JUDGING STANDARDS for the MUSH

Overview and FAQ

This Judging system was designed with the idea that action on the MUSH should NEVER be forced to stop just because there don't happen to be any judges online. Players are encouraged to try to settle their IC matters by themselves. However, sometimes a dispute occurs where a mediator is needed to keep RP from being completely disrupted. Once Judges arrive, they take charge of the situation and their decisions are official. More information on Judges and Judging can be found in SWINFO JUDGES on the MUSH.

When are Judges Needed?

1. Players request Judges to arbitrate a situation.
2. Players wish to do something that requires a judge, like changing a transponder.
3. Players would like an official witness for their RP.
4. Players have questions about their RP actions and need clarification of certain points.
5. When a played character is likely to die in the scene.

Petitioning

Appeals may be made about any Judge ruling within 48 hours of the announcement of that decision. The appeal should be made through email to the sw-rp mailing list: sw-rp@starwarsmush.com. Appeals are seen by all members of the RP admin and the MUSH Director, along with the maintainer of the mailing list. Complaints should _not_ be registered to individual Admin or Judges, but rather all communication on the matter should take place through email so that all members of the Judge staff are equally well informed on the matter, and so that no single Judge has to deal with the complaint alone.

The appeal should clearly outline the reasons why the ruling is being petitioned against, and provide any pertinent information that may help explain why the petitioners think the ruling should be changed.

It is the responsibility of those making appeals to provide all relevant information to the Judges to assist them in making the final decision. The Judges is under no obligation to perform any investigations after the initial ruling has been made, and will only consider information provided to them by the petitioners. Other parties involved in the matter will be informed by the Judges that a petition against the ruling has been made, and invited to provide information as well that may assist in arbitrating the appeal.

Once an appeal is registered, the Judges will collectively weigh the validity of the complaint. If sufficient grounds for re-evaluation of the ruling are found, the Judges will contact all parties involved informing them of the appeal and asking for 'evidence'. All parties will have another 48 hours to submit information that may assist in making the ruling, and then all 'evidence' submitted by all those involved will be used to make a complete, well-informed decision. Multiple appeals on a single ruling that get registered by other players (only one per player please) will be treated as a single appeal by the Judges and all be taken into consideration for the final decision.

Within 48 hours of the first appeal on the ruling being registered, the RPA will anounce their final decision. This ruling will be final. While it is true that the MUSH Director has the final authority on all matters on the MUSH, including veto power over the rulings of the Judges, the Director is also a recipient of the sw-rp mailing list and will be a participant in the Judge appeal ruling. Therefore, rulings on appeals should be considered the final ruling of the Judges and the MUSH Director, and no longer open to any debate.