Editing Incubator escapee wiki:Arbitration/Policy (section)

== The Arbitration Committee ==

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=== Scope and responsibilities ===

The Arbitration Committee of the English Wikipedia has the following duties and responsibilities:
# To act as a final binding decision-maker primarily for serious conduct disputes the community has been unable to resolve;
# To hear appeals from blocked, banned, or otherwise restricted users;<ref group=note>The Arbitration Committee resolved by [[Special:Permalink/1207074962#Motion:_appeals_of_CheckUser_blocks_generally_not_heard|motion]] on 14 February 2024 to hear appeals from editors who are (a) blocked for reasons that are unsuitable for public discussion, or (b) blocked or banned by Arbitration and Arbitration Enforcement decisions. Examples of reasons that are unsuitable for public discussion include blocks (i) marked as an [[Wikipedia:Blocking_policy#Oversight_blocks|Oversight block]], or (ii) based on CheckUser evidence, and where there exists disagreement between checkusers as to the interpretation of the technical evidence. It is expected that blocks marked as a [[Wikipedia:Blocking_policy#CheckUser_blocks|CheckUser block]] are by default appealed on-wiki; however, the Arbitration Committee may hear appeals of such blocks if there are compelling reasons to hear an appeal in private.</ref>
# To handle requests (other than self-requests) for removal of administrative tools;<ref group=note>Following a [[Wikipedia:Village pump (proposals)/suspend sysop rights of inactive admins|request for comment]] in July 2011, the community resolved that administrator accounts which had been inactive for over a year (defined as making "no edits or administrative actions for at least 12 months") may also be [[Wikipedia:Administrators#Procedural removal for inactive administrators|desysopped by a community process]] independent of the Committee.</ref>
# To resolve matters unsuitable for public discussion for privacy, legal, or similar reasons;{{anchor|scopeprivate}}
# To approve and remove access to (i) [[Wikipedia:Arbitration Committee/CheckUser and Oversight|CheckUser and Oversight tools]] and (ii) mailing lists maintained by the Arbitration Committee.

=== Selection and appointment ===
Members of the Committee are appointed following [[WP:ACE|annual elections]] organized and run by the community. Candidates must: 
# Meet the Wikimedia Foundation's [[wmf:Access to nonpublic personal data policy|criteria for access to non-public personal data]] and confirm in their election statement they will fully comply with the criteria; and
# Disclose any alternate accounts in their election statements. [[WP:SOCK#LEGIT|Legitimate]] accounts which have been declared to the Arbitration Committee prior to the close of nominations need not be publicly disclosed.
In exceptional circumstances, the Committee may call interim elections, in a format similar to that of the regular annual elections, if it determines that arbitrator resignations or inactivity have created an immediate need for additional arbitrators.

=== Conduct of arbitrators===
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Arbitrators are expected to:
# Act with integrity and good faith at all times;
# Respond promptly and appropriately to questions from other arbitrators, or from the community, about conduct which appears to conflict with their trusted roles;
# Participate conscientiously in the Committee's activities and deliberations, advising the Committee of upcoming inactivity if that inactivity will likely last more than a week; and
# Preserve in appropriate confidence the contents of private correspondence sent to the Committee and the Committee's internal discussions and deliberations.
Any arbitrator who repeatedly or grossly fails to meet the expectations outlined above may be suspended or removed by Committee resolution supported by two-thirds of all arbitrators excluding:
# The arbitrator facing suspension or removal, and;
# Any inactive arbitrator who does not respond within 30 days to attempts to solicit their feedback on the resolution through all known methods of communication.

=== Recusal of arbitrators ===
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An arbitrator may [[wikt:recusal|recuse]] from any case, or from any aspect of a case, with or without explanation and is expected to do so where they have a significant conflict of interest. Typically, a conflict of interest includes significant personal involvement in the substance of the dispute or significant personal involvement with one of the parties. Previous routine editor, administrator or arbitrator interactions are not usually grounds for recusal.

An editor who believes an arbitrator should recuse will first post a message on the arbitrator's talk page asking the arbitrator to recuse and giving reasons. Should the arbitrator not respond, or not recuse, the user may refer the request to the Committee for a ruling. Requests for recusal after a case has entered the voting stage will not be granted, except in extraordinary circumstances.

=== Transparency and confidentiality ===

Committee deliberations are often held privately, though the Committee will make public detailed rationales for decisions related to cases, unless the matter is unsuitable for public discussion for privacy, legal or similar reasons. The Committee treats as private all communications sent to it, or sent by a Committee member in the performance of their duties.

=== Procedures and roles ===

The Committee may create or modify its procedures, provided they are consistent with its [[#Scope|scope]]; and may form subcommittees or designate individuals for particular tasks or roles. Where appropriate, the Committee may invite community comment on intended changes prior to implementing them.

The Committee maintains a [[Wikipedia:Arbitration Committee/Clerks|panel of clerks]] to assist with the smooth running of its functions. The clerks' functions include the administration of arbitration cases and management of all the Committee's pages and subpages; enforcing Committee decisions; implementing procedures; and enforcing good standards of conduct and decorum on the Committee's pages.