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World Rugby Handbook

REGULATION 17 (d) The principles of natural justice shall be adhered to in all disciplinary proceedings. Such principles include, Players cited/Ordered Off shall have the right to know the evidence against them, shall have the right to be heard, to be represented, to produce evidence and defend themselves before independent adjudicators. (e) All Judicial Officers, Disciplinary Committees, Appeal Officers, Appeal Committees and Citing Commissioners shall meet the criteria for appointment in this Regulation 17 and shall be independently appointed and shall exercise their functions independently of the parties to the Match and/or proceedings and of the Unions, Associations or Rugby Bodies under whose jurisdiction responsibility falls for the relevant Match and shall not perform a legislative role in any Union, Association or Rugby Body involved in the Match and/or proceedings. (f) Citing Commissioners and/or Citing Commissioner Liaison Officers shall be appointed for all International Matches and Matches set out in Regulation 17.3.2 and 17.3.3. For all other Matches, or where a dispensation is granted under Regulation 17.8.6, team referrals shall be permitted which accord with Regulation 17.11. (g) The threshold test for citing (“Red Card” test) shall be as set out in Regulation 17.9.1. (h) Timelines for citings and Orderings Off and the holding of hearings for International Matches shall be strictly adhered to unless they fall within Regulation 17.8.6. (i) The standard of proof for Ordering Off and citing shall be as provided in Regulation 17.17.1 to 17.17.4. (j) Temporary Suspension policies which accord with Regulation 17.25 shall be introduced for all International Tournaments, International Tours and Series of International Matches. (k) Players Ordered-Off or cited by a Citing Commissioner shall be provisionally suspended pending the hearing of the case. (l) Suspended Players who appeal shall remain under suspension in accordance with Regulation 17.24.3. (m) Unions, Tournament Organisers and World Rugby shall have the right to appeal as set out in Regulation 17.22.2(a) to (c). (n) It is recognised that due to particular circumstances Unions or Associations or their recognised Tournament Organisers may wish for practical reasons to depart from certain provisions of Regulation 17 which are not Core Principles and where appropriate they have the flexibility to do so provided always that no rules or procedures may be introduced (and/or omitted) by any Union, Association and/or their recognised Tournament Organisers in respect of their disciplinary rules which conflict with (and/or do not properly Last update: 14 January, 2015 238


World Rugby Handbook
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