Wikipedia:Arbitration Committee

Arbitration​Committee

For info on the recent election, see Wikipedia:Arbitration Committee Elections December 2009.

"WP:AC" redirects here. For other uses, see Wikipedia:Admin coaching.

The Arbitration Committee is the panel of editors responsible for conducting the Wikipedia arbitration process. It has the authority to impose binding solutions to disputes between editors. The arbitration policy describes the Committee's roles and responsibilities in greater detail.

In addition to its role in dispute resolution, the Committee determines which editors have access to CheckUser and Oversight permissions, and considers certain matters where exceptional factors such as privacy preclude a public hearing.

Arbitrators are neither Wikimedia Foundation employees or agents, nor Wikipedia executives. They are volunteer users—usually experienced editors and administrators—whom the community of editors at large elects to resolve the most complex or intractable disputes that may arise within the community, and to oversee the few areas where access to non-public information is a prerequisite.

Structure

Current members

The current members of the Arbitration Committee are listed below by activity status, reflecting which arbitrators are currently active, and which are temporarily inactive. (The "inactive" designation includes any members who are away on wikibreak, who have not participated in arbitration within the past week, or who have posted a statement noting their absence.) The following list is accurate as of 7 January 2010:

Active arbitrators

1. Carcharoth (talk · contribs · email) (carcharothwpgmail.com)
2. Cool Hand Luke (talk · contribs · email) (Frank Bednarz, User.CoolHandLukegmail.com)
3. FayssalF (talk · contribs · email) (Fayssal Fertakh, szvestgmail.com)
4. Fritzpoll (talk · contribs · email)
5. Hersfold (talk · contribs · email)
6. Kirill Lokshin (talk · contribs · email)
7. KnightLago (talk · contribs · email)
8. Mailer diablo (talk · contribs · email) (Kenneth Kua, kennethplanetkh.com)
9. Risker (talk · contribs · email)
10. Rlevse (talk · contribs · email)
11. Roger Davies (talk · contribs · email) (roger.davies.wikigmail.com)
12. Shell Kinney (talk · contribs · email)
13. SirFozzie (talk · contribs · email)
14. Stephen Bain (talk · contribs · email) (a.k.a. "bainer", formerly Thebainer, stephen.baingmail.com)^†
15. Steve Smith (talk · contribs · email)
16. Vassyana (talk · contribs · email) (Pete Sienkiewicz, vassyanagmail.com)

^†Term formally ends 31 December 2009 but will remain on the committee until all cases in which he has participated close.

Inactive arbitrators

1. Coren (talk · contribs · email) (Marc-André Pelletier, marcuberbox.org)
2. Newyorkbrad (talk · contribs · email) (Ira Brad Matetsky, newyorkbradgmail.com) (travelling until approximately January 18)
3. Wizardman (talk · contribs · email) (wizardmanwikigmail.com)

The number of active Committee members on a given case affects the number of votes needed to reach a ruling. For example, if seven arbitrators are active on a given case, then four votes are needed to reach a majority decision; if ten are active, then six votes are needed, and so forth. More information on calculating the majority is available here.

Coordination

The Arbitration Committee does not have a chair, but may designate one member as coordinating arbitrator to coordinate scheduling and timely performance of tasks. The current coordinating arbitrator is Roger Davies.

Subcommittees

Audit Subcommittee

Further information: Wikipedia:Arbitration Committee/Audit Subcommittee

The Audit Subcommittee investigates complaints concerning the use of CheckUser and Oversight privileges. It consists of three arbitrators appointed by the Committee (currently Kirill Lokshin, Risker, and Rlevse) and three editors elected by the community (currently Dominic, Jredmond, and Tznkai, appointed in November 2009).

Ban Appeals Subcommittee

Please read Guide to appealing blocks for general advice on procedure

The Ban Appeals Subcommittee considers ban appeals from banned or long-term blocked users, generally, when all other appeal avenues have been exhausted. It consists of three arbitrators appointed by the Committee (currently Fritzpoll, Shell Kinney and SirFozzie). Arbitrators typically spend three months on the subcommittee with a staggered rotation, one member being replaced each month.

Clerks

Further information: Wikipedia:Arbitration Committee/Clerks

The Committee's Clerks assist the Committee in procedural aspects of its work, such as opening and closing case pages, maintaining the arbitration requests page, and issuing notifications of decisions. Parties with procedural questions about the arbitration process are encouraged to consult a Clerk for assistance. Template:ArbCom notice banner

Mailing lists

arbcom-l

The arbcom-l mailing list is the primary venue for internal Arbitration Committee discussion on all matters under the Committee's remit. The mailing list address is arbcom-llists.wikimedia.org.

As of 1 January 2010, the subscribers are:

Arbitrators:

Carcharoth, Cool Hand Luke, Coren, FayssalF, Fritzpoll, Hersfold, Kirill Lokshin, KnightLago, Mailer diablo, Newyorkbrad, Risker, Rlevse, Roger Davies, Shell Kinney, SirFozzie, Stephen Bain, Steve Smith, Vassyana, Wizardman

Others:

Jimbo Wales (project founder)

arbcom-audit-en

The arbcom-audit-en mailing list is used for internal discussion by the Audit Subcommittee. Please see the subcommittee page for more details.

clerks-l

The clerks-l mailing list is used for co-ordination of clerking by the Committee's clerk team. All current clerks (including trainees) and arbitrators, and some inactive clerks and former arbitrators, are subscribed to the list. Please see the clerk page for more details on clerks-l.

functionaries-en

The functionaries-en mailing list is a venue for general discussion among Arbitration Committee members and former members, CheckUser and Oversight operators, and selected other editors. The mailing list address is functionaries-enlists.wikimedia.org

The scope is broader than that of arbcom-l; the list is intended to allow more effective collaboration among editors involved with sensitive and privacy-related areas within the community, and the handling of related issues, primarily on English Wikipedia. The list also has a role in supporting the Arbitration Committee, being available to assist with various matters and acting as a forum for discussion, input, and collective memory as needed.

As of 1 January 2010, the subscribers are:

Current arbitrators:

Carcharoth, Cool Hand Luke, Coren, FayssalF, Fritzpoll, Hersfold, Kirill Lokshin, KnightLago, Mailer diablo, Newyorkbrad, Risker, Rlevse, Roger Davies, Shell Kinney, SirFozzie, Stephen Bain, Steve Smith, Vassyana, Wizardman

Former arbitrators:

Deskana, Dominic, Fred Bauder, FloNight, FT2, Jdforrester, John Vandenberg, Jpgordon, Mackensen, Mindspillage, Morven, Paul August, Sam Korn, UninvitedCompany, YellowMonkey

Others (CheckUser or Oversight):

Alison (CU/OS), Avraham (CU/OS), Brandon (CU), Daniel Case (OS), Dweller (OS), EVula (OS), Happy-melon (OS), Hersfold (CU), hmwith (OS), Jredmond (CU/OS/AUSC), J.delanoy (CU), Keegan (OS), Lar (CU/steward), Luk (CU), Luna Santin (CU/OS), Mr.Z-man (OS), Nishkid64 (CU/OS), Taxman (OS), Thatcher (CU/OS), Tznkai (CU/OS/AUSC), VoiceOfAll (CU/dev)

Others (Wikimedia Foundation):

Jimbo Wales (project founder), MGodwin (General Counsel), Cary Bass (Volunteer Coordinator/steward), Tim Starling (system administrator), Werdna (system administrator)