Galactic Senate
"There is no civility, only politics."
―Palpatine
The Grand/Galactic Senate is the legislative and executive branch of the Grand Republic/Galactic Republic that was located on Coruscant. Its primary duties were to mediate any disputes between star systems, worlds, and cultures, to regulate trade between systems, to protect and care for citizens in need, and to provide mutual defense in the face of threats to the Republic.
Organization
The Senate was led by a Supreme Chancellor, elected by a vote of the Senate from amongst its delegates. He had little real authority over the Senate other than the prerogative to call for a special session and could be removed by a vote of no confidence. The Vice Chair, also elected and removed by the Senate, wielded far more power being empowered to open, close and moderate debate on each motion, which allowed him to control the agenda within the Senate. The Galactic Senate was made up of over 2,000 congressmen: governor-delegates (referred to as senators) and representatives, representing sectors, systems, individual planets, or even Corporations or Guilds. Some were elected directly, while others were appointed by a planet's ruler (or even were the planet's ruler). Diplomats, religious figures, local political leaders, and other prominent people could also address the Senate as part of a senatorial delegation. Senators, however, were the only members with voting power, with the Representatives organized into the Galactic Representative Commission, although they could be appointed by their absent Senators as their temporary substitute, and still could have a minor voice in Senate business. The full Senate convened on a regular basis, although the meetings were unscheduled in advance, and could sometimes even reach up to one hundred full assemblies per year. The order of the day was composed of a series of day-long meetings in committees and subcommittees in formal and informal situations. Most of the negotiation and diplomacy, however, happened behind the scenes, in the ambassadorial offices behind the Senate platforms.Powers
The Senate was the legislative and executive power of the Republic (although at various times by the end of the Republic's existence, the Office of the Supreme Chancellor held Legislative, Executive, and Judicial authority). It also had limited judicial authority, presumably for high-profile plaintiffs or cases too controversial for (or tried in) the Supreme Court. Such cases included trying senators for treason (as wished by Vien'sai'Malloc crimes against civilization (the interrupted trial of Ulic Qel-Droma and presumably corruption and treason of the Supreme Chancellor (as Anakin Skywalker wished for Palpatine).
25,053 BBY - 19 BBY
Type
Governmental, Senate/Parliament
Alternative Names
Republic Senate; Galactic Congress; Senate
Leader Title
Parent Organization
Location
Related Ranks & Titles
Comments