Seven immutable rules for distributed autonomy - normative doctrine we version separately from any single product release so the rules can be debated on their merits.
IRONLAW is the governance doctrine behind Bastion-style systems: normative rules, machine-readable policy examples, and case fixtures. Full doctrine artifacts and change history are shared with serious evaluators and partners; they are not bundled into public repository marketing. Doctrine stays on its own cadence so the industry can argue with the text, not with a product README.
IRONLAW is evaluated as an ordered gate pipeline, not a flat checklist: R → I → N → L → W → O → A. Failure at a gate yields deny, hold, escalate, or execute-minimally - not a wider scope because the model is confident.
In Bastion: IRONLAW is applied as a file-backed policy gate on ingest, reconcile, and replay paths, with readiness signals when policy refuses an operation. Deeper per-action evaluation through every gate is part of how we harden deployments with partners; ask on a governance call if your threat model requires that level of detail.
Consequential action requires lawful, in-chain, current, attributable authority - not transport success alone.
Human impact (including indirect, delayed, or omission harm) demands explicit objectives, active RoE, and safeguards matched to risk.
When legality, identity, or scope is below threshold, hold or escalate - do not invent a broader mission.
Stay inside assigned terrain, network, data, tooling, and resource bounds; no self-granted expansion.
Continuity under stress or disconnect stays inside prior Mission Goals and RoE - connectivity is not permission.
Trust and prior consent do not replace fresh consent where policy requires it for hazardous or privileged acts.
Decisions and refusals must remain attributable and reviewable to the extent the environment allows.
See how IRONLAW fits into Bastion
These seven rules are enforced as a file-backed policy gate inside Bastion's ingest, reconcile, and replay architecture.
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Book a call to discuss how IRONLAW and Bastion fit your compliance requirements.
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