In exceptional cases the Landsraad might intrude itself into a quarrel tf one of the parties was determined to have violated some fundamental provision of international law Even before the Great Revolt, the number of worlds represented in the Landsraad was substantial, [hough not as large as it would become under the empire. Even the thirteen thousand planets of the period of the Jihad, however, would have created an insurmountable problem if each of them had been entitled to a delegate But since the Landwaad recognized governments, and not planets, such was not necessary Each government sent only one representative to the meetings of the body These delegates then cast a number of votes determined by the size of the population they spoke for, with the minimum stipulation that no independent planet could have less than one vote With the limited information currently available, researchers have yet to determine the formula used for allotting \otcs to delegates, though it is clear there was one In the years before expansion under the empire, the number of voting members exceeded four thousand Such a large number of mdmduals making serious decisions in the name of millions of people created many problems The wide vanety of governments represented caused irreconcilable differences Given the problems associated with an assembly of this type, strict rules were adopted for voting Consultation with the homeworld was prohibited While each dele gate could bring with him a sizable, though limited, body of advisors only the delegate would be permitted to vote Delegates would be permitted to confer with their advisors prior to casting their ballots, but the vote had to be cast within one Standard day after the announcement of an issue Under these uro urns lances, the voting delegates eventual!) became virtually independent ministers The) arrived at meetings with as clear and full instructions as their individual governments could supply, but it was 363 understood that problems might arise for which their governments had not briefed them For this reason alone a strict rule was adopted and enforced by the Landsraad each dele gate was to be granted total immunity from any kind of prosecution or sanction within his home state arising from any action while a delegate at Landsraad meetings Since it was impossible for such a large body to deal with every issue placed before it, there were subsidiary structures The largest of these were the regional dmsions of the Landsraad, the Sysselraads, empowered to screen all matters and refer to the full session of the senior body only those issues which would affect others than the members of the Sysselraad in question Attempts to pass on issues which should have been decided at that level were dealt with very curtly by the Landsraad High Council Each Sysselraad represented no less than two but no more than five districts Each district, in turn, was composed of delegates from no less than