Federation Council (Star Trek)

The Federation Council is an organization in the fictional Star Trek universe. It is the legislature of the United Federation of Planets and is located in San Francisco, United States (or Paris, France in the non-canonical novels) on Earth. Seats on the Council are filled by elected representatives from the various Federation Member Planets.

Canon

The Council's location was identified as "San Francisco, USA" on a display aboard the USS Defiant (NCC-1764), circa 2268. ()

In the late 23rd century, the Federation Council was depicted as primarily based in a complex overlooking San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge. ()

As of the mid-2370s, the Council continued to utilize the same facility. This can be derived from Species 8472's encounters with the USS Voyager in the Delta Quadrant. Species 8472 reproduced part of San Francisco using holographic technology in an attempt to infiltrate the Federation with spies. One of the major installations included in the simulation was the Federation Council. ()

Council members

Membership in the Council is considered an incredible honor. T'Pau of Vulcan was the only person to have refused a seat on the Council as of 2266. ()

The election of Federation Council members was one of the tasks that Bajor would have to complete if it joined the Federation. ()

Jonathan Archer served on the Federation council, representing Earth, from 2175 to 2183 before being elected Federation President in 2184. ()

Jaresh-Inyo represented his world, Grazer, on the Federation Council before he was elected Federation President.

Council decisions

In 2285, the Federation Council met to consider Admiral James T. Kirk's violation of orders, and his theft and destruction of the USS Enterprise. The Council dismissed all but one charge and demoted Kirk to the rank of Captain. ()

In 2366, the Council was called into emergency session when a Romulan defector provided information on a possible Romulan invasion fleet arming near Nelvana III. They decided that the Enterprise should assume anything Admiral Alidar Jarok says is a lie. ()

In 2370, the Council imposed a warp 5 speed limit on all Federation vessels, except in dire circumstances. This law was removed when improvements in warp drive were achieved. ()

Later that year, the Council ratified the Federation-Cardassian peace treaty, an agreement that annexed several Federation colonies to the Cardassian Union. This decision would lead to the formation of the violent Maquis resistance movement (, , ).

In 2372, the Federation Council condemned the Klingon invasion of the Cardassian Union and agreed to provide twelve industrial replicators to help rebuild the devastated Cardassian industrial base. (, "For the Cause")

Later that year, Gowron sent a message to the Council, telling them that the Empire would not give up their captured Cardassian planets. He also told them to withdraw Federation forces from the Archanis sector and Archanis IV. ()

In 2375, Starfleet Admiral Matthew Dougherty claimed that the Federation Council had been responsible for the decision to forcibly relocate the Ba'ku from their world in cooperation with the Son'a. ().

Later that year, the Federation Council was responsible for the decision not to give the Founders the cure to the morphogenic virus. ()

Non-Canonical

In the novel "Articles of the Federation" by Keith R. A. DeCandido, the Federation Council is depicted as being housed in a 15-story building in Paris called the Palais de la Concorde. The Council chambers are located on the first floor, while the presidential office is located on the top floor; the Council itself determines who may run for the office of the presidency, and is divided into a number of "sub councils," to which the president appoints members with the full Council's approval. The Security Council, for instance, deals with matters of Federation security, while the Judiciary Council can make rulings on judiciary matters (that seem to overrule those of the Federation Supreme Court). As of 2379, the President of the Federation is Nan Bacco, a human woman who hails from Cestus III.

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