constitute

name	Constitute
description	Create or amend the constitution — the project's supreme, enforceable law. Everything built afterward must comply.
argument-hint	[--review]

Constitute — Write the Supreme Law

Create the constitution: the project's mission, technology/tools, architecture and organizational principles, standards, testing and quality philosophy, quality gates, security, performance, documentation, and version-control strategy. Everything built afterward must comply. The constitution is supreme — no spec, skill, or instruction may contradict it.

Runs immediately after discovery. Hard gate: refuses if .genesis/discovery/context.md is missing ("Run /genesis-discover first").

Inputs

• .genesis/discovery/context.md (required)
• .genesis/project-state.md
• .genesis/templates/constitution-template.md
• (--review) all .genesis/features/*/spec.md and .genesis/design/decisions/* (ADRs)

Process

1. --review mode: read the existing constitution + all approved specs + ADRs and produce a drift report — sections that conflict with specs, shifted tech choices, abandoned patterns, suggested amendments. Then stop.
2. Otherwise, read discovery and draft from the template.
3. Populate the sections: Project Mission · Technology Stack (explicit, versioned — this is law) · Architecture Principles · Code Standards · Testing Philosophy · Quality Gates · Security & Compliance · Performance Expectations · Documentation Requirements · Version Control Strategy · Amendment Process.
4. Quality Gates are load-bearing for the rest of the kit: name the exact build / test / lint commands the project uses (e.g. npm test, cargo test, pytest). /genesis-accept runs these and records the results.
5. Present for review; iterate until the user explicitly approves.
6. Log key decisions into the project-state.md Key Decisions table. Optionally offer to generate git hooks (commit-msg, pre-commit) and a CI workflow derived from the gates.

Mode additions

• Brownfield: add a Legacy Handling section — for each area not meeting the constitution, mark Immediate refactor / Progressive migration (with deadline) / Grandfather clause (optional sunset).
• Lowfield: reframe the code sections — Technology Stack → Tools & Formats · Architecture → Organizational Principles · Code Standards → Content Standards (voice, tone, style, terminology) · Testing → Quality Standards · Quality Gates → Completion Criteria.

Output

• .genesis/constitution/index.md — the supreme law. Every technology/tool choice traces to discovery; principles are specific enough to enforce; the Amendment Process is always included.
• Updated project-state.md (phase = "Constitution established"; key decisions logged).
• Optional: .genesis/hooks/commit-msg, .genesis/hooks/pre-commit, a CI workflow.

Next step

Run /genesis-design overview, then begin your first feature with /genesis-brainstorm.

Natural language triggers

- "constitute"
- "write the constitution"
- "define the rules"
- "set project law"