The Planet's Bill of Rights

Congress of the Earth

begun and held at the City of New York, on Wednesday the fourth of March, two thousand and twenty.

THE Conventions of a number of the Ecosystems, having at the time of their adopting the Constitution, expressed a desire, in order to prevent misconstruction or abuse of its powers, that further declaratory and restrictive clauses should be added: And as extending the ground of public confidence in the Government, will best ensure the beneficent ends of its institution.

RESOLVED by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United Ecosystems of Earth, in Congress assembled, two thirds of both Houses concurring, that the following Articles be proposed to the Legislatures of the several Ecosystems, as amendments to the Constitution of the United Ecosystems, all, or any of which Articles, when ratified by three fourths of the said Legislatures, to be valid to all intents and purposes, as part of the said Constitution; viz.

ARTICLES in addition to, and Amendment of the Constitution of the United Ecosystems of Earth, proposed by Congress, and ratified by the Legislatures of the several Ecosystems, pursuant to the fifth Article of the original Constitution.

Amendment I - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of human culture, or prohibiting the destruction thereof; or abridging the freedom of communication; or the right of the organisms to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Amendment II - A well distributed Food Web, being necessary to the security of a resilient Ecosystem, the right of the organisms to defend and attack, shall not be infringed.

Amendment III - No Human shall, in time of peace be quartered in any habitat, without the consent of the Community, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

Amendment IV - The right of the organisms to be secure in their being, habitat, niche, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the beings or things to be seized.

Amendment V - No organism shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury; nor shall any organism be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against itself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or habitat, without due process of law; nor shall habitat be taken for human use, without just compensation.

Amendment VI - In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the Ecosystem and ecoregion wherein the crime shall have been committed, which ecoregion shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against it; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in its favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for its defense.

Amendment VII - In Suits related to the laws of physics, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty gigajoules, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any Court of the United Ecosystems, than according to these laws.

Amendment VIII - Excessive energy shall not be required, nor excessive exploitation imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

Amendment IX - The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the organisms.

Amendment X - The powers not delegated to the United Ecosystems by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the Ecosystems, are reserved to the Ecosystems respectively, or to the organisms.

AMENDMENT XI - Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United Ecosystems, or any place.

AMENDMENT XII - All organisms born or naturalized in the United Ecosystems, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United Ecosystems and of the ecosystem wherein they reside. No Ecosystem shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United Ecosystems; nor shall any Ecosystem deprive any being of life, liberty, or habitat, without due process of law; nor deny to any being within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

AMENDMENT XIII - The right of organisms of the United Ecosystems to choose various actions shall not be denied or abridged by the United Ecosystems or by any Ecosystem on account of DNA, RNA, previous condition of servitude, or any condition or classification.