Erbonian nationality law

Erbonian subjectship, or liegeance, is founded upon a mixture of customary law principles of liegeance based on jus sanguinis and jus soli, and that of regular law and statute law. It arose in the 18th and 19th centuries, altering the mostly mediaeval principles of liegeance that had hitherto been applied.

Grades of liegeance

There are five formal grades of liegeance established by the Crown courts of Great Nortend, split into 'full subjects' and 'petit subjects'.

Full subjects

Full subjectship requires the swearing of a formal oath of liegeance to the King, a rite which is traditionally a part of the confirmation ceremony of the Church of Nortend. No full subject may hold a dual nationality or be a subject, citizen or national of any other country, princely state, nation or foreign power, except by special petition to the Privy Council. A full subject (except a natural-born subject usque) is unable to renounce his status as a full subject, except by petition to the Privy Council.

Natural-born subject

A natural-born subject is any subject born within the King's dominions to father who is either a natural-born subject or a naturalised subject. The vast majority of Erbonian subjects are considered natural-born subjects.

Natural-born subject usque

A natural-born subject under the age of majority holds the differentiated status of a natural-born subject usque. This status lasts until either the person takes the oath of liegeance, in which case he becomes a standard natural-born subject, or he attains his age of majority, in which case he loses his becomes a petit subject in totali.

Naturalised subject

A naturalised subject is a full subject who has taken the oath of liegeance and Subjectship Examination as a petit subject cum altero, and is the only type of full subjectship available to those who were not a natural-born subject at birth.

Petit subjects

Petit subjectship of Great Nortend is a lower grade of nationality. Petit subjects are still required to bear allegiance towards His Majesty however are permitted to hold dual nationality with certain favourable states. A petit subject may renounce their status as a petit subject by legal instrument.

Petit subject cum altero

A petit subject cum altero is the equivalent in Great Nortend of a permanent resident. The status is obtained by any alien holding the nationality of a favoured country resident in Great Nortend for a 'long enough time', considered to be over four years, and who applies for the status. A petit subject cum altero holds leave to reside in Great Nortend indefinitely; however, such a subject may lose his subjectship and be deported after conviction of any crime. A petit subject cum altero also loses his status as a subject if he resides in another country for more than a year and a day.

Petit subject in totali

A petit subject in totali is a subject who was erstwhile a full subject usque but failed to swear the required oath of lieageance by the age of majority, and has not since acquired any other nationality. A person also becomes a petit subject in totali if he is born to a full subject outside of the King's dominions and holds no other nationality. If a petit subject in totali does aquire any other nationality, he either becomes a petit subject cum altero if the said nationality is that of a favoured country, or loses his status as a subject entirely and becomes an alien.

Oath of Liegeance

The oath of liegeance must be sworn to entitle a person to the status of full subject. The oath is, as follows:

I, A. B., swear that I will be faithful and bear true liegeance unto our Sovereign Lord, Alexander the Second, his heirs and successors, according to law. So help me God.