The Keble College Compact

Article One: Sovereignty

The High Contracting Parties, noting their conflicting claims to exercise the full might, authority, and jurisdiction of the Most Dread Sovereign their King during the time of His August Majestie's absence, finding themselves unable either to forego these claims or relinquish this authority, and yet recognizing their common loyalty to the Heir of Elendil, are satisfied to suspend the resolution of this conflict until it be determined by His August Majestie the King, in expectation of whose return they are firmly joined, and, Until the King Return, they treat with each other as competent agents of the same Most Dread Sovereign, and pledge each to uphold the sovereignty of the other in their dealings with other States. Whenever either High Contracting Party may propose to recognize a claimant to the Throne, it shall give immediate notice of the fact to the other.

Article Two: Friendship

Let there be and endure from this time forward sincere, firm, and perpetual friendship concord and union between the High Contracting Parties and their successors and their respective portions of His August Majestie's loyal subjects, as well on sea and in air and space as on land and in all places whatsoever in the World.

Article Three: Mutual Aid

The High Contracting Parties mutually vow that the enemies of one shall be the enemies of the other, the need of one the need of the other, and that whatsoever evil or threat or assault may come upon either of them, each will give aid to the other to the utmost end of its strength, provided, that this article shall not be construed either to permit or to require military intervention by one High Contracting Party in the affairs of the other.

Article Four: Representatives

Each of the High Contracting Parties shall accredit to the other a representative having the title of High Commissioner and the rank, privileges, and immunities accorded Ambassadors Extraordinary and Ministers Plenipotentiary, along with such inferior diplomatic and consular officers as it may be found mutually satisfactory to appoint, all of whom shall enjoy the rank, privileges and immunities common to their positions.

Article Five: Territories

The High Contracting Parties, each having considered the other's claims, agree that there are now no territorial or boundary disputes between them; they further stipulate that whereas the Grand Council has extended His August Majestie's sovereignty over various contemporary territories, and has not been concerned with the precise definition of the extent of His August Majestie's ancient dominions, the Council-General has defended the legitimacy of the fullest extent of those ancient dominions, and, with the exception of territory ceded to His August Majestie by other Sovereigns, has not asserted in contemporary territories His August Majestie's territorial sovereignty, but only an administrative jurisdiction over His August Majestie's subjects.

In order to prevent any territorial disputes from arising in the future, the Council-General pledges that, whenever a territory is held in the King's name by the Grand Council and claimed as well by one or more Sovereigns or States not parties to this Compact, the Council-General shall not accept the cession of such territory to His August Majestie without obtaining the prior written consent of the Grand Council or its duly authorized agent. The Council-General shall not erect any agency of administrative jurisdiction (such as a Palatine Duchy, an Administrative Area or a City or Municipality of the Exile) within any territory held in the King's name by the Grand Council.

The Grand Council, having the same end in view, pledges that it shall not deny, nor consent to the denial by others of, the legitimacy of the fullest extent of His August Majestie's ancient dominions without obtaining the prior written consent of the Council-General or its duly authorized agent. The Grand Council shall not claim in the King's Name any territory subjected to His August Majestie's administrative jurisdiction by the Council-General, nor any territory held in the King's Name by the Council-General.

Whenever a subject of His August Majestie under the jurisdiction of one of the High Contracting Parties, or a citizen of the Commonwealth, shall settle in a region not already placed under His August Majestie's sovereignty or administrative jurisdiction, or a person resident in such an area shall become a citizen of the Commonwealth or subject of His August Majestie under the jurisdiction of one of the High Contracting Parties, then the citizen or subject's place of abode and all the land around it to the distance of one Númenorean league shall, upon written notice given to the other High Contracting Party, become subject to His August Majestie's administrative jurisdiction and, as appropriate, sovereignty, according to the dispensation to which the citizen or subject may belong, and shall so continue so long as the citizen or subject remain a citizen or subject and continue to make the settlement his home, provided, that if the new settlement be within two Númenorean leagues of one or more existing settlements, the territories of the former settlements shall continue at their full extent, and the territory of the new settlement shall be accordingly reduced. Whenever such a citizen or subject shall either abandon His August Majestie's allegiance or leave his dwelling place abandoned, with no obvious intention of return, or make another settlement his home for eight months of any twelve, the High Contracting Party having jurisdiction shall give timely written notice to the other, and the sovereignty or administrative jurisdiction shall lapse. Whenever a person under the jurisdiction of both of the High Contracting Parties shall make such a new settlement, the settlement shall be under His August Majestie's sovereignty or administrative jurisdiction according to the condition which may obtain in the settled territory nearest the new settlement.

Neither High Contracting Party shall extend His August Majestie's sovereignty or administrative jurisdiction over wider territories than individual settlements without obtaining the prior written consent of the other High Contracting Party, which consent shall be withheld only for grave cause specifically stated. The High Contracting Parties pledge themselves to attempt to develop in the future a form of condominium under which His August Majestie's authority may be jointly wielded in new territories by agents of the High Contracting Parties.

Article Six: Citizenship

His August Majestie's subjects, and citizens of the Commonwealth, may travel freely from one portion of His August Majestie's dominions and territories to another, without requirement of any entrance or exit visa, provided, that a traveller may be required to show a passport or such other form of identification as a subject of His August Majestie, or citizen of the Commonwealth, as the High Contracting Parties may agree to accept, and may be subject to such customs inspections as may be usual common and reasonable.

The citizens or subjects under the ordinary jurisdiction of one of the High Contracting Parties shall, when travelling or resident within the other's jurisdiction, be entitled to all the privileges and immunities of subjects or citizens ordinarily under that jurisdiction, and shall be bound by all the laws thereof, except those pertaining to taxation and compulsory military service.

A person charged within the jurisdiction of either of the High Contracting Parties, who shall flee from justice, and be found within the domains or territories of the other, and be pursued thither by the agents of the Party from whose jurisdiction he fled, shall be subject to the executive power of such agents to remove him to the domains or territories of the Party having jurisdiction of the crime. The agents shall enjoy the hospitality of the other Party, with any facilities that they may need at their disposal on demand, all costs thereby caused being defrayed by the Party which is their principal.

All Peers, Nobles, High Ministers, Great Officers of State, members of Orders of Chivalry, Kings of Arms, Heralds, Pursuivants, Governors-General, Lieutenant Governors, Mayors, Judges, Masters of Lore, persons holding land or office of His August Majestie, Esquires, Ladies and Gentlemen and all other persons entitled to some form of rank or precedency under the ordinary jurisdiction of one of the High Contracting Parties shall, when travelling or resident within the other's jurisdiction, be accorded rank and precedency with but after persons holding the nearest equivalent title, office, honor or dignity under that other's jurisdiction; and the Marshals, Heralds or other designated agents of each of the High Contracting Parties shall from time to time jointly advise the persons having responsibility for precedence under the jurisdiction of each of the High Contracting Parties as to what the several equivalencies may be.

Any person may, and persons proposing to dwell for more than a year and a day within territories under the jurisdiction of the other High Contracting Party shall, apply to be accepted under the jurisdiction of the High Contracting Party to which they do not already owe allegiance; which application shall not be refused except for grave cause specifically stated in writing. Each High Contracting Party shall devise such forms for admission to joint jurisdiction as it may see fit, provided, that no test or condition may be imposed, nor any oath required which would derogate the sovereign claims of the other High Contracting Party.

Article Seven: Protocols and Arbitration

In order that this friendship, concord and union may be better and more strongly kept, restored and protected, and to specify the body of international law and custom jointly recognized by the High Contracting Parties and further to facilitate in other ways the execution of the present Compact, the High Contracting Parties may from time to time jointly append to this compact various protocols, which documents shall have equal force and weight with this present treaty.

There is hereby created a Court of Arbitration as one of His August Majestie's Courts in and for the Kingdoms of Gondor and Arnor and the territories of the Forodrim, and as a court of the Commonwealth of Esgaroth, which Court shall have original jurisdiction over all controversies between the High Contracting Parties arising from this present Compact or any of its appended protocols, or from any circumstance not foreseen herein. The Court of Arbitration shall hear and determine of matters brought before it with the fullest authority given to any Court of His August Majestie the King or Court of the Commonwealth within the jurisdiction of either of the High Contracting Parties, and shall determine its own rules of evidence and procedure, subject to such provisions in the law or customary procedure of any of the High Contracting Parties as may apply. The decisions of a majority of the Court shall be equally binding with this compact, and shall not be subject to appeal to any other of His August Majestie's courts nor to any court of the Commonwealth. Whenever a dispute shall arise between the High Contracting Parties, each of the parties shall appoint an Arbitrator to serve on the Court, and the two appointed Arbitrators shall select a third, provided, that the third Arbitrator shall not be, and the other two need not be, subject to the jurisdiction of either of the High Contracting Parties, and that all three shall be jurists, legislators, or diplomats, of discretion and learning equal to the responsibility with which they are to be entrusted.