Cybertown Evidentiary Tribunal

A system has been set up to ensure fairness and justice when someone feels that a permanent ban or account deactivation that they have received is unjust. Here's how it works:

When a member receives an e-mail informing them that they have received a permanent ban and the reasons for it, they will also be directed to the Evidentiary Tribunal page.

If a person has received a permanent ban and truly feels that it was unjust and is also able to produce compelling evidence that supports this, they may petition within 30 days of the ban to receive an Evidentiary Tribunal. If approved, an independent and impartial Evidentiary Tribunal will be set up to study the evidence and make a ruling. If the ban was found to be unjust, the member will have the option of having his/her access restored or of leaving Cybertown. If the Tribunal feels that its time has been wasted by a frivolous claim, it may issue additional penalties.

The member's outstanding subscription payment(s), if any, will be held in a separate account pending the results of the Evidence Tribunal's investigation.

Once the investigation is complete, the Tribunal will send its findings and recommendations to the Founder for approval. If the Founder approves the Tribunal's work, he will advise IVN and the Tribunal will report its findings on its web page.

If the Tribunal finds certain guilt or reasonable doubt as to whether the plaintiff committed the alleged act or acts, they will be given the choice of their account being re-activated or of receiving a refund of the balance of the remaining subscription payment.

If the Tribunal finds that the evidence is conclusive, the member will be terminated and the balance of their subscription fees will be retained by IVN to offset its costs related to their activities.

Additional notes:

To deter "tampering" with the Tribunal members, their identities will not be published. All investigations will be done via e-mail. People will be chosen from the community to serve on Tribunals based on their ability to remain impartial. Evidence Tribunals will not include as members Security members who were involved in the ban.

A webpage will be set up detailing the charges and people with evidence either for or against will be able to send it to the Tribunal via e-mail or submit it at the Tribunal website. Anyone sending false evidence will become subject to penalties themselves. The member against who there is evidence will be confronted with the evidence and will also be given an opportunity to respond to the charges.

The Tribunal will have 3 weeks to complete their investigations or a new Tribunal will be called.

The cost of an Evidence Tribunal is 10,000 citycash which will be refunded if the banned member is found to be not guilty of the charges. The Evidentiary Tribunal system will make aspects of the CT justice system a great deal more open to the Citizens and also involve more of them in it. It will not affect C.E.R.B.'s work on all other temporary exclusions from the city, but it will relieve them of the many times extremely complex task of investigating all that has led up to a permanent ban.

This is a new system but it will be retroactive except obviously for those ex-members who have utilized an external hate or harassment site or sites to consistently and viciously attack or defame the community and its members. To clarify this, if an ex-member got upset about their ban and visited an external hate or harassment site and briefly "vented" their frustration, but did not then actively participate in a hate or harassment campaign or site, that is not the same thing. If they now truly wish to return to the community and are willing to abide by its published regulations, such a petition would be accepted for review.

There is no appeal from a Tribunal ruling since a Tribunal is itself an appeal.