Act 8 (Titles)
| Act 8 (Titles) | |
| Proposed | October 2008 |
| Imperial Consent given on | October 2008 |
| Imperial Consent given at | Parliament Hall, Wrythe |
| Imperial Consent given by | HRH Emperor Terry I |
| Amended by | Act 34 (Revised Titles) |
Act 8 (Titles) of the Parliament of Austenasia was an Act of Parliament passed during October 2008 and repealed on 20 December 2008. This Act codified the styles and titles initially used by members of the Austenasian government and Imperial Family.
Act 8 was passed at some point during October 2008. Due to a lack of reliable record-keeping in the early Empire, the exact date that Imperial Consent was given to this Act is unknown. By convention, the styles and titles it laid out are considered to have been in place since the founding of the Empire.
The Imperial Family - referred to in this Act as the "Royal Family" - was defined by Law 4 as the direct relations of the Monarch. The spouse of the Monarch was to be known as Prince(ss) Consort; siblings, children and children-in-law as Prince(ss); and the Heir to the Throne as Crown Prince(ss). All those with these titles, together with the Monarch himself, were given the reference style of Royal Highness. Oddly, all members of the Royal Family were also granted the same spoken styles as the Monarch, to be addressed as Majesty or Highness (the former customarily reserved only for monarchs and their spouses). It was also implied that a female Monarch would still be known as an Emperor.
The Prime Minister and Representatives were also given titles, the Prime Minister to have the post-nominal letters of PM and Representatives to have "Representative of Town" after their name. They were given the spoken style of Sir, seemingly dismissing the possibility of an elected female politician.
Act 8 was repealed on 20 December 2008 by Act 34 (Revised Titles). Act 34 cleared up many of the discrepancies and anomalies present in Act 8; a female Monarch would be known as Empress, the Monarch's style was changed to Majesty (which other members of the Royal Family could no longer be addressed by), and the possibility of a female Prime Minister or Representatives was taken into account in regards to forms of address.