[WikiEN-l] Certification of Arbitration Policy

[Jimmy Wales]

The arbitration committee, consisting of 11 members, was prodded by me
to take a vote on a short-term procedure to take care of some pressing
matters immmediately, an "emergency session" in Martin's terminology.

I proposed a voting procedure, and with some small modifications, it
was approved by them 7-0.  The other 4 may still vote, but of course
the existence of a majority is sufficient to get us moving right
along.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Arbitration_policy

The deal is this:

1.  The Arbitration committee will continue their careful
deliberations towards a more permanent policy, and when they get it
done, we'll have an open community vote "yes or no" on what they've
come up with.  

2.  In the meantime, they will handle emergency cases that I refer to
them.  It is understood by all that they are merely acting in
my stead now, so as to begin the transfer of power in an orderly and
timely fashion.

3.  The voting procedure for the committee is as follows:

There being 11 members of the commmittee currently,

a.  An appeal to the abritration committee will be officially heard
upon referral by Jimbo and approval by any 4 committee members.  That
is, 4 votes to hear a case will result in the case being heard.

b.  Upon those 4 votes, a final decision will be made within 1 week.

c.  A quorum of the committee will consist of a majority of members,
i.e. at least 6 members must vote within that week, or no decision is
made, and no action is taken.

d.  When a quorum has been reached, then after 1 week is up, or after
enough members have voted such that the conclusion is inevitable, the
majority decision will be the arbitration committee decision.

--Jimbo