Starfleet General Orders

• Standing orders considered as applicable to all members of Starfleet
  • Often describes general patterns of behavior to be taken and/or avoided in specific scenarios
• General Order 1
  • "No starship may interfere with the normal development of any alien life or society." (TAS: "The Magicks of Megas-Tu")
  • Also known as the Prime Directive
  • Originates in the general non-interference procedures of the Vulcan Defense Force (ENT)
  • Concept of a non-interference directive initially proposed c.2165 by then-Admiral Jonathan Archer following the Ware incident and its disastrous fallout for the Partnership of Civilizations (ENT Novel: Live by the Code)
  • Intense debate continued over the following decades, heightening following the Federation's adoption of the Resolution of Non-Interference in 2175 (TNG Novel: Double or Nothing)
    • Opposing position largely led by then-Admiral Shran, over concerns that such a directive could lead to a general pattern of isolationism and avoidance of responsibility when unintended contact led to negative results, precisely as resulted from the Ware incident (ENT Novel: Patterns of Interference)
  • Finally adopted by Starfleet c.2190s (TNG Novel: Double or Nothing)
  • Originally intended to provide all civilizations with the right of self-determination, an attempt at avoiding the imposition of Federation values or diplomatic influence purely by virtue of greater technology, implicit force, or other such means (ENT Novel: Patterns of Interference)
    • Developed both to prevent influence within an otherwise internal matter within another society best suited to be resolved by that society, and to prevent the destruction of planetbound cultures via interaction with the Federation, well-intentioned or otherwise
  • By 24th century, interpretation had drifted to a more general view of non-interference of planetbound civilizations by any means, including contact or even rescue from destruction (TNG)
• General Order 2
  • "No Starfleet personnel shall unnecessary use force, either collectively or individually, against members of the United Federation of Planets, their duly authorized representatives, spokespersons, or designated leaders, or members of any sentient member race, for any reason whatsoever." (Star Trek: Into Darkness prop)
• General Order 3
  • "The sovereignty of each Federation member being respected in all things, Starfleet personnel shall observe any or all statutes, laws, ordinances, and rules of governance currently in effect within the jurisdiction of a member world.

Violators of such ordinances will be subject to such punishments or corrections as shall be determined by local governmental bodies. " (Star Trek: Into Darkness prop)

• General Order 6
  • If all life aboard a Federation starship has perished, the ship will self-destruct within twenty-four hours to protect other ships from potential hazards within. (TAS: "Albatross")
  • Apparently rescinded by mid-24th century (TNG: "Unnatural Selection")
• General Order 7
  • Prohibiting contact with Talos IV or its natives under penalty of death (TOS: "The Menagerie, Part I")
  • Rescinded c.2320 (TOS Novel: Burning Dreams)
• General Order 12
  • "On the approach of any vessel, when communications have not been established..."
  • Describes defensive actions to be taken upon the approach of an uncommunicative starship (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan)
• General Order 13
  • Related to the evacuation of a starship (Star Trek)
• General Order 24
  • Describes conditions under which a starship is required to render a world entirely uninhabitable through direct bombardment in cases where no other option is available to end a pressing threat to other civilizations (DIS Novel: Desperate Hours; TOS: "Whom Gods Destroy", "A Taste of Armageddon"; VAN Novel: Reap the Whirlwind)
  • Rescinded by 24th century via the Eminiar Amendment to the Federation Charter (TNG Novel: "A Time to Kill")