Umbrellia

Umbrellya, officially the United Kingdoms of Umbrellia (or "Royaumes Unis de l'Umbèreterre" in Umbèrge), is geographically situated in Western Vestea. Physically, Umbrellia's strategic position in Western Vestea has involved it in numerous conflicts and movements throughout history. To the North, Umbrellia borders Lindenholt, to the East is Felsinia and Santvily, the South: (Seven) and (Catalonia), and to the West across the Narrow Channel: Cynomy and Makenzie and Athabaska. Lastly, to the North-West lies Nordal.

Umbrellya joins a handful of other democratic Vestean nations within the Western democratic realm. As such, Umbrellia has joined several organizations promoting or highlighting its democratic nature; most notably, the Vestean Union.

Politics
Umbrellia is a representative democracy with a monarch as a head of state but prime minister as the head of government. The current monarch is King Olivier XII born of House of Barlïet, he was sworn in on September 8, 1979 at the age of 34.

The current constitution dates from 1832 following the establishment of the First Republic. Umbrellia ranks in the top 20 percent of the most peaceful countries in the world, according to the Ardin Peace Index. The prime minister appoints the cabinet according to elected MPs in each general election. The president is elected by popular vote every 4 years, 2 years for a minority government. The current prime minister is Ronalde Crowemine, leader of the Parti Travailliste Umbère (Umber Labour Party).

Umber voters elect a bicameral parliament consisting of a 424-member lower house (House of Commons) and a 120-member Crown Assembly. The House of Commons is elected under first-past-the-post (FPTP) method, similar to that used in many parliamentary political systems. The Crown Assembly is elected under proportional representation, with the number of senators being elected according to local provincial population.

When sitting in joint session, members of the House of Commons and the Crown Assembly form the Federal Nave (Nef Fédérale). The Federal Nave is formed on three situations: when a new prime minister takes the oath of office; when the prime minister is found guilty of an indictable offense under the Umber Criminal Code and is brought to a federal tribunal, and/or when a prime minister is unable to continue exercising their duties. To date, only the first and third instances have occurred.

Lastly, the judicial branch plays a crucial role in decision-making. Its major institutions include the Supreme Court of the United Kingdoms of Umbrellia; 76 federal courts in all 9 provinces and the Janjirie Federal Administrative District, 9 provincial high courts, and the Federal Tribunal of the United Kingdoms of Umbrellia. On the approval of the Crown Assembly, the House of Commons appoints new justices to the 76 federal courts. Each provincial parliament appoints justices in their respective provincial high courts.

Rule of Law
Umbrellya uses a common law legal system allowing courts to act independently from the government to make court decisions pertaining to criminal law. However, since the Criminal Identities Act (1876) became law, the identities of everyone involved with a criminal case are concealed from public knowledge, except for the judge. Jury members, attorneys, the defendant, the accused, witnesses and those giving testimonies (except by experts) are kept anonymous. The only aspect that becomes public knowledge is a description of the crime, expert testimonies (if applicable), a description of the crime and the final decision made by a judge or jury.

Political scientists have described Umbrellia's past criminal justice system as being one of the most peculiar and cruel systems in the Vestean Union and surrounding Vestea. Before sweeping criminal justice and prison reform in the 1980s and 1990s, Umbrellia consistently ranked at the top of judicial corruption and inmate fatality lists. Existing legal anomalies carried into the new century were standardized 35-year life sentences and Labour for Life (Vie dur Labeur). In addition, heinous crimes outlined in the Criminal Activities Index of Umbrellia, like first-degree murder - for example, not only carry a life sentence, but a Labour for Life sentence. This punishment requires the convicted to be exercised through manual labour (i.e. on a federally sanctioned corrective farm or mine) 7 days a week for 12 hours a day until their sentence has been fulfilled (excluding federally observed holidays). Capital punishment has been abolished in Umbrellia since 1965. Criminals deemed undesirable as highlighted by the Grievous Crimes Against Humanity Act (1889) can have their citizenship stripped of them indefinitely and later be banished from the country. A typical example of banishment is being left at sea or in an overseas colony. To date, only 214 guilty verdicts have had this sentence. However, even though this sentence is still a valid consideration for criminal courts, no verdict since 1969 has included it.