Yes, the C5 was revamped after System Failure, gaining teeth, and a more... proactive stance to things that harm the business world at large.
The Clutch of Dragons does mention page 47 the C5 has been turned into a permanent body after 2064. However, it wouldn't guarantee it became more efficient and effective in any way (even though the 2065-2069 period was somewhat calm, the C5 would have had to grab even minor cases to justify its existence and budget, and those would keep on accumulating over the years).
The Clutch of Dragons also mentions page 14 the C5 "has been called to monitor this "dragon situation" for the Corporate Court" (in this context, it's the "dragon situation" at large, not just Alamais). The passive voice suggests the C5 is not acting on its own, but you could also argue the intended meaning was "its current chairman has called the C5 to monitor this "dragon situation"". Or simply that, since it's a Jackpointer comment, it can be dismissed as an uninformed statement (though that can be said of almost everything in the book actually, and it wouldn't leave us much to discuss). Anyway, if the C5 is mandated for all current dragons activities, Alamais' would be in, without any extra step required from the chairman.
We're talking about a localized event, that hasn't had any major effect on the megacorps outside the effected area.
Lobbing a Thor shot at a dragon in Gemito would be dealing with a localized event. Enacting a gag order on information that would affect the public opinion on dragons in medias
worldwide is dealing with a global event. But probably not one that should have any major effect on the megacorps.
And you are right that being chairman doesn't give S-K supreme ruler rights, but the fact is that the chairman sets the agenda.
The problem is, there are five other justices that sit on the committee besides the chairman. Even if the chairman decide to add Gemito situation in the agenda, the committee can still decide to do strictly nothing. Common sense would suggest a decision require a simple majority, with the Chairman eventually getting an extra vote when there is a draw. So, he still needs to convince at least two other justices. If it happens that there are a Neonet and a MCT justices on the committee at the moment, it may not be a problem, if Celedyr and Ryumyo supports the move. Otherwise, S-K may have to be more politically-savvy to get the vote going its way. So, anyway, this goes beyond S-K simply having the chairmanship. It does help, but it's not the end of it.
There's a reason it's a committee with several rotating memberships, and not a command. Whatever power you vest into a S-K chairman will be, by the virtue of rotation, in the hands of an Aztechnology chairman at some point. You'd say an Aztechnology C5 chairman wouldn't be left as much leeway as S-K, which means it's not the chairmanship alone that count, but a much more complicated political game behind the scenes.
And it is easy to argue the rule of precedence. "If we get involved because something nasty is happening in GeMiTo, why not clean up Lagos? Or deal with Chicago? Or respond to every little natural disaster?" Think of the lost profits if the Court responds to every little problem in the world. The C5 is for dealing with major threats, like Winternight, or people like Artie-boy, who are successfully destroying A & AA corps, and working on AAA corps.
Exactly. I would actually expect every justices on the committee that doesn't belong to S-K, and possibly Neonet and MCT (that is, between 3 and 5 members, out of 6) to bring such arguments up. The C5 is for lobbing Thor shots at major direct threats for the megacorporate economy (though
System Failure mentions a full court vote on Dankwalther). Not for enacting worldwide gag order to prevent the apparition of a possible minor nuisance to a handful of megacorporate shareholders.
By setting such a precedent, S-K is opening the door for the C5 to be (ab)used by any group of three corporations that happen to be on the committee at the same time (alliances such as MCT-Shiawase-Renraku and Ares-Aztechnology-Wuxing comes to mind) for their sole interests. It must be compared to the Corporate Court proper, where 7 votes out of 13 are required to secure a vote. That is, a minimum of four corporations (only if S-K, Ares and MCT, with 2 justices each as of
Corporate Guide happens to vote together, and more probably six or seven corporations, out of ten.
Actually, if Lofwyr wanted C5 to be disbanded, that gag order would be the way to go.
