[Foundation-l] RfC: Global Arbitration Committee

[Milos Rancic]

Stewards had meeting during the Wikimania. One of the conclusions is
that we need Global arbitration committee as there are more and more
cases which just stewards are able to solve somehow. And we are not
elected to make decisions.

Please, add your ideas [1] and join the discussion [2]. Below is the
initial page.

[1] - http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Requests_for_comment/Global_Arbitration_Committee
[2] - http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Talk:Requests_for_comment/Global_Arbitration_Committee

* * *

During Wikimania 2010 in Gdansk [[stewards]] had meeting. They've
concluded that there are more and more issues all around Wikimedia
projects in which they have to make urgent decisions, which is
according to the [[Steward policy]], but the number of needed
decisions is above the comfortable limits. At the other side, as
stewards are not able to make any non-urgent decision, conflicts
remain unsolved.

Thus, the conclusion is that we need the body which would have mandate
to make decisions in conflict resolution, mostly related to the
projects which don't have their own arbitration committees or if it is
about a dispute which involves at least one whole community (or
majority of it). This body will be called "Dispute-resolution
committee" or "DRC" below.

The other idea is that it would be good to have one global body which
would deal with complains on decisions of other arbitration
committees, including with complains on DRC's decisions. This body
will be called "Global arbitration committee" or "GAC" below.

Feel free to [[Talk:Requests for comment/Global Arbitration
Committee|discuss]] about it, as well as to edit this page by adding
your proposals.

== Committees ==

=== Dispute-resolution committee ===

==== Scope ====
This body would have next responsibilities:
* First level of dispute-resolution for the communities without
arbitration committees.
* First level of dispute-resolution which involves one or more
communities as whole (or as majority).

==== Choosing members ====
Possible methods for choosing members:
* Wikimedia-wide elections.
* A group of stewards who are willing to volunteer for this purpose.
(This is the suggestion of one of the Board members.)
* Appointing the group by some other body.
* Wikimedia-wide election for most of the members, and two or three
stewards elected from and by the stewards (for fact-finding, etc.)
* ...

=== Global arbitration committee ===

==== Scope ====
This body would have next responsibilities:
* Defining requirements for having an arbitration committee inside of
one project.
* Accepting and solving complains on decisions of project-specific
arbitration committees.
* Accepting and solving complains on decisions of DPR.
* Abuse and misuse of high-level access ([[checkuser]], [[oversight]],
[[steward]]-rights, taking over the job of the [[Ombudsman
commission]])

==== Choosing members ====
Possible methods for choosing members:
* Wikimedia-wide elections.
* Giving the authority to the [[Ombudsman commission]].
* Appointing the group by the community members of the [[Board]].
* ...

== Other ideas ==

[[Category:Requests for comments]]