfully so, in the prior opinion of the Committee). Section 1.1.c. of the Peace and Parity Act establishes the principle that "individuals should not maintain any vessels of a naval persuasion without some form of dispensation from the Empire." Since the passage of that law, sectors have acted as laboratories of innovation in passing laws of varying stringency, depending on each Sector's need, to restrict the private ownership of capital-grade vessels. There are dozens of such regulations on the books now.
It's proper, in my view, that these decisions should be made by Sector Moffs. Take this article in Senator Oriel's measure about planetary courts ruling a privately-owned vessel "illegal." I can't imagine a slower or more onerous manner in which to rule on these cases. Far more efficient is it to leave this up to the Sector Moff in the first place, rather than having him be a distant avenue of appeal as this act would have it. Uniformity of sector laws and regulations is, after all, what a Sector Moff is for. And his capacity to render judgment has not been called into question, to my knowledge. Leave well enough alone, I say.
I will also say that this measure is well-intended, if perhaps too well-intended. Arguably Senator Oriel's most ambitious proposal, it envisions a utopian state of affairs in which not a single turbolaser is found in the hands of those absent the qualification or temperament use it responsibly. Insofar as this goal is achievable at all, it is most achievable at the Sector level, in my view.
I applaud Senator Terrawin's amendment, however. There's simply no excuse for private individuals to own warships in excess of a thousand meters. Force forfend, to use an antiquated phrase. Legislation forfend, in this case.
Message edited by Senator_Cambrist - Friday, 02 Nov 2012, 7:38 PM |
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| Artemis_Vanden | Date: Wednesday, 07 Nov 2012, 10:14 PM | Message # 10 |
 Major general
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| I don't dismiss the goal of this measure as blithely as Senator Cambrist has, for it is an admirable goal indeed. But is this the best means to achieve it? I'm doubtful. Senator Oriel's procedure is a convoluted one, sending Imperial worlds down long roads of appeal to planetary courts, Imperial magistrates, and the Defense Committee itself. Naboo fears a loss of discretion in determining for itself what ships are or aren't a threat to its people. If the measure were clearer and more concise on this point, our fears might be assuaged. I could certainly like to support a prohibition on the private ownership of capital vessels, but why is the onus not on the seller of these ships? Surely it's more practically regulatable at the point of the transaction.
If I had my way, of course, the onus would be on the manufacturer. But I understand there's little appetite for this in the Senate.
Artemis Vanden
Representative of the Naboo
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| Bernard_Oriel | Date: Thursday, 08 Nov 2012, 1:59 PM | Message # 11 |
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Colonel general
Group: Users
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| Senator Cambrist, Senator Vanden,
I've dialed back my idealism somewhat and instead put in place a fundamentally practical set of regulations for the enforcement of suitable standards of conduct from Private Capital Vessel operators.Added (08 Nov 2012, 1:59 PM)
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Senator Cambrist, Senator Vanden,
I've dialed back my idealism somewhat and instead put in place a fundamentally practical set of regulations for the enforcement of suitable standards of conduct from Private Capital Vessel operators.
Bernard Oriel
Senator for the Planet of Vjun
1st Earl Malreaux (Second Creation)
Vjun Delegation to the Imperial Senate
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| Augusta_Aurelius | Date: Tuesday, 27 Nov 2012, 11:28 PM | Message # 12 |
 Lieutenant colonel
Group: Users
Messages: 109
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| Senator Cambrist, would it be possible to hear the Commerce Committee's findings on the matter of this legislation?
Augusta Aurelius
Queen Conosrt of Deralia
Chair of the Human Rights Monitoring and Crisis Resolution Sub-Committee of the Planetary Defense Committee
Senator of Deralia and the Tammuz Sector (30 BBY - 18 BBY, 10 BBY - Present)
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| Senator_Cambrist | Date: Tuesday, 27 Nov 2012, 11:34 PM | Message # 13 |
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Lieutenant general
Group: Users
Messages: 761
Status: Offline
| I agree with Senator Oriel. The revised bill is eminently reasonable. I vote in favor, though I ask that the bill note that sector regulations concerning whether private capital vessels are permitted in the sector not apply to major hyperspace routes unless by inter-sector agreement ratified in treaty form by the Imperial Senate. It wouldn't do to have ships that may be legal in "sector A" and "sector C" have to take a long, circuitous route through the realspace around "sector B," wherein they might not be considered legal. Commerce on the trade routes must remain as free as reasonably possible—indeed, the Peace and Parity Act makes provision for this in article 1.5. Similar language in this bill or an assurance from Senator Oriel that his bill wouldn't supersede article 1.5 would be appreciated.
Message edited by Senator_Cambrist - Tuesday, 27 Nov 2012, 11:36 PM |
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| Augusta_Aurelius | Date: Tuesday, 27 Nov 2012, 11:45 PM | Message # 14 |
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Lieutenant colonel
Group: Users
Messages: 109
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| With Senator Cambrist's support, and while I too would like to see such assurances as Senator Cambrist has called for, I, nonetheless, vote In Favor of this legislation.
Augusta Aurelius
Queen Conosrt of Deralia
Chair of the Human Rights Monitoring and Crisis Resolution Sub-Committee of the Planetary Defense Committee
Senator of Deralia and the Tammuz Sector (30 BBY - 18 BBY, 10 BBY - Present)
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| Bernard_Oriel | Date: Wednesday, 28 Nov 2012, 4:20 PM | Message # 15 |
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Colonel general
Group: Users
Messages: 803
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| I've incorporated Senator Cambrist's suggestion.
Bernard Oriel
Senator for the Planet of Vjun
1st Earl Malreaux (Second Creation)
Vjun Delegation to the Imperial Senate
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