Monday 24 March 2014

IF ASKED TO SIT ON A BRIDGE CLUB DISCIPLINARY APPEAL PANEL THEN THE " BIGOT-JOHNSON RULES " MUST  BE APPLIED

1. You must first take an oath of allegiance that reads as follows : " The committee's decisions are always right. Long live the committee. Down with anyone who even dares to challenge any of its rulings ".
2. You must pull out every stop to deny the appellant's right , and/or wish , to be legally represented, especially if he/she is looking to enlist the services of a qualifed lawyer 
3. You must also deny the appellant the opportunity or right to have anyone there to assist or befriend him/her at the hearing , who may be blessed with a modicum of legal knowledge. This ensures both isolation and overwhelming odds , leaving the poor wretch completely bereft of any guidance , advice or support whatsoever.
4. Even if the appellant is mentally incapacitated in any way , or has the intellectual capacity and wit of a child , rules 2 and 3 still apply.
5. Now that you have this disreputable member presenting his/her own case , you must reach the conclusion that his/her bad behaviour has indeed resurfaced again at this hearing. This of course will completely undermine and invalidate any of his/her pleadings.
6. There will be no need to question any of the appellant's witnesses , simply because they are all tarred with the same brush. Should you feel obliged to hear their evidence you are under no duty whatsoever to take any notice of it. Clearly , if they are disputing evidence laid down by the committee , then everything must point to them being liars.
7. You must ignore all the arguments , contentions , opinions and conclusions made by the appellant's witnesses. In an ideal set up , you must insist that they make only statements of fact , which of course pose far less of a threat than any meaningful interpretation of them.
8. You must at all times replace any notions of fairness , impartiality, and objectivity with devastating prejudice , bias and subjectivity ( in favour of the committee )
9. You must always remember that in hearings of this kind there is an irrefutable presumption of guilt. Coupled with that there is also the well established view that the appellant ,  by putting in a frivolous and groundless appeal ,  is only doing it out of spite , and thereby wasting everybody's time. Nevertheless, you must do your utmost to give the impression that you are ( a) listening , and (b) preparing to give a ruling based purely on the merits of the case. 
10. You must not permit hearsay evidence to be introduced by the appellant or his/her witnesses. That privilege is only reserved for the committee and their witnesses. The fact that the original complaint was based on questionable evidence is irrelevant , and should therefore be ignored.
11. You must strive like crazy to ensure the hearing is short and abrupt , looking to adopt the same cut and dried approach the main committee used at the original hearing  , when they upheld a petty complaint and implemented a grossly disproportionate punishment.
12. You must adopt the position that the only requirements to be imposed on the committee are those laid down in the club's constitution and regulations. Strip from your mind any notion that rules of natural justice apply to the kangaroo court proceedings as conducted by the main committee in the first instance. Believe in the fact that tiny little social bridge clubs are exempt from any such legal requirements , and are at liberty to flout the law as they please.  

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