Article XIII — Authentication, Promulgation, and Commencement

Imperial Code §§ 102.1301–102.1399

Section 1. The Authoritative Constitutional Instrument

Imperial Code § 102.1301

1. This instrument is the Constitution and Imperial Covenant of the Aksum Imperium for the constitutional era of the Tenth Imperium.

2. Its official short title is the Constitution of the Tenth Imperium.

3. It is codified as an independent constitutional instrument at Title 1, Chapter 102 of the Imperial Code.

4. This Constitution is legally connected to Imperial Decree 26-001 but remains a separate instrument.

5. This Constitution shall not be treated as:

a. an annex that may be detached from Imperial law;

b. an ordinary Imperial Decree;

c. a regulation;

d. a temporary restoration instrument;

e. a private House or institutional charter; or

f. an editable administrative publication.

6. The authenticated Constitution controls over:

a. unofficial copies;

b. summaries;

c. educational materials;

d. forum or website reproductions;

e. working drafts;

f. reconstructed texts; and

g. other secondary publications.

7. Nothing in this Article diminishes the authority of a lawfully adopted constitutional amendment.

Section 2. Execution by the Imperial Crown

Imperial Code § 102.1302

1. This Constitution shall be executed by Rasim Aeon, Emperor and Grand Sovereign of the Aksum Imperium, pursuant to Imperial Decree 26-001.

2. Execution signifies that the Emperor:

a. ordains the Constitution under the authority of the Imperial Crown;

b. accepts it as the supreme governing law of the Tenth Imperium;

c. binds the institutions and authorities of the Imperium to its terms;

d. commands its implementation; and

e. directs its preservation and publication.

3. Execution shall be shown by:

a. the Emperor’s signature;

b. an authenticated electronic or digital signature;

c. an official mark or subscription authorized for the Imperial Crown; or

d. another method established by Imperial law.

4. No subordinate officer may execute this Constitution in the name of the Emperor without express constitutional authority.

5. A copy bearing an unauthorized, copied, fabricated, or altered Imperial signature has no authenticating effect.

6. The original record shall identify the place, date, constitutional authority, and capacity in which execution occurred.

Section 3. Authentication Under the Great Seal

Imperial Code § 102.1303

1. The Great Seal of the Aksum Imperium is the principal seal of authentication for this Constitution.

2. Authentication under the Great Seal certifies that:

a. the instrument is issued under lawful Imperial authority;

b. the text is the text approved and executed by the Emperor;

c. the instrument is intended to possess constitutional force;

d. the execution has been officially recorded; and

e. the authenticated version is entitled to recognition throughout the Imperium.

3. The Great Seal shall be affixed, applied, registered, or certified by:

a. the Grand Keeper of Seals and Archives;

b. the Emperor personally; or

c. another officer expressly authorized by the Emperor or Imperial law.

4. The authentication record shall identify:

a. the seal used;

b. the officer or authority applying or certifying it;

c. the date of authentication;

d. the official copy authenticated; and

e. the registry or archival location of the record.

5. Unauthorized use, imitation, alteration, reproduction, or application of the Great Seal does not authenticate an instrument and may constitute an offense under Imperial law.

6. Loss, damage, or destruction of the physical or digital representation of the seal does not invalidate an otherwise authenticated constitutional record where its authenticity can be established.

Section 4. Custody of the Constitution

Imperial Code § 102.1304

1. The Grand Keeper of Seals and Archives is the principal constitutional custodian of:

a. the executed Constitution;

b. the Great Seal authentication;

c. constitutional amendments;

d. certified constitutional copies;

e. superseded constitutional text;

f. records of promulgation and publication; and

g. records establishing constitutional provenance and legal status.

2. The Grand Keeper shall preserve:

a. the original or best authenticated constitutional instrument;

b. physical and digital preservation copies;

c. every authenticated amendment;

d. every official consolidated version;

e. all certificates of execution and authentication;

f. the constitutional publication record;

g. constitutional citations and registry information; and

h. such supporting records as Imperial law requires.

3. Custody of the constitutional record belongs to the Imperium and not personally to the officeholder serving as Grand Keeper.

4. Upon vacancy, resignation, removal, incapacity, reorganization, or succession, all constitutional records and seals shall remain in or be transferred to lawful Imperial custody.

5. No officer may remove, conceal, destroy, alter, withhold, or claim personal ownership of the authenticated Constitution or its supporting records.

6. The Grand Keeper may certify the authenticity and legal status of a constitutional text without thereby possessing authority to amend it.

Section 5. Official Text and Certified Copies

Imperial Code § 102.1305

1. The executed and sealed constitutional instrument is the official original text.

2. The Imperial Government may maintain official:

a. physical originals or engrossed copies;

b. digital master copies;

c. certified publication copies;

d. codified copies;

e. archival preservation copies; and

f. translations.

3. A certified copy shall identify:

a. the source from which it was reproduced;

b. the certifying authority;

c. the date of certification;

d. the version or amendment status; and

e. the location of the controlling authenticated record.

4. A properly certified physical or digital copy may be received as evidence of the Constitution without production of the original.

5. Where official copies differ:

a. the executed and sealed text controls;

b. a later authenticated amendment controls over the earlier text;

c. an authenticated consolidated version controls over an unofficial compilation; and

d. the Grand Keeper shall identify and correct the discrepancy.

6. No translation supersedes the authenticated constitutional language unless the translation is itself constitutionally adopted as an equally authoritative text.

7. If the original is lost or destroyed, the best authenticated copy shall serve as the controlling record following a documented determination of authenticity.

8. A reconstructed constitutional text shall be clearly identified and shall not be represented as an authenticated original.

Section 6. Promulgation and Official Publication

Imperial Code § 102.1306

1. This Constitution shall be promulgated throughout the Aksum Imperium.

2. Promulgation requires:

a. execution by the Emperor and Grand Sovereign;

b. authentication under the Great Seal;

c. entry into the Official Legal Registry;

d. codification at Title 1, Chapter 102 of the Imperial Code;

e. preservation in the Imperial Archives; and

f. publication through an authorized public Imperial repository.

3. The published constitutional record shall identify:

a. the official title;

b. the constitutional citation;

c. the date of execution;

d. the date of authentication;

e. the effective date;

f. the current amendment status; and

g. the authority responsible for the publication.

4. The Constitution may be reproduced in:

a. the Official Registry;

b. the Imperial Code;

c. the Imperial Archives;

d. the Great Library or its lawful successor;

e. official educational materials;

f. constituent-government publications; and

g. other authorized media.

5. Every official reproduction shall conform to the authenticated text.

6. Publication of an unofficial copy does not amend or supersede the Constitution.

7. Failure of one publication platform, archive, website, forum, or repository does not invalidate the Constitution where the required execution and authentication have occurred and an official record remains preserved.

8. The Imperial Government shall maintain reasonable public access to the current Constitution.

Section 7. Editorial Corrections and Republication

Imperial Code § 102.1307

1. The Grand Keeper of Seals and Archives or another authorized officer may correct:

a. spelling;

b. punctuation;

c. capitalization;

d. numbering;

e. citation;

f. formatting;

g. spacing;

h. obvious transcription errors; and

i. other nonsubstantive publication defects.

2. An editorial correction shall not:

a. change constitutional meaning;

b. add or remove a power;

c. alter a right, duty, office, dignity, jurisdiction, or procedure;

d. change an entrenched principle;

e. create a new legal consequence; or

f. substitute for an amendment under Article XII.

3. Every material editorial correction shall be recorded with:

a. the text before correction;

b. the corrected text;

c. the nature of the error;

d. the authority making the correction; and

e. the date of correction.

4. A dispute concerning whether a proposed correction is substantive shall be referred for constitutional review before the controlling text is altered.

5. The Constitution may be republished, reformatted, consolidated, or transferred to a new official system without changing its legal force.

6. Republication shall preserve:

a. the complete current text;

b. amendment history;

c. citations;

d. execution and authentication records;

e. the commencement date; and

f. superseded versions of permanent value.

7. No republication creates a new Constitution or a new constitutional era unless lawfully adopted through Article XII.

Section 8. Supersession and Reception of Prior Authority

Imperial Code § 102.1308

1. Upon commencement of this Constitution, prior constitutions of the Aksum Imperium cease to govern the present constitutional order.

2. Prior constitutions remain official historical instruments and shall be preserved in the Imperial Archives.

3. Prior laws, decrees, appointments, judgments, charters, grants, titles, dignities, institutions, territorial instruments, and other acts shall possess the continuing legal effect provided by:

a. Imperial Decree 26-001;

b. Article X;

c. implementing Imperial law;

d. lawful republication or confirmation; and

e. their consistency with this Constitution.

4. Commencement of this Constitution does not automatically:

a. invalidate every prior governmental act;

b. terminate every existing appointment;

c. abolish every prior institution;

d. cancel lawful debts, contracts, rights, or obligations;

e. extinguish lawful titles, dignities, Houses, Orders, or territorial interests;

f. dismiss pending proceedings; or

g. erase the constitutional history of the Imperium.

5. A prior authority conflicting with this Constitution is without current effect to the extent of the conflict.

6. A prior authority not yet reviewed shall be treated according to the transitional and reception rules established by Imperial Decree 26-001 and Imperial law.

7. Historical preservation shall not be mistaken for present legal force.

8. No person may revive a superseded constitution or prior authority solely through possession, assertion, custom, inactivity of government, or discovery of an old record.

Section 9. Commencement of the Tenth Imperium Constitution

Imperial Code § 102.1309

1. This Constitution is executed pursuant to Imperial Decree 26-001, Declaration of the Tenth Imperium and Promulgation of the Constitution of the Aksum Imperium.

2. This Constitution and Imperial Decree 26-001 take effect together on 20 March 2026 CE, in the Eighteenth Year of the Imperium, 18 YI.

3. On that date:

a. the Tenth Imperium stands as the present constitutional era of the continuing Aksum Imperium;

b. this Constitution enters into force as the supreme governing law;

c. the restoration of effective Imperial administration formally proceeds beneath this Constitution;

d. Imperial institutions, officers, Houses, Orders, constituent authorities, citizens, subjects, and members of the Imperial Service become governed by this constitutional order; and

e. conflicting prior constitutional authority ceases to possess current effect.

4. The Tenth Imperium is not created as a successor state or separate polity by this Constitution.

5. Commencement recognizes and governs the restored exercise of the continuing sovereignty of the Aksum Imperium.

6. Completion after 20 March 2026 CE of:

a. certification;

b. codification;

c. republication;

d. correction of transcription or formatting;

e. preparation of an engrossed copy; or

f. transfer to an official archive

confirms and preserves the constitutional text and does not create a later commencement date.

7. No delay, defect, omission, platform failure, or loss of a secondary copy shall be interpreted as extinguishing the Constitution where the constitutional authority, official text, and authenticated legal record can be established.

Section 10. Transitional Government and Continuing Offices

Imperial Code § 102.1310

1. Officers, institutions, councils, commands, territorial governments, Houses, Orders, and other authorities serving at commencement shall continue temporarily to the extent that their continued service:

a. is consistent with this Constitution;

b. is recognized by Imperial Decree 26-001 or implementing law;

c. is necessary to preserve continuity; and

d. has not been lawfully replaced, reorganized, suspended, or terminated.

2. Continuation under this section does not permanently constitutionalize a prior office, title, institution, structure, or procedure.

3. Existing officers shall:

a. accept the authority of this Constitution;

b. perform only lawful duties;

c. preserve official records and property;

d. cooperate with constitutional reorganization; and

e. transfer authority when a lawful successor assumes office.

4. The Emperor may require officers, members of councils, Regents, commanders, magistrates, and other persons holding public trust to renew or take an oath to the Constitution and Imperial Covenant.

5. Failure to take a required oath may prevent continued exercise of the affected authority.

6. Pending governmental, judicial, Service, territorial, House, Order, administrative, and Great Game matters shall continue before the lawful successor authority.

7. Transitional arrangements shall end when the permanent constitutional institutions and officers have lawfully assumed their functions.

8. Imperial Decrees and laws may provide additional transitional rules consistent with this Constitution.

Section 11. Authentication and Attestation

Imperial Code § 102.1311

By the Light of the Creator and under the inherent, continuing, and sovereign authority of the Imperial Crown, We, Rasim Aeon, Emperor and Grand Sovereign of the United Dominion of the Aksum Imperium, do hereby ordain, execute, authenticate, and promulgate this Constitution and Imperial Covenant as the supreme governing law of the Aksum Imperium and the constitutional foundation of the Tenth Imperium.

We affirm the permanent unity and indivisibility of the Imperium, the continuity and sovereignty of the Imperial Crown, the dignity of the Sovereign Great Houses, the lawful authority of the Grand Imperial Court and the institutions established beneath the Crown, and the rights, duties, and protections of the citizens and subjects joined through the Imperial Covenant.

We command every Estate, Sovereign Great House, Imperial Council, officer, Regent, magistrate, commander, member of the Imperial Service, constituent government, institution, citizen, and subject to recognize, preserve, uphold, and faithfully observe this Constitution.

This Constitution is executed pursuant to Imperial Decree 26-001, authenticated under the Great Seal of the Aksum Imperium, and entered into the permanent constitutional records of the Imperium.

It shall possess full constitutional force and effect from the twentieth day of March in the year two thousand twenty-six of the Common Era, being the Eighteenth Year of the Imperium.

Done under Our Hand and the Great Seal of the Aksum Imperium at the Imperial Court on the twentieth day of March in the year two thousand twenty-six of the Common Era, being the Eighteenth Year of the Imperium.

All This By My Hand

VI ET ANIMO — BY STRENGTH AND COURAGE

__________________________________

His Most Imperial Majesty Rasim Aeon

Emperor and Grand Sovereign of the United Dominion of the Aksum Imperium

Imperial Founder and Father of the Imperium

Authenticated and sealed:

Grand Keeper of Seals and Archives

Custodian of the Great Seal and Permanent Constitutional Records

Date of Authentication: 20 March 2026 CE — 18 YI

Constitutional Authority: Imperial Decree 26-001

Imperial Code Citation: Title 1, Chapter 102

Great Seal Registry: GS-2026-002