Galactic Senate

"We will not always get it right. We will never have it perfect. But we will listen. To the countless voices crying out across the galaxy, we have opened our ears, and we will always listen."

- Senator Salthythia Senus, representative of the Parnitha system

The Galactic Senate, also referred to as the Citadel Congress, is the legislative branch of the Interstellar Republic consisting of hundreds of senators who represented the many planets of the unified galaxy. Its primary duties were to mediate any disputes between systems, worlds and cultures, to regulate trade between systems, to protect and care for citizens in need and to provide mutual defense in face of threats to the Republic.

The Senate was founded one year after the Battle for Earth during the Reaper invasion, when the Republic replaced the Citadel Council as the ultimate authority in Citadel space. After the end of the Reaper threat, the Senate sought to prevent a repeat of galactic history and set out to bring peace and harmony.

Senate-related documents
The following are documents passed by the Galactic Senate or relating to its functioning:
 * Anti-Piracy and Crime Prevention Bill
 * Citadel-Guevara Accord
 * Emergency Powers Act
 * Enhanced Security and Enforcement Act
 * Resettlement Act

Novels

 * Mass Effect: A Hero's Legacy (First appearance)