Constitution of HomeworkSMP

We, the Members of HomeworkSMP, in the interest of fostering a fair, collaborative, and enjoyable Minecraft community, establish this Constitution to uphold the rights of Members and ensure the just governance of our server.

Introduction & Purpose

HomeworkSMP is a collaborative, community-driven Minecraft server founded as a continuation of the original Microsoft Community Minecraft Server after its reset in early 2024.

This Constitution exists to protect the freedoms of members, prevent administrative overreach, and ensure the democratic and inclusive operation of the server.

Part 0. Supremacy of the Constitution

In case of any conflict between this Constitution and any Server Rules (including Discord and SMP rules), this Constitution shall prevail. All Server Rules must comply with the principles and provisions set forth herein.

Part 1. Definitions

Members, Server Members, or Members of HomeworkSMP shall be defined as people who are in the HomeworkSMP Discord Server, and have played on HomeworkSMP (including Original Server) at least once.

Server Host shall be defined as the person who is hosting the server, and is the owner of the HomeworkSMP Discord Server.

Server or The Server is referring to HomeworkSMP.

Community Moderators are trusted Members appointed by the Server Host to support governance processes, including initiating succession or removal votes and advising on constitutional matters.

Part 2. Rights & Freedoms of Members

1. All Members have the following fundamental rights:
1. To join and leave (disconnect from) the server freely;
2. To propose changes to the server and its rules;
3. To vote in public general elections, as defined in Part 5;
4. To express opinions freely, without interference or censorship from the Server Host or Community Moderators;
5. To be free from discrimination and harassment on any grounds; and
6. To access relevant information regarding server governance, including the right to request logs and decision records, subject to reasonable privacy protections as defined in Section 17.
2. All Members have the following procedural and privacy rights:
1. To a fair process before any disciplinary action, including timely notification of allegations and opportunity to respond;
2. To appeal moderation decisions through a clear and accessible process;
3. To have private data and communications protected; any disclosures must be redacted appropriately to preserve privacy;
4. To transparency regarding governance decisions affecting the community, including timely announcements and explanations, except where safety or privacy concerns override; and
5. To participate meaningfully in governance, including proposing, debating, and voting on rules and constitutional amendments.

Part 3. Governance Structure, Power Distribution & Limitations (aka. Checks & Balances)

3. HomeworkSMP shall have one (1) Server Host at any given time.
4. The Server Host may remain in their position indefinitely, unless they voluntarily retire or are removed as outlined in Part 7.
5. The Server Host is responsible for and must be capable of:
   1. Managing technical backend operations (hosting, files, performance, etc.);
   2. Creating or modifying Discord roles, channels, and permissions;
   3. Scheduling votes, elections, and community events.
6. The Server Host may not unilaterally:
   1. Make Major Server Changes without community approval under Part 4;
   2. The Server Host may ban or remove members without a vote only under the authority of Emergency Powers, a Notwithstanding Clause, and/or under Extreme Circumstances, defined to include (but not limited to):
      1. Doxxing and/or threatening doxxing;
      2. Hate speech;
      3. Illegal activity, including exploitation and/or fraud.
7. The Server Host may nominate up to two (2) Community Moderators at a time.
   They shall be approved by a simple majority vote in an election held under the procedures of Part 5.
8. Community Moderators:
   1. Must be active Members in good standing (i.e., not under investigation for misconduct and/or inactive for 30+ days);
   2. Shall serve indefinite terms unless removed by the Server Host or by a Member vote (simple majority);
   3. May initiate removal or succession votes as outlined in Part 7;
   4. May act as co-moderators of debates, elections, and/or constitutional discussions.

Part 4. Changes to Server

9. Major Server Changes include, but are not limited to:
   1. Introducing new plugins and/or datapacks;
      1. Updates to existing plugins/datapacks are not considered major unless they create breaking gameplay changes.
   2. Changes to server configuration that impact gameplay;
   3. Changing the server domain;
   4. Changing the Bedrock Edition and/or Pocket Edition port.
10. Major Server Changes must follow this process:
    1. A formal announcement must be made to all Members;
    2. An election must be held where the change is approved by at least 50% of voting Members.

Part 5. Elections

11. The Server Host may call an election at any time.
12. Elections may be held for, but not limited to, the following:
    1. Approval of Major Server Changes (Part 4);
    2. Transfer of power (Part 7);
    3. Constitutional amendments (Part 8).
13. Elections must meet the following criteria to be valid:
    1. At least 50% of all Server Members must participate in the vote, unless stated otherwise;
    2. Most motions require a simple majority (>50%) to pass, unless otherwise specified;
    3. For votes that are not simple Yes/No, Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) shall be used where appropriate, and a minimum of 50% support is required to pass the motion.
14. Elections shall not be shorter than forty-eight (48) hours, and may last up to one (1) week or seven (7) days, but the Server Host shall deem the appropriate length of an election.
15. In Ownership Elections, Section 11 is not applicable, and the Election must follow the following rules:
    1. Candidates must be nominated by at least five (5) Members.
    2. A public debate must be held in a Stage Channel, lasting at least forty-five (45) minutes.
       1. The debate shall be moderated by the Current Server Host, or if unavailable, a Community Moderator appointed by the Server Host.
       2. The debate shall be recorded by the Current Server Host, and made available to members on request.
    3. If there are more than two candidates, the Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) system will be used. Otherwise, First-Past-the-Post shall be the default method.
    4. To win, a candidate must receive:
       1. Over 55% of votes in elections with three or more candidates; or
       2. Over 50% of votes in elections with exactly two candidates.
    5. The voter turnout shall be a minimum of 50% of the server members.
    6. If conditions are not met, the election is declared invalid. A re-election may be called, or the retiring Server Host may nominate a successor.

Part 6. Transparency

16. The Server Host shall ensure transparency in:
    1. Plugin, datapack, and configuration changes;
    2. Moderation actions (unless disclosure would endanger Member safety and/or privacy);
    3. Downtime, maintenance, and/or restarts;
    4. Hosting changes that affect server availability.
17. Members may request access to server logs (console logs). These must be provided within a reasonable timeframe, unless deemed sensitive by the Server Host.
    1. Private messages must be redacted.
    2. IP addresses must be redacted.
    3. Coordinates must be redacted if the request pertains to player disputes, theft, or griefing incidents.

Part 7. Transfer of Power

18. If the Server Host voluntarily retires, they may:
    1. Nominate a successor, to be confirmed by a simple majority vote; or
    2. Request an open election to select a new Server Host (see Section 15).
19. If the Server Host is deemed inactive for 60 consecutive days, a vote of succession may be initiated by any Community Moderator and/or by petition from at least three (3) Members.
    1. A turnout of 50% or more with an 55% approval or more is required to approve the transfer of power in this circumstance.
20. In cases of misconduct or abuse of power, a removal vote may be initiated by any Community Moderator and/or by petition from at least three (3) Members.
    1. A turnout of at least 50% of Server Members is required;
    2. At least 60% of those voting must vote in favor of removal.

Part 8. Lawmaking and Enactment

21. Any Member may draft and propose a Bill.
22. Bills must be made publicly available for debate for no fewer than seventy-two (72) hours before a vote.
23. Bills require a valid election under Part 5 to become Acts.
24. An Act shall enter into force upon either:
    1. Signature of the Server Host within seven (7) days; or
    2. Approval by an overriding vote, which occurs if the Server Host vetoes or fails to sign within seven (7) days.
    3. An overriding vote requires at least 66% approval of all Server Members, with a minimum turnout of 50%.
25. Acts must not contradict the Constitution. In the event of conflict, the Constitution prevails.
26. All Acts passed must be published in full and archived for public viewing within 72 hours of passage on GitHub and on Discord through a PDF file.
27. Repeals or amendments of Acts must follow the same procedure as original enactment.

Part 9. Judicial & Appeals System

28. A Judicial Panel shall be convened on an ad hoc basis to hear disputes, appeals, or challenges to Acts.
29. The Panel shall consist of three (3) Members who are not the Server Host, not Community Moderators, and not directly involved in the matter under review.
30. Panelists shall be selected by an automated random draw. Any party may challenge one (1) panelist for cause (e.g., bias, conflict of interest). If upheld by the other two panelists, the challenged member is replaced by a new random draw.
31. Panelists must recuse themselves from cases where they have a direct personal, financial, or in-game interest. Failure to recuse is grounds for disciplinary action by majority Member vote.
32. Accused Members have the right to:
    1. Be informed promptly of the charge(s);
    2. Present evidence and a defense;
    3. Call relevant witnesses.
33. The Panel shall reach decisions by majority vote and must provide a written explanation.
34. A Member subject to a decision may appeal once. A new Judicial Panel, selected under the same process, shall hear the appeal.
35. Appeals must be filed within fourteen (14) days of the decision being issued.
36. The Judicial Panel must convene within seven (7) days of the appeal being filed and issue a written decision within twenty-eight (28) days of convening.
37. If the Panel fails to issue a decision within this timeframe, the appeal is automatically escalated to a newly selected Judicial Panel, which must resolve the case within twenty-eight (28) days. Failure to do so voids the original decision.
38. Judicial rulings are binding unless overturned by constitutional amendment.

Part 10. Emergency Powers

39. In the event of immediate threats (e.g., raids, mass griefing, hacking, or server compromise), the Server Host declare a State of Emergency.
40. Under a State of Emergency, temporary measures may include but is not limited to banning or muting Members, limiting access, or suspending the SMP temporarily.
41. All State of Emergency temporary measures must be:
    1. Proportionate to the threat;
    2. Narrowly focused;
    3. Time-limited (no more than forty-eight (48) hours unless extended by a referendum vote).
42. The Server Host must publish a justification within twenty-four (24) hours of invoking a State of Emergency.
43. After a State of Emergency expires, a ratification vote shall be held within seven (7) days under the procedures of Part 5. Continuation of emergency measures requires at least 66% approval with a minimum turnout of 50%. If the ratification vote fails, all emergency measures enacted under the State of Emergency are immediately nullified and reversed where feasible.
44. Abuse of emergency powers constitutes grounds for removal under Part 7.

Part 11. Amendment of Constitution

45. Amendments must be proposed formally and publicly announced.
46. To pass, an amendment must:
    1. Have a turnout of at least 51% of Server Members;
    2. Of those, at least 66% must vote in favor.
    OR
    1. Have a turnout of at least 40% of Server Members;
    2. Of those, at least 73% must vote in favor.
47. Amendments must be published in full and archived for public viewing within 72 hours of passage on GitHub and on Discord through a PDF file.

Part 12. Application of Constitution

48. This Constitution applies to all Members of HomeworkSMP.
49. Where interpretation is required, the guiding principles shall be:
    1. Fairness
    2. Community engagement
    3. Transparency
    4. Decentralization of power
50. If any discrepancies arise between versions of the Constitution, the PDF version shall be considered authoritative and final.
51. 51. This Constitution shall be effective upon ratification by a simple majority vote and when it is signed into effect by the Server Host. If the approval percentage exceeds the supermajority, the signature of the Server Host is strictly ceremonial.