Common Law

Common Laws are a group of basic rights that applies to everyone in the United Empire of Earth.

They include:
 * Fundamental personal freedoms
 * Safety standards for structures and products
 * Health services
 * Basic education (Equivalency)
 * Access to an interplanetary trade and transport system
 * Jump point and exploration management
 * A security force which fights crime and external threats

History
The Common Laws are the result of the Common Law Initiative which was sponsored by Senator Nomi Rao in 2525-03-10.

After the formation of the United Planets of Earth (2523), a new form of governing had to be established, because now the Senate consisted of representatives from planets with varying political and legislative systems. To what degree these local governments would be responsible for providing services, military protection, and for protecting the rights of their inhabitants was a hard-fought debate until Nomi Rao started her Initiative.

She proposed a new set of laws that all UPE-aligned planets must adhere to. These laws guaranteed basic rights and services for all citizens and civilians in UPE-claimed systems. After one year of negotiations, Rao was able to overcome political resistance and the Common Law Initiative passed in 2526.

The Common Laws were later grandfathered into the Imperial legal system and are still active to this day.

Trivia
Common Laws are, in real-world legal parlance, a body of unwritten laws based on legal precedents established by the courts. The rights which fall under the UEE's "Common Laws" thus represent long-established basic human rights.