Public Advocate of Cascadia

Public Advocate of Cascadia Incumbent MMMeslina since March 16, 2025 Office of the Public Advocate Style Status Ombudsperson, public defender Member of Electoral Commission Reports to Seat Olympia, Cascadia Nominator Appointer Direct popular vote by Instant Runoff Voting Term Length 2 months, no term limits Term Limit Constituting instrument Nat. Const. art. V Precursor Inaugural Holder Mole_ Final Holder Formation November 27, 2022 Abolished Superseded by Deputy Unofficial Names Salary

The Public Advocate of Cascadia is an elected constitutional official in the Republic of Cascadia. Established on November 27, 2022, through a ratified amendment to the Provisional Constitution, the Public Advocate serves as an independent officer of the Republic, tasked with defending the accused and providing counsel to those facing legal or other challenges. The post has been vacant since the resignation of Akeboun on February 17, 2025 in order to be appointed Attorney General.

History

The office of Public Advocate was created as an amendment to the Provisional Constitution of Cascadia. The amendment, proposed by Vice President SayerQT on November 25, 2022, at 11:32 PM PT, was passed by the House of Representatives with a vote of 14 in favor and 0 against. It was subsequently ratified by referendum on November 27, 2022, with 95.8% of votes cast in favor of the amendment. The amendment sought to establish a dedicated advocate for citizens within the Cascadian legal framework.

The first election for the Public Advocate was held concurrently with the December 2022 Cascadia general election, and saw Mole_ victorious in a three-person race over xKoniac_ and Furballen. Mole_ was remembered for issuing several public service announcements.

Over the course of its existence, the Public Advocate has often been an underutilized position, having been vacant on several occasions.

The Public Advocate's role is further integrated into the government structure as outlined in the National Constitution of Cascadia, which was ratified on January 1, 2023.

Responsibilities

According to the act that amended the Provisional Constitution to establish the Public Advocate, it was created with the following primary responsibilities:

• Defense of the Accused: Representing and defending individuals accused of crimes or wrongdoing within Cascadia.
• Provision of Counsel: Offering advice and support to individuals or groups facing legal or other challenges.

Article V, Section 5.A of the National Constitution states "There shall be a Public Advocate of Cascadia, to be a defender of the accused, a general ombudsman for the people of Cascadia, or to provide defense and counsel to those on the defensive end of an issue before the court."

Furthermore, the Public Advocate is a member of the Electoral Commission, as stipulated in Article III, Section 2.E.a of the National Constitution, which is responsible for proposing electoral division boundaries.

Election and Term of Office

The Public Advocate is directly elected by the citizens of Cascadia for a term of two months. Elections are held alongside elections for the House of Representatives and the President.

To be eligible for the office of Public Advocate, candidates must meet the standard requirements for citizens of Cascadia, as defined in the National Constitution.

Vacancy, Recall, and Impeachment

The National Constitution of Cascadia outlines specific procedures for both vacancy and recall of the Public Advocate:

• Vacancy: In the event of a vacancy, the President of Cascadia appoints a replacement. This appointment requires the advice and consent of two-thirds of the House of Representatives. The appointed individual serves for the remainder of the unexpired term.

• Recall: The Public Advocate can be removed from office through a recall process. A recall election can be triggered by a petition signed by one-sixth of the total votes cast in the most recent election for President of Cascadia by valid citizens of Cascadia. If the petition requirement is met, a recall election is held. The Public Advocate is removed from office if a majority of voters support the recall.

Additionally, according to Article III, Section 3.D of the National Constitution, the Public Advocate can be impeached by the House and, upon conviction, removed from office and disqualified from holding the office of Public Advocate for no more than six months.

List of Public Advocates

Since the creation of the post, 11 individuals have served as Public Advocate. 9 of those entered in office via direct election, while 2 entered office via appointment, with only one appointee (SayerQT) winning the ensuing special election.

List of Public Advocates of Cascadia

#	Portrait	Public advocate	Term of office	Notes
1		Mole_	December 18, 2022 – February 19, 2023	- Elected in December 2022 - Did not run for re-election
2		WolfGang123	February 19, 2023 – February 21, 2023	- Elected in February 2023 - Resigned and renounced citizenship
Position vacant from February 21 to March 19, 2023
3		Jo_Star	March 19, 2023 – April 16, 2023	- Elected in March 19, 2023 special election - Elected to full term in April 2023, but resigned due to election as Vice President.
Position vacant from April 16 to April 30, 2023
4		SayerQT	April 30, 2023 – June 18, 2023	- Appointed by president AghastBlock. - Elected to remainder of term in May 21, 2023 special election - Did not run for full term in June 2023 due to nomination to Supreme Court.
5		CoolPenguin606	June 18, 2023 – August 20, 2023	- Elected in June 2023 - Did not run for re-election
Akeboun won the August 2023 election, however was simultaneously elected Vice President, and never took office. Post was vacant until August 24, 2023.
(3)		Jo_Star	August 24, 2023 – September 16, 2023	- Appointed by president EmpressCorgo. - Lost re-election in September 16, 2023 special election
Akeboun won the September 16, 2023 special election, however disclaimed election to serve as Secretary of Defense.
6		Hersheylr	October 22, 2023 – November 20, 2023	- Elected in October 2023 - Resigned to be appointed Home Secretary
Position vacant from November 20, 2023 to December 17, 2023
7		Ewhy_	December 17, 2023 – December 26, 2023	- Elected in December 2023 - Resigned and renounced citizenship
Position vacant from December 26, 2023 to January 21, 2024
8		SergioTheCrafter	January 21, 2024 – April 21, 2024	- Elected to remainder of term in January 21, 2024 special election - Elected to full term in February 2024 - Did not run for re-election, ran for president and won.
9		NotMakarov	April 21, 2024 – August 18, 2024	- Elected in April 2024 - Re-elected in June 2024
10		Ahea	August 18, 2024 – August 20, 2024	- Elected in August 2024 - Resigned upon election as speaker of the House.
Position vacant from August 20 to September 15, 2024
11		Akeboun	September 15, 2024 – February 17, 2025	- Elected in September 2024 - Re-elected in November 2024 - Re-elected in January 2025 - Resigned upon appointment as attorney general.
Position vacant from February 17 to March 16, 2025.
12		MMMeslina	March 16, 2025 – Incumbent	- Elected in March 2025

See Also

• Attorney General of Cascadia
• Supreme Court of Cascadia
• Legislature of Cascadia
• President of Cascadia
• National Constitution of Cascadia