National Code of Chisei

The National Code of Chisei (Shirakawan: 治世國法 Chisei Kwokuhō, Saramosiri: ちせいこ く  は う Cise'i Kokhaw, lit. "Chisei National Law") is the first of the Ten Codes (十法) which serve as the basis of the Chiseian legal system. The National Code was adopted in 1825 as part of the Kahō Code, a sweeping legal reform that followed the failed Taihei Revolution of 1802 and created the foundations of the modern Chiseian state.

The word Kwokuhō (國法) is often used synonymously with the terms Konpō/Kenpō (憲法) and Taihō/Daihō (大法) - used in the constitutions of Yamatai, Liang and Chanha - when describing the Amphian concept of a, and the authors of the Kahō Code containing the first modern kwokuhō were aware of and inspired by Amphian constitutions like those of Redon (1781) and Zusea (1817). The National Code is thus commonly known as the Constitution of Chisei, though this is not strictly accurate, as Chiseian constitutional law, in the sense of the arrangements that establish the Chiseian state as a political body, goes beyond the framework of the National Code. The Federal, the Civil and Administrative Codes all contain aspects that would typically be considered as 'constitutional' in nature, while the National Code is concerned primarily with the monarchy, the seperation of powers, and certain abstract ideas. As a whole, this body of laws is known as the Ryōsei (令制) or "Administrative System".

In terms of, kwokuhō is still commonly used when dicussing the various waves of reform to Chisei's constitutional framework from 1825 to the present day, which included the introductions of entirely new legal codes alongside broad amendments to existing laws. However the National Code itself has never been amended or replaced, and the document remains the same as that adopted in the 19th century. It has however been argued that the 'spirit' of the code has radically changed, as Chisei has transformed over the last two centuries from a  to a  -.

Much of the content of the code is relatively atypical by the standard of eastern constitutions, and the document was not intended by its authors to be so much formal legislation as much as it was a decree or edict to the people. Much of the code is dedicated to the ethical and moral principles of the state, the monarch, the officials and citizens, and it is written in a more literary style than typical Chiseian legislation. However the document remains constitutionally relevant, as it is the primary legal source outlining the between the monarchy and other major organs of the state. It also provides the fundamental framework of the rest of Chisei's constitutional arrangement, including the commitment to meritocratic selection and the role of religous institutions in the state, and has been used to aid the interpretation of other ryōsei laws. The final article, which outlines the requirements for amendments or additions to the legal code (royal assent and a 3/4 majority of the Grand Assembly), is of critical importance to Chiseian legislation.

Sovereignty
The first article of the Code dictates that Chiseian is founded in the Chiseian Monarchy and its subjects. It places the monarchy above the citizenry, but explicitly acknowledges the co-dependency of Monarch and Subject. Originally, the article was intended to reinforce the elevated position of the monarchy while justifying its subjugation to constitutional rule, but it has come to be interpreted in modern jurisprudence as a declaration of.

"The Monarch is like Heaven, and the Subject like Earth. Heaven is above Earth, but Earth bears up Heaven. When Heaven and Earth are properly in place, the four seasons follow their course and all is well in Nature. If the Earth attempts to take the place of Heaven, or Heaven attempts to envelop Earth, Heaven and Earth would simply fall in ruin. The Monarch shall exercise the rights of sovereignty in harmony with the Subjects, and spheres of duty shall not be confused."

'Harmony' and the 'Spheres of Duty' are commonly referred to throughout the Code in reference to the maintenance of the constitutional order and the division of powers between the monarchy and civilian government.

Meritocracy
"The Ministers and officials of the state shall be selected on the basis of merit. Wise men shall be promoted, Evil and Useless men discarded. The wise sovereigns of antiquity sought the man to fill the office, and not the office to suit the man. If this is done the state will be lasting and the realm will be free from danger."

"No subject is inviolable. The law shall apply to all and there shall be no undue favour. Reward the good, punish the evil. This was the excellent rule of antiquity."

"To subordinate private interests to the public good — that is the path of an official. If he fails to attend his duty and act harmoniously with others, the public interest will suffer. This interferes with order and is subversive of law, and officials who do not tend to their duties, or who are subversive of law, should be discarded."

Amendments & Legislation
"Laws on Earth are the advent of Men. They may shift as the present times dictate, but Harmony and the Laws of Heaven must be upheld. The Monarch shall give assent to all alterations of the administrative laws, and shall discuss them with the Subjects. If Three In Four are in agreement, all will abide by the new law."

Physical Document
As with all of the Ten Codes, the National Code was drafted in Kwabun (Classical Huaxian), and translated into Shirakawan and Saramosiri; the kwabun text is the version used in legal proceedings. Of the three, only the original translated manuscripts survive, with the kwabun original being lost to a fire in the Royal Palace during the Battle of Eito in 1939. This has spawned many conspiracies that the document was intentionally destroyed to hide a 'hidden clause', or as part of a ploy to destabilise Chisei, orchestrated by Yamatai. However the first copy of the kwabun code, the one actually provided to delegates at the first session of the Grand Assembly in 1825, is still extant, and is displayed along with the translated manuscripts in the Royal Archives Museum, Eito.

The document and surrounding conspiracy is a prominent plot device in the 2005 movie Great National Heist (大國強盗 Taikwoku Gōdō), directed by Fu Harusato. The plot of the film centers around an elite unit of the Jōhōgumi formed to recover the original manuscript of the National Code from a secret Yamataian facility, as it is said that the manuscript's lost article holds clues to a treasure that will save the country in its greatest time of need.