Shadow Proclamation
The Shadow Proclamation was a galactic government concerned with upholding Galactic Law. Judoon acted as its enforcers. The Doctor often called miscreants to account for themselves according to its dictates in his tenth incarnation in particular.
Overview
Their base was situated on an asteroid, from which they planned their moves. For example, they once tried to convince the Doctor to lead them to the 27 lost planets, but the Doctor was unwilling to be part of another war and left them. The Shadow Proclamation initially dismissed the Doctor's claim to be a Time Lord, calling Time Lords nothing more than whispered myths of the Higher Races. (DW: The Stolen Earth).
It had several conventions and treaties, such as Convention 15, which deals with the end of hostile actions in order to parley. (TDA: Peacemaker)
It is possible that there is a law requiring pre-approval of auto-translators on the Shadow Proclamation base, as the Doctor and local authorities spoke at first without the TARDIS translating. (DW: The Stolen Earth)
History
Ancient history
Evidently, the Shadow Proclamation has existed for some time. When Bubastion was tricked into murdering an innocent man in ancient Egypt, he was sealed in the body of a cat for failing to protect humanity, as per the Shadow Proclamation. The Doctor suggested reciting certain parts of the Proclamation would give him power over Bubastion. (IDW: Doctor Who #2)
Upon discovering that aliens were at work in 1st century Pompeii, The Doctor demanded that the alien identify its place of origin and species designation "as set down by the Shadow Proclamation". (DW: The Fires of Pompeii)
21st century
The Doctor invoked Convention 15 as he spoke with the Nestene Consciousness in London. (DW: Rose)
(Rose would later make mention of the Shadow Proclamation while attempting to cow the Sycorax Leader. DW: The Christmas Invasion)
According to the Doctor, the breeding of Adipose children on Earth was a violation of the Proclamation since the "seeding" of Level 5 planets was prohibited. Miss Foster, the woman in charge of the breeding program, was concerned that the Doctor had alerted the Shadow Proclamation to her activities. (DW: Partners in Crime)
- Captain Jack's Monster Files referenced the Shadow Proclamation having arrested the Adipose First Family (who were behind the breeding program) and taken custody of the children.
The Shadow Proclamation was actually visited by the Doctor and Donna Noble in order to alert them to the disappearance of Earth. The Proclamation was actually are already aware of its disappearance along with 23 other worlds. He was asked to lead the Shadow Proclamation into war against the guilty parties. The Doctor did not want to lead another war so he fled. (DW: The Stolen Earth)
In 2012, the Doctor told a being inhabiting Chloe Webber that, "[he] request[ed] parlay in accordance with the Shadow Proclamation." He then asked the being to identify itself. (DW: Fear Her)
Other information
The galaxy in question may mean Earth's galaxy, Mutter's Spiral, but this remains unclear.
Behind the Scenes
- According to the Doctor Who Commentaries on BBC 7, in original script of The Stolen Earth Shadow Proclamation was supposed to consist of many more different species of aliens, including law-abiding Raxacoricofallapatorians, but the scene was cut due to budget[1]
- Prior to The Stolen Earth, references to the Shadow Proclamation suggested it was a treaty or other such document, possibly related to the end of the Last Great Time War. (For examples, see Rose, The Fires of Pompeii, etc.) In The Stolen Earth it is established that the Shadow Proclamation is actually an organization. It can be both the name of a treaty or document as well as the organization that enforces it.
