The Disciplinary procedure a Duffers Guide

As with all Duffers guides, this is just an overview. If you need more information, email the vicepresident who looks after disciplinary matters.

So you want to make a complaint.
The most important thing is; put it in writing.

EADA will not act on verbal complaints. The reason for this is that by only going on written complaints, we avoid any confusion between mere grumbles of dissatisfaction and actual complaints. Also, by getting things in writing, its clear exactly who is being accused of what.

So how to do that. The easiest way is to email the EADA office (president@eada.org.uk) or send them a letter. I would suggest that you make it clear that you wish to complain about an EADA member in your correspondence.

You need to provide a detailed description of your complaint, who where and when - that sort of thing, and give as much back up evidence as you can - documentary evidence, names of witnesses and so on. Now, no one is expecting forensic evidence with DNA profiling or Quincy running about all over the place solving crimes (that dates me!) , just provide all the supporting evidence that you can.

This sets the wheels in motion.

What happens next.
First, the EADA office will look at the submission and decide if there is indeed a case to answer. Before you all jump up and down protesting that all written complaints should go before the Beak, remember some are as mad as a box of frogs. I'm sure dear reader, yours would be very reasonable!

If it is felt that there is a case to answer, the matter is passed to the Vice President . He will then send a letter to the "accused" outlining the complaint and asking for a response, at the same time, he will assemble a disciplinary committee.

The committee is made up of the VP, and three other members of the Council. He will try to ensure that there is no conflict of interest, if it is an Amateur he would not have an Amateur on the board and conversely if it is a Senior the VP would avoid the Seniors. Remember, the objective is to be as fair as possible to all concerned.

Someone has made a complaint against you
What happens? Well the first you may know of this is the letter from the Vice President and it will explain the process to you. You will have a set period to answer the charge against you in writing.

If you have any questions about what you have been accused of, which rule has allegedly been broken, ASK. Send an email to the VP asking for clarification. If you can't make the deadline for a reply for any reason, inform the VP as soon as possible. If in any doubt - get in touch! Keep everything in writing so you can refer back to it later if you need to. The VP is there to ensure that everyone gets a fair hearing - He is not there to prosecute you.

The committee may well gather further information to give as complete a picture as possible.

The committee does not use the adversarial approach that we have in the law courts, we don't have a prosecutor and a defense, no one wears a white wig and unfortunately no one ever stands up and shouts "Objection M' Ludd!". We just have the committee looking at the facts and considering which arguments to accept and which to reject.

Here's three frequently asked questions

1 Who has accused me?
I know if I was accused, I'd want to know who the scoundrel was and give them a solid biff on the hooter. Or get my own back by grassing them up too the stoolies! And that is exactly why we keep the identity of the accuser confidential if we can. We don't want to end up with a long running 'blood feud'. By the way, EADA will not act on an anonymous complaint. These may be noted, but no further action will be taken.

2 Who is on the disciplinary committee?
I know if I was accused, I'd want to know who the scoundrels on the committee are and give them a solid biff on the hooter. Guess what? Yup! Its confidential too. In fact not even other members of the council are informed. This also avoids those with an interest in the case buttonholing the committee members at comps trying to sway their opinion.

3 Why can't I attend the meeting to put my side of the story?
There are a number of reasons for this. All the information is gathered in written form. This way if there is any dispute later, we all have the written evidence to fall back on. We don't have to get in a court stenographer to record who said what. We can not expect members who live long distances away to attend meetings. It would either cost the individual or EADA shed loads in travel costs that should really go on dancing. This is why it is so important that you provide all the information that you can to back your case. If, having read all the information provided, there is still doubt, the committee will ask for further clarification, but it is best to give 'em everything first time of asking.

The Verdict
Once the committee has had a good look at all the facts, they come to their decision. If need be this comes to a vote with the VP being the non voting Chairman. If they find that there was no case to answer, then that's the end of the matter and all parties will be informed. If they decide that yes, there has been an infringement of the rules, they then decide what course of action to take next.

The sanctions that are decided against the individual will be based on the seriousness of the misdemeanor and what actions have been taken in similar cases. Again this is given a lot of thought and the board will endeavor to make, as the Mikado would say "the punishment fit the crime" . Hanging is currently not on the agenda, and in a moment of political correctness gone mad keel- hauling is also no longer permissible.What is the world coming to?

Once the board has come to its decision, the parties concerned are informed in writing.

The Appeal
If you wish, you can appeal against the decision. If this happens, all the relevant facts are given to the President who will review the case. This is one reason why its so important to get everything in writing.

He has the option to uphold or not uphold the decision, reduce or increase the sanction. He also has the option to bring the case before the entire council if he believes this necessary.

Once the case is over, all papers are gathered in a sealed envelope and stored at the EADA office.

And that Ladies and Gentlemen is the disciplinary process well and truly duffered.