Editing Articles of Colonization

Signed fifty-two years before [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies|The Fall]], the '''Articles of Colonization'''<ref>The Articles of Colonization are the Colonial equivalent to the American [[Wikipedia: Articles of Confederation|Articles of Confederation]] (the predecessor to the [[Wikipedia: US Constitution|US Constitution]]), [[Wikipedia: U.N. Charter| U.N. Charter]] and [[Wikipedia: Universal Declaration of Human Rights|Universal Declaration of Human Rights]].</ref> formed the united government of the [[The Twelve Colonies of Kobol|Twelve Colonies of Kobol]]. The Articles were apparently created in response to the [[Cylon War]] to unite the separate worlds against a common enemy.<ref>Source: [[Ron D. Moore|Ron D. Moore's]] official blog, [http://blog.scifi.com/battlestar/archives/2005/04/index.html#a000025 April 11, 2005.]</ref> Before the Articles, the colonies were separate nations, and there was open fighting between the colonies at times.

The anniversary of the signing of the Articles is the [[Colonial Day (holiday)|Colonial Day holiday]] {{TRS|Colonial Day}}.

==Article 21==
Chief [[Galen Tyrol|Tyrol]] invokes the twenty-first Article of Colonization while being interrogated by Colonel [[Saul Tigh|Tigh]] after being rescued from {{RDM|Kobol}} {{TRS|Resistance (episode)|Resistance}}.

:''Under the [[Wikipedia: U.S. Constitution|U.S. Constitution]], a number of Tyrol's constitutionally protected civil liberties were being violated, among them''
:*[[Wikipedia:Article_One_%28United_States_Constitution%29|Article One]], section nine, guaranteeing the writ of [[Wikipedia:habeas corpus|habeas corpus]].
:*''The due process clauses of the [[Wikipedia:Fifth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution#Due_process|Fifth]] and [[Wikipedia:Fourteenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution#Section_1.|Fourteenth]] amendments.''
:*''The various provisions of the [[Wikipedia:Sixth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution|Sixth Amendment]] guaranteeing a speedy, public trial by jury.''
:''Article 21 could conceivably provide protection to any number of these.''

==Article 23==
Chief Tyrol invokes the twenty-third Article to avoid testifying against himself during the investigation into how [[Aaron Doral]] got aboard ''{{RDM|Galactica}}'' and accessed the munitions stores. While Sergeant [[Hadrian]] attempts to use this as evidence of his guilt, Commander [[William Adama]] later points out to President [[Laura Roslin]] that there is no legal precedent for doing so {{TRS|Litmus}}.

:''This is similar to the rights protected by the [[Wikipedia:Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution#Self-incrimination|self-incrimination clause]] of the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.''

==Other Articles==
Other rights under the Articles may also exist. The right to a trial with representation before a jury seems to be guaranteed. When disapproving of the decision of then-President [[Tom Zarek]] to form the [[Circle]], a form of war crimes tribunal, [[Laura Roslin]] states that everyone has the right to a trial before a jury of one's peers. In a separate statement Roslin refers to the right to representation at a trial {{TRS|Collaborators}}. The right to a jury trial is also claimed by [[Gaius Baltar]] {{TRS|Taking a Break From All Your Worries}}. 

Baltar's trial shows other levels of jurisprudence. Instead of a jury, a five-member tribunal acts as both judge and jury. Numerous maneuvers parallel practices in the legal systems of modern-day liberal democracies {{TRS|Crossroads, Part I|Crossroads, Part II}}.

== See Also ==

*[[Law of the Twelve Colonies (RDM)]], for a more general articles about the Twelve Colonies' legal system.

==References==
{{reflist}}


[[Category:A to Z]]
[[Category:Colonial]]
[[Category:Colonial Society]]
[[Category:Colonial Society (RDM)]]
[[Category:Colonial Government]]
[[Category:Colonial Government (RDM)]]
[[Category:RDM]]

[[de:Verfassung der Zwölf Kolonien]]