WARWICKSHIRE COUNTY ASSOCIATION OF CRICKET OFFICIALS
CODE OF CONDUCT AND DISCIPLINARY RULES
1.0 WCACO expects high standards of conduct of its members. Association members have a crucial role in ensuring that games in which they officiate are conducted in the manner expected by the Spirit of Cricket and the Laws of the game. Members also have a responsibility to conduct themselves both on and off the field of play in a manner that respects and enhances the game by displaying key qualities of integrity, neutrality, respect, sensitivity, discretion and tactfulness in their contacts with club or competition officials, team captains, players and colleague scorers &umpires.
1.1 A process to respond to any complaint(s) in respect of any member failing to observe the expected standards is set out below
(a) In the event of any formal written complaint against a member the Chair shall receive it and determine whether any prima facie case exists that would require investigation. The Chair may decide that the matter can be dealt with informally between the complainant and any other party(s) or decide that the matter is of a nature that requires further investigation.
(b) If the matter requires further investigation the Chair shall refer the matter to an investigating officer who will be appointed by the Chair from within the Committee membership of the association. The investigating officer will have had no prior involvement in any of the matters referred to in the complaint.
(c) The investigating officer shall investigate the complaint and provide a written report of his/her findings to the Chair. The Chair shall then determine whether the matter can be resolved informally between the complainant and any other party(s) involved or whether the matter merits the need to convene a Disciplinary hearing.
(d) Should a Disciplinary Hearing be required the Chair/Secretary shall give a minimum of seven days’ notice to the parties concerned and provide a written statement of the charges to be brought against any individual(s).
(e) A hearing panel of three members will be convened by the Chair drawn where possible from the association’s Committee. The Chair may also invite a non -Committee member of the association and/or a non- member of the association but with significant experience of cricket management/administration to act as a panel member. No panel member must have had any prior involvement in the matter that is subject to the hearing.
(f) At the hearing the panel shall elect one of their membership to act as Chair. A note taker will also be appointed who may or may not be a member of the panel. The person subject to the disciplinary charges may have representation present in the form of an ECB ACO member or a friend.
(g) The panel will invite the investigating officer to present the case who will also have the opportunity to call upon any witnesses to support his/her case
(h) The person subject to the disciplinary hearing shall have the chance to ask questions of the investigating officer as will the panel members
(i) The person subject to the disciplinary charges will have the opportunity to present their case and also have the chance to call upon any witnesses to support their case.
(j) The investigating officer and the panel will have the opportunity to ask questions of the person who is subject to the disciplinary charges and any of that person’s witnesses.
(k) Each party shall then have the opportunity to sum up their respective cases.
(l) The panel shall then in private deliberate and reach a decision which can be delivered to the respective parties on the day/evening of the hearing or communicated at a later date (but usually within five days). All decisions will be communicated fully in writing within seven days of the date of the hearing.
1.2 The panel may where the member has been found to have breached the code of conduct impose any of the sanctions listed below:
Issue a reprimand with a formal warning regarding future conduct
Issue a final warning
Suspend for a specified period the member from officiating in any matches appointed to by the association
Suspend from membership of the association for a specified period
Terminate membership of the association
Advise ECB ACO to consider suspending or terminating membership of the national body.
1.3 Where any of the above sanctions have been imposed the member will have the right of appeal against the sanction as long as this is notified in writing to the Chair or Secretary within fourteen days of the formal notification of the outcome of the panel hearing.
1.4 The Chair will arrange an appeal hearing to take place within fourteen days of receipt of the appeal. The appeal panel shall comprise three members who were not involved with the original panel hearing and who have had no prior involvement in the case.
1.5 The appeal panel hearing will follow a similar process to that of the original disciplinary panel. The appeal panel can either fully or partially uphold the appeal or they can confirm that the original sanction(s) imposed by the disciplinary panel are justified. They can also modify or amend the original sanction(s) imposed by the original panel.
1.6 The outcome of the appeal panel hearing will be communicated in writing to the person subject to disciplinary proceedings within seven days of the date of the appeal hearing. There will be no further right of appeal.
1.7 The Chair/ Investigation Officer/ Chair of the Disciplinary Panel/ Chair of Appeal Panel will have the ability to communicate where appropriate with any other cricket body or organisation which may also be in the process of taking any investigatory or disciplinary action against the member(s) subject to investigation or disciplinary proceedings. Any action(s) or proposed action(s) taken by any other cricket body or organisation may be taken into account by any of the above before any proceedings take place or any sanctions are imposed on any member.
1.8 In conclusion, it is expected that the above processes and any sanctions taken against a member will be a rare event and that ideally disputes between members or matters of misconduct will be resolved informally. The Association will, however, act firmly without fear or favour where members act irresponsibly and bring the organisation into disrepute.
1.9 This Code of Conduct and the procedures contained within it apply whether association members are acting in an umpiring and/ or scoring capacity at matches or are engaged in other activities or actions relating to the association at any time.