Post

Supreme Court Shuts Down Christian Dam Case
Published by The Saltstil Observer*, 3/11/2024

After months of litigation and judicial escalation, the Revolutionary Supreme Court has finally issued its ruling on a controversial recent case. The 31 justices and religious officials from all over the nation have convened in Saltstil to publish their final decision. Originally, the case began as members of the Sirtaspan Orthodox clergy organized a petition demanding the overturn of construction of a large dam that would see their communities displaced from their homes. However after a series of contradictory rulings by the secular and religious arms of the judicial system, the Revolutionary Supreme Court stepped in to hear the case and put an end to the confusion.

Their decision, voted on 25-6, was clear: the Orthodox clergy had no legal right to impede the construction of the dam. This conclusion mirrored those posited by the lower religious courts. According to the opinion of the court, Christian religious sites had no special protection from large-scale secular projects. Furthermore, the petition and civil lawsuit did not receive the proper clearance from regional administrators to be brought before their courts. The court cited prior cases in the 1990's and 2000's as precedent, including the infamous debate over the Great Cathedral of Saltstil - the former Orthodox church that was converted into the meeting place for the new Supreme Court after the revolution.

Unfortunately this type of ruling is not unusual for Sirtaspa's judicial system. When the two halves of the system (secular and religious) clash and the Supreme Court intervenes, they generally take the side of the religious judges. Sirtaspan religious institutions are deeply tied to the Revolutionary Socialist Party of Harmonious Faith. The party in turn controls the bodies that appoint judges to the Supreme Court, thereby ensuring the loyalty of the judges to the Party and their beliefs.

Work on the dam continued throughout the court process, and will continue hereafter. No plan is in place to accommodate for nor compensate the thousands of people evicted as part of the dam's construction.

*Note: The Saltstil Observer is an external publication that is not affiliated with the Bureau of Public Enlightenment. Unlawful distribution of this publication within Sirtaspan territory is punishable by three years' imprisonment.