Federation Council

File:FederationCouncil2286.jpg
Caption:	The Federation Council Chamber, 2286
File:FederationCouncilOutside2286.jpg
Caption:	Federation Council Building exterior, Earth

The Federation Council is the legislature of the United Federation of Planets. Seats on the Council are filled by representatives from the various Federation Members. In 2286, the Council convened in San Francisco. (TOS: "Amok Time"; DS9: "Rapture"; VOY: "In the Flesh"; Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home)

In late 2372, Chancellor Gowron sent a message to the Council, telling them that the Klingon Empire would not give up their captured Cardassian planets. He also told them to withdraw Federation forces from the Archanis sector and Archanis IV. (DS9: "Broken Link")

In 2374, the Council sent a message to Grand Nagus Zek, that Ensign Nog was to deliver. Jake Sisko believed it might have been a proposal for an alliance between the Ferengi Alliance and the Federation. (DS9: "Valiant")

In a Dominion simulation, Benjamin Sisko was told the Founders were meeting with the Council and that they thought trusting them was "worth the risk". (DS9: "The Search, Part II")

In a Section 31 holoprogram, the Council gave Luther Sloan authority to investigate a security breach on Deep Space 9. (DS9: "Inquisition")

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. (TOS: "Amok Time")

The election of Federation councilors was one of the tasks that Bajor would have to complete if it joined the Federation. (DS9: "Rapture")

Jonathan Archer served on the Federation Council, representing United Earth, from 2175 to 2183 before being elected president in 2184. (ENT: "In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II")

In the 2360s, Jaresh-Inyo represented his world on the Federation Council before he was elected president. (DS9: "Homefront")

Council Decisions

In 2286, 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. (Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home)

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 determined that the USS Enterprise-D, the Starfleet ship on site, should assume anything Admiral Alidar Jarok said was a lie. (TNG: "The Defector")

In 2370, the Council imposed a warp 5 speed limit on all Federation vessels and vessels within UFP territory, except in dire circumstances. This law was removed when improvements in warp drive were achieved. (TNG: "Force of Nature"; VOY: "Caretaker"; Star Trek: First Contact)

Shortly thereafter, the Council began debate on the ratification of the Federation-Cardassian Treaty. It rejected a request by a Native American representative to re-negotiate the status of Dorvan V and ordered the evacuation of all Federation citizens from the planet. (TNG: "Journey's End")

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. (DS9: "The Way of the Warrior", "For the Cause")

In 2375, Starfleet Admiral 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. (Star Trek: Insurrection).

Later that year, the Federation Council was responsible for the decision not to give the Founders the cure to the morphogenic virus, as they felt it would give the Dominion the upper hand in the war. (DS9: "The Dogs of War")

In an alternate 2390, the Federation Council offered to drop the charges of conspiracy against Chakotay and Harry Kim if they returned a Borg temporal transmitter and stood down when those two tried to send a message back to 2375. (VOY: "Timeless")

Apocrypha

In the non-canonical 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. In Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, however, the Council is depicted as being located in San Francisco, and "In the Flesh" makes mention of the Federation Council building being replicated by Species 8472 in their re-creation of the city. However, it has never been explicitly confirmed in the canon that San Francisco is the primary or only meeting place of the Council, leading to some leeway for apocryphal novels.

In the novel, the Council itself determines who may run for the office of the presidency, and is divided into a number of "sub councils," the equivalent of a legislative committee, 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). The novel also implies there is only one councilor per member, although "Rapture" makes mention of councillors needing to be selected for Bajor's admittance to the Federation; it was not clear if this meant that Bajor would have multiple councillors or if the character was simply speaking generally. In Star Trek IV, there are several Humans, Vulcans, Andorians, etc. seated in the Council chambers; however, any number of those individuals may be guests (such as Spock was).

In short, the make-up and location of the Council is somewhat vague and open to interpretation based upon canonical evidence. However, based solely upon on-screen evidence, the council appears to be a unicameral parliament.