Prime Directive

...The Prime Directive is not just a set of rules; it is a philosophy... and a very correct one. History has proven again and again that whenever mankind interferes with a less developed civilization, no matter how well intentioned that interference may be, the results are invariably disastrous."

- Captain Picard (TNG: "Symbiosis")

Overview

Also known as Starfleet General Order 1, the Federation Prime Directive states that members of the Federation (including Starfleet) must not interfere in the natural development of pre-warp civilizations, be it by intervention or the revelation of technology (or the means to create such technology) to the inhabitants of pre-warp civilizations.

Starfleet officers are required to understand that allowing cultures to develop on their own is an important right and therefore must make any sacrifice to protect cultures from contamination, even at the cost of their own lives.

In all, there are 47 sub-orders in the Prime Directive. (VOY:"Infinite Regress")

Originally the Prime Directive was a shield to primitive worlds. If a primitive world was in danger Starfleet has been known to order ships to save that world (TOS: "The Paradise Syndrome") but it was later amended, prohibiting Starfleet officers from intervening even if it would result in the extinction of an entire species or even the end of all life on a planet or star system. (TNG: "Pen Pals", "Homeward")

Some, including Starfleet Captains James T. Kirk, Jean-Luc Picard and Kathryn Janeway have argued that the Prime Directive only applies to living growing civilizations and have overlooked the directive where it has been more convenient to do so. By the 24th century the Federation had begun applying the Prime Directive to warp-capable species, refusing to interfere in internal matters such as the Klingon Civil War. (TNG: "Redemption, Part I" and "Redemption, Part II")

The Prime Directive is the most important law in the Federation, and violation of it is generally considered as a terrible crime that often carries severe punishment unless sufficient justification can be made as to the violation.

Starfleet does make exceptions to worlds that present an extreme danger to the Federation, General Order 24 (TOS: "A Taste of Armageddon" and "Whom Gods Destroy"). Another exception to the Prime Directive that Starfleet would concede is when the Omega molecule is discovered - the Omega Directive is enforced and while the Omega Directive is in force, the Prime Directive is rescinded. However, due to issues of security, only Starfleet officers ranked Captain and above are privy to knowledge of this directive. (VOY: "The Omega Directive")

Noted Violations

TOS

• On stardate 3156.2, Captain Kirk caused the Landru computer to self-destruct by convincing it that it was harming the society that it was designed to protect. Kirk justified himself by claiming that Landru was preventing the Archons from showing any form of creativity or passion. ("The Return of the Archons")

• In the same year, Eminiar VII's warring computer was destroyed to prevent Captain Kirk from having to execute General Order 24. ("A Taste of Armageddon")

• The following year on stardate 4211.4, Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise provide weapons for the Hill People of the planet Neural after the Klingons had already provided a rival group with weapons. Kirk felt that it was justified to even the odds in this instance. ("A Private Little War")

• Later in 2268, Captain Ronald Tracey violated the Prime Directive by using his phaser to help the Kohms in their dispute with rival faction, the Yangs. He was later arrested by Captain Kirk for his violation. ("The Omega Glory")

TNG

• Captain Picard violated the Prime Directive circa stardate 41255 when he prevented the Edo of Rubicun III from executing Wesley Crusher for having unwittingly broken one of their laws. Picard felt that absolutely enforced law can never result in true justice. ("Justice")

• In 2365, Lt Cmdr Data made a violation by answering a call for help from Sarjenka of Drema IV and maintaining communication with her for six weeks. A highly emotive discussion took place between the senior staff on whether or not to interfere by resolving the problems on the planet. There were mixed views where Doctor Katherine Pulaski and Lieutenant Geordi La Forge believed that it was the right thing to do while Lt Worf felt that there was no degree to the Prime Directive and that it should be followed absolutely, almost blindly. Picard initially ordered Data to cease communication with Sarjenka but he took a change of heart considering the "human" condition and went ahead with Data's "In for a penny, in for a pound" proposal for neutralising the seismic activity of the planet. ("Pen Pals")

• Under the Klingon Right of Vengeance, Lt Worf confronted Duras for murdering K'Ehleyr in early 2367 and killed him in the ensuing fight. Under normal circumstances, Worf (as a Starfleet officer) would have faced serious disciplinary action alone but Duras was contending against Gowron to be Chancellor of the Klingon Empire, following the death of K'mpec. Worf's killing of Duras directly affected the outcome of the race for leadership of the Empire, resulting in Gowron becoming Chancellor - a violation of General Order #1. Understanding that Duras was both the murderer of his former mate and the son of the man who was directly for his father's death, Captain Picard forgave Worf although he placed a reprimand on his permanent record. ("Reunion")

• A malfunction in a observation team's duck blind caused an explosion which was viewed by the People of Mintaka III. This caused the Mintakans to revert into belief of an Overseer. Captain Picard violated the Directive to make the people understand the science team's purpose. ("Who Watches the Watchers?")

DS9

• In 2369, Chief Miles O'Brien was reprimanded for having assisted a Tosk in escaping from a group of Hunters. Having done so both violated the Prime Directive and went against Commander Sisko's orders. ("Captive Pursuit")

VOY

• In an alternate timeline in 2371, Captain Janeway and Lt Paris inadvertently violated the Prime Directive when they travelled back in time on the Kalto Province - their presence alone affected events that occurred in that timeline. ("Time and Again")

• In 2372, Lt B'Elanna Torres made a proposition to Capt Janeway to assist the Pralor Automated Personnel Units in developing a way to propagate themselves but Janeway refused as it would be a violation of the Prime Directive and that the repercussions are almost impossible to imagine. However in order to save the lives of her shipmates from the Units after she was abducted, B'Elanna was forced to assist the Pralor in developing further units. However after successfully building a prototype, she learnt that this would provide the Pralor with a substantial tactical advantage, almost certainly changing the war between the Pralor and Cravic Units in their favor. ("Prototype")

• In the early to mid 2370s, Captain Rudolph Ransom and the crew of the USS Equinox murdered several nucleogenic creatures and used their bodies for fuel to greatly enhance their warp drive. Ransom felt that he was justified under Starfleet Regulation 3 but Captain Janeway rejected his justification, doubting that the regulation covered murder. ("Equinox, Part I" and "Equinox, Part II")

Other Notes

• The Prime Directive was instigated long after Earth launched the Friendship One probe in 2067. (VOY: "Friendship One")

• A similar order, known as the Temporal Prime Directive, was also eventually created to prohibit giving individuals in/from the past information about their future.

• Even though the inhabitants of Kolarus III were of a pre-warp civilization, an away team including Captain Picard, Lt Cmdr Data and Lt Cmdr Worf visited the planet in 2379 without making any attempt to integrate themselves into the planet's society (i.e. surgical alterations) and taking advanced technology such as the Argo. Such actions would have been a clear violation of the Prime Directive but no apparent action was taken against Picard by Starfleet Command. (Star Trek: Nemesis)