Disbarment

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In the legal terminology of Westarctica, disbarment occurs when a member of the nobility is stripped of their Westarctican title and citizenship, and made permanently exiled. Grand Duke Travis has stated the act of disbarment is only to be undertaken when no other recourse exists and considers it one of his most dreaded duties.

Process of disbarment

Royal Decree disbarring Justin Rich in 2005

When an action taken by one of Westarctica's Hereditary Nobles is deemed by the Grand Duke to be potentially harmful to the security or reputation of the nation, that noble is immediately stripped of their title and informed of their disbarment through either a written letter or a public proclamation. This prevents the noble feigning ignorance concerning their legal status.

In contrast, a noble could be disgraced instead, which is a less severe (and temporary) censure from the Grand Duke.

Legal background

The 2002 Achaean Royal Charter specifically grants the Consul-General of the Achaean Territory the power to revoke the title of a nobleman in Articles 4 and 5:

Article 4. The title of nobleman shall be revoked on the authority of the Consul-General when a nobleman fails to uphold the traditions of good judgment and/or standards of conduct as set forth by the Consul-General and the Achaean Royal Charter in accordance with the Achaean Civil Code.

Article 5. The Consul-General reserves the sole right to revoke the title of any nobleman, regardless of who initiated the appointment.

The 2004 Grand Ducal Mandate mentions disbarred nobles in Article 20, which deals with appointments to the Baronage.

(5) If a nobleman’s title is revoked, no member of the Baronage may issue a Proclamation of Titleage for the disbarred.
(6) Only the Grand Duke has the power to reinstate a disbarred nobleman into the Baronage.

Article 27 of the Constitution of Westarctica, the current legal code of Westarctica, deals with the censure of peers and grants the Grand Duke the power to disgrace or disbar a peer when necessary.

2) In the case of gross misconduct or high crimes and misdemeanors committed by a Peer of Westarctica, the Sovereign may declare a Peer to be disbarred.

a) The disbarred Peer forfeits all lands, titles, knighthoods, ministerial offices, and other government appointments.

3) Only the Sovereign has the power to reinstate a disbarred Peer.
4) Disbarred or disgraced Peers have no legal recourse to appeal their status.

List of the disbarred

Six nobles have committed deeds whose nature left Grand Duke Travis no other recourse but to have them permanently disbarred: