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The Federal Laws of the VCC.
CYBERIAN FEDERAL CODE
TITLE IV - THE JUDICIAL BRANCH
CHAPTER 400 COMPOSITION
400.1 Article 6 of the Constitution provides for the judicial branch.
400.2 The Justices other than the Chief Justice have seniority according to the dates of their appointments or, where the appointments of two or more Justices bear the same date, according to the precedence assigned to them by the Chief Justice.
400.3 Whenever the Chief Justice is absent from Cyberia or is unable or unavailable to perform the duties of their office; or there is a vacancy in the office of Chief Justice; the next senior Justice who is in Cyberia and is able and willing to do so must perform the duties, and may exercise the powers, of the Chief Justice, and is, during any period of absence of the Chief Justice from Cyberia or during a vacancy in the office of Chief Justice, be designated Acting Chief Justice. If no Justices are available the Chief Justice may appoint a temporary justice to act as Chief Justice.
400.4 When 2 or more Justices sit together and their opinions are equally divided the opinion of the most senior justice (including the Chief Justice) is to prevail.
400.5 The Chief Justice may assign particular cases or classes of cases to a Justice.
400.6 The President may appoint, subject to legislative confirmation, one or more temporary justices. A temporary justice must take leave from all other positions when sitting as a judge.
400.7 The Chief Justice may (with the consent of the parties) assign a matter to a temporary justice if no other justice is available.
400.8 Subject to the Constitution, this code and any rules of court, the chief justice may issue directions with respect to practice before the court.
400.9 If there is no chief justice or associate justice the Judicial Council may appoint a temporary chief justice from among their number.
400.10 Every judge must refrain from commenting on matters of public controversy or from making statements which would debar them from hearing cases under the rule against bias.
400.11 Every judge must avoid both actual and apprehended bias.
400.12 These rules do not apply to temporary justices except when they are functioning as judges.
400.13 Sections 4.10 and 4.11 impose additional judicial qualifications under Section 613 of the Constitution.
400.14 the Judicial Council comprises all federal judges, the chief magistrates (if any) of each province, and any temporary justices). If there is no temporary justice who can be assigned to act as chief justice, the Judicial Council may refer any matter to the Court of Justice of the Community. When exercising Cyberian domestic jurisdiction under this Section, the Court of Justice is bound by Cyberian law including any precedential decisions of the Cyberian courts. The President is to negotiate an appropriate arrangement with the Community giving effect to this Section.
CHAPTER 410 JUDICIAL PROCEDURE (98-037)
410.1 The following procedure shall be used in all federal courts:
410.11 A judge must first hear evidence and argument from all parties before proceeding to determine a matter.
410.12 A judge must publish a full statement of reasons for a decision.
410.13 Questions of fact must be decided at first instance by a unanimous jury of 3 disinterested citizens selected at random.
410.14 A judge may not hear and determine any matter on which they have previously expressed an opinion, other than an opinion expressed in open court.
410.15 A judge may not favour or prejudice a candidate in an election or a question in a referendum.
410.16 The Supreme Court must maintain a website including a full report of every decision of the Court.
