Laws of the MR III

TITLE TEN – DOMESTIC SECURITY

Public Law No. 21 [The Passport and Identification Card Act (Το Νομοσχέδιο Διαβατηρίων και Δελτίων ταυτότητας)] (4/5/1932)

• Article I [Preface]
  • §1 For purposes of national security, the Serene Monastic Republic of the Holy Mountain recognizes three types of individuals: citizens, resident aliens, and tourists.
  • §2 Stateless individuals and aliens without employment may neither enter nor reside in the Monastic Republic.
  • §3 Tourists may stay only in facilities established for that purpose.
  • §4 Tourists may be guests in the homes of citizens with the express approval of the Hegumen Constable at the request of the citizen-host.

• Article II [Identification]
  • Part 1 [Citizens’ Passports]
    • §1 Passports shall conform to the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization.
    • §2 The passport cover shall be red with gold lettering and the pages light green. The cover shall contain the complete coat-of-arms of the Monastic Republic with the words “η Γαληνότατη Μοναστική Δημοκρατία Αγίου Όρους” across the top in gold letters and the words “The Serene Monastic Republic of the Holy Mountain” across the bottom in gold letters.
    • §3 Passports shall be issued in Greek and in English.
    • §4 The introduction to the passports of the Monastic Republic shall read, “His Serene Grace, the Archimandrite of the Holy Mountain, requests, in the Name of the People of the Serene Monastic Republic of the Holy Mountain, of all whom it may concern that the bearer of this passport be allowed to pass without let or hindrance and, in case of need, be given all lawful assistance and protection."
    • §5 Applications for a passport for a minor require the signature of both parents or guardians should there be two.
  • Part 2 [Aliens' Passports]
    • §1 Passports shall be accepted from the citizen of any country with which the Monastic Republic has diplomatic relations.
    • §2 Citizens of the Hellenic Kingdom do not need a passport to enter the Monastic Republic, but they must have on their persons at all times a government identification card of some sort which contains a current photograph. This government identification card must be presented when making any purchase within the Monastic Republic.
    • §3 If accused of a crime in the Monastic Republic, a non-resident shall surrender his passport or identification card to the lawful authority. These shall be returned to the bearer if he is acquitted of the crime. If convicted, they shall be retained by the lawful authority until the sentence adjudicated shall have been served.
  • Part 3 [Identification Cards]
    • §1 Every citizen shall be issued an identification card, light green in color, which must be carried on the person at all times. This card shall contain the full name of the bearer, his current photograph, his identification number, his current address, his birth date, both thumb prints, his blood type, and other items to be determined by Law. Identification cards shall not contain any reference to the bearer’s religion.
    • §2 The identification cards of monks need not be carried on their person, but may be kept by their hegumen in a secure place. Should the monk leave the Holy Mountain, he must carry his identification card with him.
    • §3 Resident aliens are those individuals who have entered the Monastic Republic with the intent of becoming citizens at the expiration of the ten-year waiting period. These shall likewise be issued identification cards, light blue in color, which shall contain the same information as the citizen identification card. The card shall also contain the date at which the alien’s residency is to expire.
    • §4 Non-resident aliens are those who reside temporarily in the Monastic Republic for business purposes. These shall likewise be issued identification cards, light red in color, which shall contain the same information as the citizen identification card. The card shall also contain the date at which the alien’s residency is to expire.
    • §3 These identification cards shall, when requested, be shown to any member of the Gendarmery who so identifies himself. It shall also be lawful for a merchant or any of his staff to view this identification card when the bearer makes a purchase.
    • §4 All sales receipts of purchases by a non-resident shall contain the identification number of the non-resident.
    • §5 These identification cards must be presented when opening any kind of bank account in the Monastic Republic or when initiating any type of financial venture.
  • Amendment #1 All passports shall contain biometric data.
  • Amendment #2 A photograph in digital format shall be added to the citizens' passports.

Public Law No. 10 [The Firearms Act (Το Νομοσχέδιο Πυροβόλων Όπλων)] (8/7/1928)

• §1 Possession of an unlicensed firearm in the Serene Monastic Republic of the Holy Mountain is prohibited. To do so is a felony and shall be dealt with according to the Law, which shall include a mandatory prison sentence.
• §2 Licenses shall be granted to own a firearm only for those firearms that can be used legitimately for sport. A notation that such a license has been granted shall be made in the Citizens’ Registry and on the individual’s identification card. The definition of sport is at the discretion of the Protos Constable.
• §3 Application for a license to possess a firearm must be accompanied by a psychological profile attesting to the fitness of the applicant to handle a firearm responsibly verified by a psychiatrist or psychologist licensed to practice in the Monastic Republic, and a certificate asserting that the applicant has passed the required course in how to handle the weapon for which the license is requested.
• §4 When kept in the home, a firearm shall never be loaded. Ammunition for firearms shall be stored in a place separate from the firearm and inaccessible to children.
• §5 The bearer of a firearm, when traveling, shall carry the firearm unloaded.
• §6 It shall be illegal to bring any type of firearm into the Monastic Republic without express approval of the Protos Constable. To do so is a felony and shall be dealt with according to the Law, which shall include a mandatory prison sentence.
• §7 The commission of a crime using a firearm, real or presumed, is a felony and shall be dealt with according to the Law, which shall include a mandatory prison sentence.

TITLE ELEVEN – WAR AND NATIONAL DEFENSE

Public Law No. 9 [The National Defense Act (Το Νομοσχέδιο Εθνικής Υπεράστισης)] (9/7/1926)

• §1 A treaty shall be entered into with the Hellenic Kingdom to provide for national defense.
• §2 Any activity in the Monastic Republic which threatens the security of the Hellenic Kingdom shall be considered a felony and shall be dealt with according to the Law, which shall include a mandatory prison sentence.

TITLE TWELVE – THE GENDARMERY

Public Law No. 11 [The Gendarmery Act (Το Νομοσχέδιο Χωροφυλακής)] (9/4/1926)

• §1 A Gendarmery shall be established in the Serene Monastic Republic of the Holy Mountain for the purpose of maintaining law, order and security in the Monastic Republic.
• §2 A detachment of Gendarmery shall be maintained in each of the demes.
• §3 The Gendarmery of the Monastic Republic is tasked with:
  • a. maintaining law and public order;
  • b. investigating crime in accordance with the principles of the Code of Criminal Procedure;
  • c. controlling and supervising road traffic;
  • d. patroling the territorial waters of the Monastic Republic;
  • e. assisting authorities to fulfill their duties in keeping with the respective laws and provisions;
  • f. preventing crime and accidents;
  • g. assisting in cases of natural or man-made disasters,
  • h. searching for persons reported missing, and
  • i. staffing the customs stations.
• §4 The Gendarmery shall consist of a colonel in charge, six assisting officers and a minimum of 30 enlisted personnel in each detachment.
• §5 The Prosforion Gendarmery shall staff the Dafni station.
• §6 In order to carry out these tasks, the Gendarmery is authorized to purchase:
  • a. three police boats, one for each deme.
  • b. two fireboats, one each for Aktí and Prosforion.
• §7 Gendarmery personnel may be deprived of rank, honours, and pensions only in the manner described by Law.
• §8 Male Gendarmery personnel may enter the Holy Mountain only by invitation.

Amended

• §1 The Gendarmery is authorized to purchase two search-and-rescue helicopters and one search-and-rescue vessel.

TITLE FIFTEEN – EDUCATION

Public Law No. 36 [The Museum of Athonite Antiquities Act (Το Νομοσχέδιο Μουσείου Αθονήτων Αρχαιοτήτων)] (5/6/1980)

• §1 A museum to be called the Museum of Athonite Antiquities shall be housed in the Byzantine Tower so that the treasures of the Serene Monastic Republic of the Holy Mountain can be made available to women.
• §2 The Museum shall be provided with the latest technological safeguards to protect the antiquities which are housed within its walls.
• §3 A researcher, man or woman, may request of the Hegumen Castellan that a certain work of art or certain works of art by made available to him or her at the Museum. An advance notice of several weeks is necessary for this.
• §4 The lower floor shall be devoted to exhibits of the art. The upper floors shall be devoted to laboratories and workshops for studying the works of art.
• §5 Once the reconstruction is paid for, the entrance fee shall be lowered so that just enough is earned to maintain the facility.

TITLE NINETEEN – THE CENSUS

Public Law No. 25 [The Public Census Act (Το Νομοσχέδιο Δημοσίης Απογραφής)] (7/2/1935)

• §1 A census of the Serene Monastic Republic of the Holy Mountain shall be taken every five years.
• §2 The information gathered in the census shall be recorded immediately in the registers of the demes and the monasteries as the data is acquired.
• §3 The Hegumen Seneschal shall present the cost of hiring temporary workers for the census to the Hegumen Seneschal for inclusion in the Annual Budget.
• 2006 amendments:
  • §1 A census of the Serene Monastic Republic of the Holy Mountain shall be taken whenever the Holy Synod feels it necessary to verify the figures in the official registers.
  • §4 Three copies of the census registers shall be recorded electronically and stored in each of the government houses. There shall likewise be there copies of the census registers of the monasteries. One copy shall be stored in the government house in Karyes; the two other copies in different monasteries to be determined by the Holy Synod.”

TITLE TWENTY – COMMERCE AND TRADE

Public Law No. 12 [The Livestock Act (Το Νομοσχέδιο Ζώων Κτηνοτροφίας)] (8/6/1929)

• §1 Cattle and horses shall not be permitted within the Serene Monastic Republic of the Holy Mountain.
• §2 Exceptions shall be made for the island of Amoulián, should a citizen be willing to incur the expense of maintaining horses.
• §3 The Hegumen Archiater shall keep a close watch on the health and well-being of any such horses stabled on the island of Amoulián.
• §4 Citizens may keep donkeys and goats, but they must be strictly controlled. All such livestock must be permanently tagged with information that will identify the owner. Such tagging shall be carried out through the office of the Hegumen Seneschal.
• §5 A penalty to be determined by Law shall be enacted from any citizen whose livestock is found on the Holy Mountain.
• §6 Any type of domestic fowl may be kept by the citizens, but they must be strictly controlled.
• §7 Dogs and cats may be kept as household pets in the Monastic Republic.
  • a. Dogs, when off the citizen’s property, must be on a leash and in the control of the citizen at all times.
  • b. Cats must be kept in the citizen’s house at all times. They may not be allowed to wander. Any cat so found shall be caught by the Animal Control and the owner fined.
• §8 Every dog and cat must be permanently tagged with information that will identify the owner.
• §9 Every dog and cat must be neutered. Only citizens who own licensed kennels for the purpose of breeding may possess un-neutered dogs and cats.

TITLE TWENTY-ONE – CONSERVATION

Public Law No. 37 [The National Wildlife Sanctuary Act (Το Νομοσχέδιο για Εθνικόν Καταφύγιον Αγρίων Ζώων)] (7/8/1980)

• §1 The entire Serene Monastic Republic of the Holy Mountain, including its territorial waters, shall be protected as a Natural Wildlife Sanctuary.
• §2 Fishing and scuba diving are not permitted in the territorial waters of the Monastic Republic. Fishing is permitted to the monks from the shore. Skin-diving, wind-surfing and snorkeling are permitted.

Public Law No. 38 [The Golden Eagle Protection Act (Το Νομοσχέδιο για Προστασίαν του Χρυσαετού)] (11/4/1980)

• §1 Whoever, within the Serene Monastic Republic of the Holy Mountain, without being permitted to do so as hereinafter provided, shall knowingly, or with wanton disregard for the consequences of his act, take; possesse; sell; purchase; barter; offer to sell, purchase or barter; transport; export or import, at any time or in any manner, any golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetus), alive or dead, or any part, nest, or egg thereof of the golden eagle, or whoever violates any permit or regulation issued pursuant to this Act, shall be fined not more than D3,000 and imprisoned for not more than six months.
• §2 In the case of a second or subsequent conviction for a violation of this Public Law, such person shall be fined not more than D6,000 and imprisoned for not more than two years.
• §3 The commission of each taking or other act prohibited by this Public Law with respect to a golden eagle shall constitute a separate violation of this Public Law.
• §4 One-half of any such fine, but not to exceed D1,500, shall be paid to the person or persons giving information which leads to a conviction.
• §5 Whenever, after investigation, the Hegumen Seneschal shall determine that it is compatible with the preservation of the golden eagle to permit the taking, possession, and transportation of specimens thereof for the scientific or exhibition purposes of public museums, scientific societies, and zoological parks, or that it is necessary to permit the taking of such eagles for the protection of wildlife or of agricultural or other interests in any particular locality, he may authorize the taking of such eagles pursuant to regulations which he is hereby authorized to prescribe.
• §6 On request of the demarchs, the Hegumen Seneschal shall authorize the taking of golden eagles for the purpose of seasonally protecting domesticated flocks, in accordance with regulations established under the provisions of this Public Law.
• §7 Since the whole territory of the Monastic Republic is a Wildlife Natural Sanctuary, falconry in any form is prohibited. Violation of this regulation shall result in a fine of not more than D1,000.
• §8 Any gendarme may, without warrant, arrest any person committing in his presence or view a violation of this Act or of any permit or regulation issued hereunder and take such person immediately for examination or trial before an officer or court of competent jurisdiction; may execute any warrant or other process issued by an officer or court of competent jurisdiction for the enforcement of the provisions of this Public Law; and may, with or without a warrant, as authorized by law, search any place.
• §9 All golden eagles, or parts, nests, or eggs thereof, taken; possessed; sold; purchased; bartered; offered for sale, purchase, or barter; transported; exported or imported contrary to the provisions of this Public Law, or of any permit or regulation issued hereunder, and all weapons, traps, nets, and other equipment, vessels, vehicles, aircraft, and other means of transportation used to aid in the taking; possessing; selling; purchasing; bartering; offering for sale, purchase, or barter; transporting; exporting or importing of any bird, or part, nest, or egg thereof, in violation of this Act or of any permit or regulation issued hereunder shall be subject to forfeiture to the Monastic Republic.
• §10 Pursuant to this Public Law, a refuge for the rehabilitation and care of golden eagles shall be established as soon as the need arises.
• §11 All fines levied under this Act shall be used for the maintenance of the Golden Eagle Refuge of the Monastic Republic.
• §12 All property confiscated under this Act shall be used for the maintenance of or sold to provide funds for the upkeep of the Golden Eagle Refuge of the Monastic Republic.
• §13 All fines levied under this Act shall be used for the enhancement of the wildlife conservation program of the Monastic Republic.
• §14 Golden eagles in need of care and rehabilitation shall be accepted by and become the property of the Golden Eagle Refuge of the Monastic Republic.

Public Law No. 32 [The Border Planting Act (Το Νομοσχέδιο του φυτέματος του Μεθορίου)] (9/6/1960)

• §1 A row of mulberry trees shall be planted from shore to shore at the border of the Serene Monastic Republic of the Holy Mountain and the Second Hellenic Empire.
• §2 A row of mulberry trees shall be planted from shore to shore at the border of the Serene Monastic Republic of the Holy Mountain and the Holy Mountain.
• §3 A row of mulberry trees shall be planted along the border between the demes of Prosforion and Aktí.
• §4 The Sericulture Association shall have the exclusive right to harvest the leaves and the fruit of these trees.
• §5 Any mulberry tree in the Monastic Republic that is felled shall be turned over to the monasteries for their use.