The Policy Constitution is the highest-order document at Map.ca. It exists because most companies write policy after they get in trouble; Map.ca writes policy before power accumulates. The Constitution defines the Policy First Rule, the twelve non-negotiable principles, the five-layer policy hierarchy, the Master Policy Index, the Policy Pledge, and the Policy Impact Review that every major feature must pass before launch.
The Policy First Rule is simple. When growth and trust conflict, Map.ca chooses trust. When revenue and fairness conflict, fairness. When convenience and consent conflict, consent. When automation and human judgment conflict, judgment. When public visibility and personal safety conflict, safety. When AI efficiency and human dignity conflict, dignity. When data value and data ownership conflict, ownership. There are no carve-outs for size, deadlines, partners, or commercial pressure.
The twelve principles are listed in §2 of this Constitution and mirrored in code as NON_NEGOTIABLE_PRINCIPLES. They cannot be reworded, renumbered, or extended without a Constitutional amendment. Every other policy in this library inherits from them. If a policy ever appears to contradict a principle, the principle wins and the policy is the bug.
The Constitution is reviewed every 24 months. Amendments require a written rationale, a public change log, and a 30-day public comment window. The Constitution is the only document at Map.ca where the bar to change is deliberately higher than the bar to ship.
Requirements
- Read the Constitution before drafting any other policy.
- Map every policy in the library to at least one §2 principle by number.
- Run a Policy Impact Review before launching any major feature.
- Publish a change log and rationale for every Constitutional amendment.
Prohibitions
- Do not silently override a Constitutional principle in any subordinate policy.
- Do not reword, renumber, or add a thirteenth principle without an amendment.
- Do not amend the Constitution without a 30-day public comment window.