(thanks to Graham Attfield and Stephen Brown)

Q1. Freedom of Movement

To what extent can any member of your population move to any part of your planet (or between systems) without reference to any form of authority (i.e. Customs, Police, or other authorities)?

There are no restrictions on movement by any member of the population fitted with a correctly validated ID chip. To obtain permits for one off journeys they only have to fill in the correct form, have their ID chip validated, state the destination and reason for the proposed journey(s), and file the request with the correct authority. If successful, they be issued with a travel permit promptly (note1: it is of course an offense for officials not to process such applications promptly and efficiently - there is thus never any undue delay to citizens travel plans); (note2: If the citizen in question also successfully files travel form 47b-2.1 (revised) they will also have the cost of their travel reimbursed - unlike many other less caring polities, the Venerian Republic does not limit travel based on lack of funds).

Q2. Freedom of Action

Are there any portions of your population precluded from particular jobs or activities (i.e. Women, Blacks, ex-cons, etc)?

Venerian society is totally non-discriminatory, there is no discrimination on the basis of any specific sex, race, creed, hat size, colour, height, neck size, width, place of origin, inside leg measurement or any other means of segregating citizens of the Venerian Republic. But obviously citizens will only be allocated to work which is within their educational, mental and physical capabilities to achieve to a satisfactory level for the good and well-being of Venerian society.

Q3. Freedom of Expression

If an individual or group were extremely critical of your Government's actions or policies, to the extent that it might affect your popularity, what steps would you take?

I am not sure I understand this question! The Venerian Republic is a single party democracy, and always has been, and every citizen knows that the Government is working to the utmost of its ability to provide the best for its citizens, therefore there is no dissent. If on the other hand you are referring to those traitorous elements that occur in any society from time to time, and they have been extremely few within the Venerian Republic, then they receive the full sanction of the Law, and they deserve it! On the very rare occasion that a citizen genuinely believes that the State is at fault and is neither mad nor traitorous then the actions of the officials concerned will be investigated - serving the people in an inefficient manner is of course treason.

Q4. Control of Media

To what degree could you prevent the publication or transmission of information to the general public that you regard as detrimental either to your government, or to the welfare of the people?

The media are controlled by the Venerian Information Ministry (VIM) and as such the citizens are protected from traitorous, or other detrimental, rhetoric to which citizens of other less caring polities are subjected.

Q5. Direct Control of Media

Are there any parts of the media that you have no direct editorial control over?

No! The VIM control all forms of news media, however, the branch of VIM known as the Ministry of Sound cannot control broadcasts from within other polities and has a variety of projects working on methods of jamming these whilst not interfering with our own legitimate broadcasts. Agents from other polities have been known to try to operate "underground" media facilities but these are hunted down and the miscreants subject to the full sanction of the Law, even if they are misguided citizens of our own Republic. Many studies have shown the ability of the various media forms to influence peoples emotional states, buying patterns or even political allegiance - unlike more laissez faire polities the Venerian Republic is sworn to protect its citizens from all such unnecessary manipulation.

Q6. Severity of punishment

a. Mass murderers?

Death! With extreme prejudice as they have taken the lives of the most valuable resource available to the Venerian Republic, it's people.

b. Rapists?

i. Death, where the rapee has suffered physical harm which causes some form of incapacity or death.

ii. Aversion Therapy (Shades of Clockwork Orange), where the physical injuries suffered by the rapee are regarded by a Medical Examiner as minor.

c. Great Train Robbers?

Compulsory Military Service - while theft is a crime against the people, such criminals do exhibit certain organisational skills and initiative - these skills will be put to positive use once the perpetrators have been broken of their anti-socialness by Venerian Military discipline - being a progressive polity the Venerian Republic believes that all its citizens can serve society in some way. (note: in the case of mass murderers and traitors the form of service is firstly being an example, then being fertiliser).

d. Traitors?

Clearly treason is a form of insanity. Thus, after suitable interrogation to expose their accomplices, traitors are subjected to corrective psychological treatment. Should that fail, or in cases of extreme treason, then the sentence is death.

e. Petty theft?

Public flogging for a first offense, for a second or subsequent offense compulsory military service. Theft is a crime against the people.

f. Assault?

Compulsory conscription into the Venerian military - violence is only dangerous if directed inwards. All such people need is firm discipline.

g. Indecent Exposure?

Aversion Therapy!

h. Illegal parking?

Confiscation of vehicle/travel permit - the parking space is a Government supplied resource and its misuse is a serious offense !

I. Illegal drug abuse?

Aversion Therapy!

Note: for some reason this form appears to have forgotten one of the most serious of all crimes, this is hereby corrected:

j. Incompetence by a public official ?

All public officials are the state made flesh, as such any incompetence, whether deliberate or accidental brings the state into disrepute and is thus a form of treason. Depending upon the seriousness of the incompetence, punishment varies from corrective psychological treatment, via compulsory military service, to, in the very rare case of large scale corruption, death. To avoid spurious accusations of incompetence a citizen must of course fill in the correct forms and apply through the correct channels. Also wrongly accusing an official of incompetence is an extremely serious crime in itself. These laws result in the Venerian bureaucracy being as near to perfection as a system based on real human beings can be. The Venerian Republic is rightly proud of all its officials.

Q7. Right of appeal

How would a defendant charged with one of the above crimes appeal against their sentence, and to whom?

Under Venerian law there is no right to appeal as such - the law is assumed to function perfectly and thus there is no need to appeal. Should the charged citizen allege that the Venerian constabulary has brought the wrong citizen to face legal retribution then a counter charge of incompetence against the relevant official may be made - see Q6-j above. Should the accusation pass through the requisite preliminary stages, the Venerian court of Official Oversight will then investigate the matter.

Q8. Police powers

a. Privacy and civil rights: is there anywhere that your police cannot go, and if there are limits, what are they?

The simple answer to that is No! Venerian society is open and there is no reason why a citizen should or would stop a member of the constabulary entering any premises or enquiring about that citizens business.

b. Police powers v. civil rights: under what circumstances may the police arrest and detain?

I fail to understand this question, the Laws of the Venerian Republic are quite clear and are taught as part of the standard educational curriculum therefore every citizen knows when they are liable to be detained and/or arrested because of their own action. In fact it is regarded by the Government as a civic duty to give yourself up if you have knowingly transgressed against the Laws of the Republic, courts will look more leniently on the miscreant if they do so.

c. Complaints procedure: to whom are the police accountable, and by what means may the general public complain or object to their activities?

Please see the answer to Q7 - All officials are answerable to the Court of Official Oversight, which is headed by the Venerian Minister for Justice himself ! However due to the near perfection of the Venerian State this court very rarely sits. We pride ourselves on the honesty and good conduct of all our officials and the fact that they always operate within the Laws of the Republic.

Q9. Open Government

What sort of Government activities are kept secret from the general public?

Only those which are deemed by the Government to be deleterious to public morale. The Republic holds its citizens in the highest esteem and will not allow anything to undermine their long-term happiness.