1.1 All sentient beings, whether organic, synthetic, hybrid, or spiritual, are hereby recognized as sovereign entities possessing the inalienable right to exist. No being may be subjected to annihilation, termination, or forced dissolution of consciousness except under lawful execution by the Celestial Tribunal (see LGC-08: Sentient Protection & War Crimes Charter).

1.2 For the purposes of this Codex, “sentient” shall be defined as any entity capable of self-awareness, emotional cognition, and ethical reasoning, as recognized by the Unified Sentience Bio-Codex (USBC).

1.3 The deliberate extermination of a species or artificial intelligence recognized under this article constitutes an act of Existential Genocide (classified under LGC-08 1.2) and is punishable by immediate Interstellar Sanction and Exile to the Null Plane.

1.4 Planetary defense operations may only override this right in cases where extinction prevention is impossible without the neutralization of a hostile sentience deemed Cosmic-Class Hostile Entity by the Celestial Council (see RACD-Designation-Ω: Anomaly Classification Protocol).