Business and Ethical Thinking: Business, Society and Responsibility
Starfleet General Orders
General Order 1
As the right of each sentient species to live in accordance
with its normal cultural evolution is considered sacred, no Star Fleet personnel
may interfere with the normal and healthy development of alien life and culture.
Such interference includes introducing superior knowledge, strength, or technology
to a world whose society is incapable of handling such advantages wisely. Star
Fleet personnel may not violate this Prime Directive, even to save their lives
and/or their ship, unless they are acting to right an earlier violation or an
accidental contamination of said culture. This directive takes precedence over
any and all other considerations, and carries with it the highest moral obligation.
General Order 2
No Star Fleet personnel shall unnecessarily use force, either
collectively or individually, against members of the United Federation of Planets,
their duly authorized representatives, spokespersons, or designated leaders,
or members of any sentient non-member race, for any reason whatsoever.
General Order 3
The sovereignty of each Federation member being respected in
all things, Star Fleet personnel shall observe any and all statutes, laws, ordinances,
and rules of governance currently in effect within the jurisdiction of a member
planet. Violators of such ordinances will be subject to such punishments or
corrections as shall be determined by local governmental bodies.
General Order 4
If contact is made with hitherto undiscovered intelligent life-forms, under
no circumstance shall Star Fleet personnel, either by word or deed, inform said
life-forms that worlds other than their own or intelligent life-forms other
than their own exist outside the confines of their own space.
General Order 5
In cases of extreme emergency, Federation special representatives are empowered
to assume emergency powers to deal with a condition or circumstance that is
deemed hazardous to the welfare of Federation citizenry. Within the scope of
these emergency powers, duly authorized civilian personnel may assume temporary
command of Star Fleet vessels and/or personnel to deal with the emergency. Star
Fleet personnel must submit to their authority for the duration of the crisis.
General Order 6
The request for emergency assistance from Federation citizenry demands unconditional
priority from Star Fleet personnel. Such personnel shall immediately respond
to said request, postponing all other activities.
General Order 7
No Star Fleet vessel shall visit the planet Talos IV under any circumstances,
emergency or otherwise. This order supersedes General Order 6. Any transgression
of this general order shall be punishable by death.
General Order 8
Upon sighting a warship within Federation space and identifying it as belonging
to a foreign power, the commander of the Star Fleet vessel shall determine the
reason(s) for that craft's presence in the vicinity. If there is conclusive
evidence that the vessel has hostile intentions, the Federation vessel may take
appropriate action to safeguard the lives and property of Federation members.
In such cases, the commander may use his discretion in deciding whether to use
force to disable the hostile vessel. However, care should be taken to avoid
unnecessary loss of sentient life.
General Order 9
No commander of a Star Fleet vessel, military or auxiliary, may grant political
asylum to any individual without first being given express permission to do
so by a representative of the Federation government.
General Order 10
If there exists eyewitness testimony by senior officers or similar verifiable
evidence that an individual has violated the Prime Directive, said individual
may be relieved of duty by a duly sworn representative of the Federation government
and placed under immediate arrest. The governmental representative shall then
take such action as he deems necessary to minimize the results of the violation.
General Order 11
Star Fleet officers with the rank of captain or higher are granted full authority
to negotiate conditions of agreement and/or treaties with legal representatives
of non-Federation planets. In such circumstances, the acting officer carries
de facto powers of a Federation Special Ambassador. Any and all agreements arranged
in this manner are subject to approval by the Chief of Star Fleet Operations
and the Secretary of Star Fleet.
General Order 12
Federation officers may violate Neutral Zone areas as designated by treaty
only if such action is required to save the lives of Federation citizens under
conditions of extreme emergency.
General Order 13
Except when orders state to the contrary, Star Fleet personnel will respect
the territorial integrity of independent planetary systems and governments,
and will not violate territorial space belonging to such worlds.
General Order 14
Star Fleet personnel may intervene in local planetary affairs to restore general
order and to secure the lives and property of Federation citizens only upon
receiving a direct order to do so from a civilian official with the title of
governor or higher.
General Order 15
No officer of flag rank shall travel into a potentially hazardous area without
suitable armed escort.
General Order 16
Star Fleet personnel may extend technological, medical, or other scientific
assistance to a member of a previously unrecognized sentient species only if
such assistance in no way compromises the Prime Directive or the security of
the Federation or Star Fleet.
General Order 17
Star Fleet vessel captains are to consider the lives of their crew members
as sacred. In any potentially hostile situation, the captain will place the
lives of his crew above the fate of his ship.
General Order 18
Upon being accused of treason against the Federation, Star Fleet personnel
may demand a trail conducted by the Federation judiciary. If the individual
is acquitted, Star Fleet Command shall have no further legal recourse against
the accused in said matter.
General Order 19
Except in times of declared emergency, Star Fleet personnel may under no circumstances
convey personnel or material between planets or planetary systems when there
is reason to believe that said personnel or material may be used to conduct
aggression. This order applies to independent worlds within the Federation as
well as to Federation members.
General Order 20
Officers and personnel of Star Fleet Command may employ whatever means necessary
to prevent the possession, transportation, sale, or commercial exchange of sentient
beings held against their wishes within the boundaries of Federation space.
General Order 21
No Star Fleet personnel, either officer or enlisted, may offer his services
to an independent foreign government without the express authorization of the
Federation Assembly.
General Order 22
As the rights of individual expression and free discourse are considered sacred,
Star Fleet personnel may debate the policies and decisions of their governmental
representatives privately at any time, to the extent that such discussions do
not violate their command oath or specific duties to the Federation per these
General Orders or Star Fleet regulations.
General Order 23
When verifiable proof is presented to the senior commanding officer of a Star
Fleet vessel or post that a Federation representative may currently be acting
or have acted in the past to violate the Prime Directive, the officer may relieve
said representative of office, then assume the full powers of that office pending
a full investigation by governmental officials.
General Order 24
If a commanding officer deems that an individual or group of individuals pose
a threat to Star Fleet personnel or Federation civilians, he may take any action
deemed necessary (including force) to secure the safety of those threatened.
General Order 25
Civilian and military personnel taken into custody by Star Fleet personnel
during times of extreme emergency shall be accorded proper treatment consistent
with their rank or station, insofar as such treatment does not compromise the
security of the Federation or Star Fleet.