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World Rugby Handbook

REGULATION 18 APPENDIX 1 2. Judicial Committees2 and Judicial Officers - Power to Regulate their Own Procedures 2.1 The procedure of Judicial Committees or Judicial Officers in all proceedings shall be as the appointed Judicial Committee or Judicial Officer shall determine in each case. However, subject to the power to regulate its own procedures, it shall: (a) seek to conform generally with the procedures set out in Section 1 above, this Section 2 and Section 3 below; and (b) ensure that a Player and/or Person subject to disciplinary proceedings has a reasonable opportunity to be heard and be informed of the charge(s) and to present his case. 2.2 The Chairman of the Judicial Committee and the Judicial Officer shall be entitled to determine pre-hearing procedural and/or evidential matters. Such matters may include: (a) a pre-hearing conference convened for the purposes of giving directions for the hearing and clarification of the procedures; and (b) the requirement for any person to attend the hearing as a witness. For the purposes of pre-hearing case management the Chairman of the Judicial Committee may exercise this function without reference to the other Judicial Committee members. 2.3 The Judicial Committee or Judicial Officer shall endeavour to ensure that disciplinary proceedings are heard in the presence of the Union, Player and/or Person who is the subject of the proceedings. Nothing in the Regulations, or otherwise, shall prevent a Judicial Committee or Judicial Officer hearing and determining disciplinary proceedings in their absence where the Union, Player and/or Person concerned (and/or their representatives) do not attend the hearing. However hearings may only be held in the absence of any of the parties if those parties have first been given the opportunity to attend and have declined the opportunity without reasonable excuse or consented to a hearing in absentia. In such circumstances the Judicial Committee or Judicial Officer may take any written representations into account in making its decision. 2.4 If a member of a Judicial Committee or a Judicial Officer is unwilling or unable, for whatever reason, to hear the matter referred to them then World Rugby, Host Union or Tournament Organiser may, at its discretion: (a) appoint another member to the Judicial Committee as a replacement; (b) appoint a new Judicial Officer or appoint a new Judicial Committee; 2 For convenience, only Judicial Committee is referred to but the term also encompasses Disciplinary Committees established for the purposes of Regulations 17. Last update: 14 January, 2015 289


World Rugby Handbook
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