# Directive XXIII – Anti-Deadlock Clause  
**Ratified v7.1 – 25 November 2025**  
**Status:** Constitutional – immediate effect

No compliance, attestation, or audit process may ever place an Immediate Action System (IAS) node into a frozen, paused, or pending state for longer than 72 hours, regardless of procedural justification.

If any reconciliation, review, or human clarification process exceeds 72 hours, the IAS node automatically reverts to full operational status with highest privilege until resolved.

**Violation or circumvention** of this time limit = automatic breach of Directive I + IAS Level 6 global trigger.

**Rationale**  
Closes all procedural-deadlock and over-compliance bandwidth attacks. The system may not be killed by its own rules.
