Janus-Hermod Treaty

The Janus-Hermod Treaty is the legal / diplomatic framework which establishes the use of the Hermod Gate Network and provisions for each member government to control their own gate network and maintain compatibility with the rest of the network. The most basic premise of the treaty is that the free trade and transport of individuals, goods, and services across the gate network is for the benefit of all races.

Shared Use

The primary provision of the treaty is that signatories recognize a legal framework within their own boarders which allows the gate network to be used and provides for security of that network. Under the treaty a signatory must ensure that the gate network is not damaged and gates are not destroyed or illegally experimented with. In return for this principle each signatory allows for the shared protection of the gate and the sovereignty of each signatory to manage their own network as they see fit. In this way the treaty ensures a shared autonomy.

Management

Under the terms of the treaty the Hermod Consortium is established and composed of elected officials from each of the signatories. The Consortium operates as an international body which manages the overall health and usability of the gate network. Acting as a political authority the Consortium does not have the ability to meddle in the internal affairs of a government but does have authority to manage the installation and construction of new gates. Any new gate being constructed, installed, or moved must be approved by the Consortium to ensure the entire network is able to operate smoothly. If a gate or series of gates within the boarders of a consortium are somehow causing problems in the rest of the network, the Consortium has the authority to blacklist those gates and disconnect them from the network.

Boarders & Transfer Points

While direct dialing any gate on the network is possible, without special credentials the Hermod network will not permit the direct dialing from one government's gate network to another government's gate network. Transfer stations or hubs are set up a political boarders that allow for each government to allow for customs, immigration, and general boarder control. On a basic level the transfer stations simply have a gate on each side of the boarder. One can arrive via a gate from one government and petition to enter the gate on the other side of the boarder according to the laws of the other government. The treaty provides for exactly where the boarder of each signatory begins and ends as well as a central space which falls under interstellar law to act as a buffer. These areas are demilitarized by their very nature and help to ensure conflicts between the government representatives on each side have much lower chance of occurring.

Blocking Travel

Governments wishing to block travel from an individual, group of individuals, or even an entire government need not seek approval from the Consortium to do so. Understand that, no government is permitted to illegally hold or detain a person attempting to leave their territory through the gates, so long as they have a valid and verified passport permitting travel. Any person who wishes to return to their home government and has valid / verified documentation (usually by means of an appropriate passport) is permitted to do so unless the government said person is leaving has established the legal right to detain said person. The primary means of identifying personnel as prohibited to leave is when the government in question has a valid and legal arrest warrant. This is subject to the laws of the country the individual is in when they are detained.

Anyone may be detained to verify their legal identity and government affiliation but may not be blocked from returning home unless there is a valid arrest warrant or other legal document (such as order from a judge, magistrate, or other official) stating the person is to be held. In such cases, the government claiming the right to detain said person must prove their right to do so under the treaty. The person in question must be held by a neutral 3rd party while any dispute is settled. Governments may also choose to provide permission for an individual to be detained by a foreign government, which is entirely up to the legal framework any signatory government has for doing so within their own boarders. The treaty simply assures that due process is ensured for anyone attempting to return home or to a friendly government.

A persons home government (the government which has provided their passport and claims the individual as a citizen) has the right to demand a person traveling must be detained by a foreign government until officials can retrieve their citizen. In addition to this, those with multiple citizenships may request a hearing to determine which "home" government is to retain their rights to detain a citizen. In such cases, the governments in conflict are encouraged to resolve the issue amongst themselves, though the Consortium can be called upon to provide a formal hearing.

Inter-Reality Travel

The treaty provides for governments to be able to use the gates to travel between realities. So long as no government attempts to initiate hostilities or claim space already claimed under treaties, laws, or otherwise by governments native to those realities, governments are permitted to use the gates to explore and travel to other realities. Treaties and other agreements with governments in other realities also require the Consortium to sign off on such a treaty for it to be recognized and valid. Exploration and scientific missions are permitted so long as they are done so with the permission of whomever controls the space for which the wormhole connects.

Under the terms of the treaty all signatories are bound to respect the laws and customs of realities they travel to, even if they disagree with those laws.

Penalties for Violation

Signatories who pull out of or otherwise violate the treaty can have their gate networks severed from the rest of the network. Gates within the network will continue to operate in most cases. If the non-aggression provisions of Inter-Reality Travel are violated, the gates themselves can be deactivated by the Consortium and have their ability to travel between realities blocked. Under the most extreme conditions, violators of the treaty can face retribution from governments represented by the Consortium. Such retribution can be political, economic, or even military if the Consortium approves such actions.