Hall of the Tower

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In Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time universe, the Hall of the Tower is the supreme governing body of the Aes Sedai of the White Tower.

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[edit] Composition

The Hall typically consists of 21 members, called Sitters. (Hence, the Hall is sometimes referred to as the Hall of the Sitters, though not in an official context.) Three Sitters represent each Ajah. Little is known about the process by which an Ajah selects its Sitters, but as a Sitter's position is one of great privilege, a vacancy in an Ajah's delegation will usually be filled by one of the oldest and most powerful Aes Sedai of that Ajah.

There are no general elections for the Hall, and there is no indication of fixed terms for Sitters. Once chosen, however, there are several ways a Sitter's place can become vacant. These include:

  • Death
  • Resignation
  • Burnout (accidental loss of ability to use the One Power)
  • Election to the post of Amyrlin Seat or Keeper of the Chronicles
  • Unchairing, i.e., removal from office as punishment for an offence under Tower law (presumably by means of a court sentence and/or a vote of the Hall). Exile and Stilling, harsher punishments, would imply that the Sitter is unchaired.
  • A Sitter's Ajah is almost certainly able to remove her on its own initiative, either by a formal procedure or by "encouraging" her to step down.

[edit] Powers

Notable among the Hall's powers is its ability to elect the Amyrlin Seat. The Hall may choose any woman who can channel to be the Amyrlin, though historically it has tended to be conservative in its choices, with recent Amyrlins being mature women, strong in the One Power.

The Hall may also depose an Amyrlin Seat. There appears to be a precedent that the Hall should only depose an Amyrlin for a serious offence under Tower law or for gross misgovernment, but no legal requirement that a specific offence be proven.

The Hall also has a general legislative power. It can make laws and formulate policy for the White Tower and Aes Sedai, and presumably also for the city of Tar Valon.

It is possible that, when there is no Amyrlin Seat (i.e., between the death or deposition of one and the election of her successor), the Hall also carries on the executive government of the Tower.

A declaration of war by the White Tower requires a two-thirds majority vote in the Hall.

[edit] Procedure

The Hall can be summoned for extraordinary meetings by the Amyrlin Seat. In addition to this, it appears that there are more regular meetings for which no specific summons is necessary.

Based on information in The Path of Daggers, it seems that most meetings of the Hall are presided over by the Amyrlin Seat; the exceptions being where there is no Amyrlin Seat, or to discuss the deposition of the Amyrlin. However, the Keeper of the Chronicles seems to act as a Chair at meetings, for example, by putting questions to the Hall and calling for votes. It is unclear to what extent this was usual practice, though; the inexperience of Egwene al'Vere as Amyrlin may have led her Keeper, Sheriam, to take an unusually large role in proceedings.

Voting in the Hall takes place by Sitters in favour of a motion rising from their seats and remaining standing until either the required number of votes is obtained, or the chair decides that the motion fails.

On many matters, supermajorities are required. For example, a declaration of war or permission for the Amyrlin Seat to put herself in danger require the lesser consensus, a two-thirds majority of Sitters. There also exists a greater consensus, which is possibly a unanimous vote. It is unknown whether the Hall can decide laws and policy on simple majorities.

[edit] Relationship between the Hall and the Amyrlin Seat

Ideally, the Hall and the Amyrlin Seat would work together for the good of the White Tower. However, in practice, there is often a power struggle between the Hall and the Amyrlin. Indeed, an Amyrlin's strength is usually measured by her ability to manage the Hall to achieve the results she wants. The Amyrlin can not actually break Tower law as enacted by the Hall, but has the power to make decrees on any subject not explicitly covered by existing laws. By the same token, the Hall can not actually revoke an Amyrlin's decrees or executive acts, but can, by constant inquiry into her conduct of affairs and opposition to her proposals, make her job exceedingly difficult.

[edit] After the White Tower Split

The deposition and stilling of Siuan Sanche for her support of the Dragon Reborn led to the formation of two rival groups of Aes Sedai, each of which has its own Hall of the Tower. Elaida's faction, in control of Tar Valon, has no members of the Blue Ajah, which is therefore unrepresented in that Hall. Conversely, the Salidar group contains no members of the Red Ajah, so the Salidar Hall has no Red sitters.

[edit] Other uses

The term Hall of the Tower is also used to describe the room within the White Tower where the body itself usually meets.