Kingdom of the Isles
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Kingdom of the Isles Ríogdacht na hAiléoin | |
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 Flag
 Coat of arms
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| Anthem: Highland Cathedral | |
| Status | Active |
| Capital | Ballyronan |
| Official languages | Roccabaraigh Gaelic, English |
| Recognised regional languages | Scottish Gaelic, Irish, Welsh, Manx, Scots |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
| Demonym(s) | Suthreyjaric (official), Highland Islanders (common) |
| Government | Federal constitutional monarchy |
• Ardríogh | Fionnlagh MacConall |
| Legislature | Taich an tÓenach |
| Establishment | |
• Founding | 11 April 2022 |
| Area | |
• | 333.37 km2 (128.71 sq mi) |
| Membership | 154 |
| GDP (nominal) | 2023 estimate |
• Total | $13,750 |
| HDI | 0.692 medium |
| Currency | Suthreyjaric Pound (SJP) |
| Time zone | Greenwich Mean Time |
| Date format | dd/mm/yyyy |
The Kingdom of the Isles (Roccabaraigh Gaelic: Ríogdacht na hAiléoin, Scottish Gaelic: Rìoghachd nan Eilean, Irish: Ríocht na nOileán, Welsh: Teyrnas Manaw a'r Ynysoedd, Manx: Reeriaght Vannin as ny h-Ellanyn), commonly known as Suthreyjar, is a European micronation located in Scotland. The country consists of nearly a hundred petty kingdoms (túatha), located mainly on islands around the coast of Scotland. The Kingdom is an explicitly agrarian nation, and is the national homeland of the Suthreyjaric people.
Government and politics
The Kingdom of the Isles is a constitutional federal monarchy. The Kingdom is formed of 35 túatha (singular: túath), which is often translated to English as "petty kingdoms". Each túath has its own monarch (ríogh in Roccabaraigh Gaelic) and constitution, and also has its own legislature and judiciary. However, all executive functions of government are undertaken by the Ardríogdacht (federal government), who work with túath governments to implement and enforce both federal and túath laws. Under An tLagh na hArdbreitheamhain (the federal constitution), all túatha are equal to one another in all their dealings with the Ardríogdacht.
Ardríogdacht
The Ardríogdacht is made up of three branches: the Ardbreitheamhain (trans: High Judges, the judiciary branch); the Taich an tÓenach (trans: House of Assembly, the legislative branch); and the Comhairle Príbáidech (trans: Privy Council, the executive branch). There is significant overlap between the three branches, and the Ardríogh (high king) is the head of all three branches, making him both the head of state and the head of government.
The Ardbreitheamhain is formed by the breitheamhain (singular: breitheamh) which is translated as judges, but more often anglicised to brehons. As the judiciary branch of the government, the Ardbreitheamhain is responsible for the interpretation of law, and its application to the facts of each case brought before Suthreyjaric courts. Sole judiciary power lies with the Ardríogh, who grants the Ardbreitheamhain exclusive permission to exercise this authority.
The Taich an tÓenach is the legislative branch of government. It is formed by the breitheamhain together with the kings of the túatha. Sole legislative power lies with the Ardríogh, who grants the Taich an tÓenach exclusive permission to exercise this authority. The Taich an tÓenach legislates using statutes called Acts of the Óenach, which can be enforced in all túatha of the Kingdom of the Isles.
The Comhairle Príbáidech is the executive branch of government. It is formed by the kings of the túatha together with His Majesties Ministers, who are appointed by the Ardríogh to lead the ministerial departments of the government. The ministerial departments are:
| Ministry | Incumbent Minister | Responsibilities |
|---|---|---|
| Ministry of Defence | Alisa McAllister | Matters of defence and the military |
| Ministry of the Treasury | Morag Cameron | Government finance, fiscal policy, and financial regulation |
| Ministry of Foreign Affairs | Kieran McRae | Foreign policy and relations, diplomacy, bilateral and multilateral relations affairs, and providing support for citizens abroad |
| Ministry of Justice | Brodie MacKinnon | The Lord Advocate (public prosecutor), the police service, and the prison service |
| Ministry of Transport | Declan Ryan | Transportation, including paths, roads and waterways |
| Ministry of Media, Culture, and Sport | Ewan MacDonald | Culture, sport, tourism, leisure and the creative industries |
| Ministry of Education and Science | Liam Byrne | Libraries, science, and technology |
| Ministry of Environment, Agriculture, and Food | Cameron Ross | Environmental protection, food production and standards, agriculture and fisheries |
Most of the ministerial departments contain numerous specialised agencies, which focus on the implementation of specific parts of government policy. Agencies are often empowered to institute regulations by laws passed by an Act of the Óenach.
Law and criminal justice
The legal system of the Kingdom of the Isles is based on Scots law, and as such is a hybrid legal system containing civil law and common law elements. Aside from the constitution, Suthreyjaric law recognises four sources of law: legislation, common law (legal precedent), specific academic writings, and legal customs.
The Courts of the Kingdom of the Isles are staffed and operated by brehons, under the authority of the Ardbreitheamhain. These courts handle both civil and criminal cases. There is no hierarchy of courts in the Kingdom, although there is a hierarchy of individual brehons. The education of brehons at the school of Suthreyjaric law - called the College of Salmon (An Bradán Feasa) - lasts for twenty years. The hierarchy of brehons is based on how long they have been enrolled at the College of Salmon - the longer the brehon has been enrolled, the higher they are in the hierarchy. Any appeal against the decision of a brehon cannot be heard by a brehon of equal or lower standing in the hierarchy to the original adjudicating brehon.
Law enforcement in the Kingdom if carried out at both the Ardríogdacht and the túath level. Each túath has its own police force, which can only enforce laws passed by the túath’s own legislature. The túath police forces are technically answerable to only the Minister of Justice of the Ardríogdacht, however the Ministry of Justice cooperates with túath governments to organise and run their police forces. At the Ardríogdacht level, an tGarda Ardríogdachta (often abbreviated AGA or the GA) are responsible for the policing of federal laws. Another Ardríogdacht law enforcement agency is an tMarascal Ardríogdachta (AMA or the MA), who are responsible for the arrest and transfer of fugitives wanted by túath police who have fled from the jurisdiction of that túath. Both Ardríogdacht law enforcement agencies are agencies of the Ministry of Justice. When required, additional support is provided to both Ardríogdacht and túath police forces by the military intelligence services.
Military
Traditionally, each túath has its own standing military force, which swears its allegiance to the túath’s ríogh (king), who in turn swears his allegiance to Ardríogh. In practice, all of the túath militaries are supplied, organised, and commanded by Cenncethramadu Coinbersáid an tArdríogdacht (CCA), which is an agency of the Ardríogdacht’s Ministry of Defence.
Other agencies of the Ministry of Defence include an tSeirbheis Slándála (the Security Service), which is the domestic counterintelligence and security agency, and an tSeirbheis Faisnéis Rúnda (the Secret Intelligence Service), which is the foreign intelligence service.
Economy
The economy of the Kingdom is highly regulated in order to preserve its agrarian nature. As a result, the economic output of the Kingdom is mainly small-scale agricultural products and construction, in addition to some handmade and craft products made for export. The agrarian character of the economy makes it difficult to quantify, however the Ministry of the Treasury publishes an estimate of the GDP each month. The latest estimate was SJ£37 11s 8d (£11,090 GBP, $13,750 USD).
There is no taxation imposed by the Ardríogdacht, although some túatha have duties and other taxes. The Ardríogdacht, and most túath governments, generate their income primarily through the monopolies granted to them by law.
Currency
The Suthreyjaric Pound (SJP or SJ£) is a silver-standard currency issued by the Bank of Suthreyjar (the central bank, and an agency of the Ministry of the Treasury). Despite this, use of both sterling and barter and trade is widespread, and is generally promoted by the government.