Appeals Procedure
Garscube Harriers Appeals Process
Club members have the right to appeal against a sanction within 30 days. Any appeal should be in writing, and should clearly state the reason for the appeal, which will normally fall into one of the following categories:
- The procedure has not been correctly applied
- The sanction issued was too severe
- Additional evidence is available that was not previously taken into account.
The General Committee must find an independent sub Committee to hear the appeal. The sub Committee must not have been involved in the original decision and should ensure they disclose any potential conflicts of interest.
The appeal hearing will usually be heard within 21 days of the appeal letter being received, and the Committee hearing the appeal should ensure that a note taker (one of the Committee) and a suitable room are available, and write to the club member to confirm the details. The letter will include the details of the meeting (date, time, place, who will be present and in what capacity), and explain the club member’s right to be accompanied.
The club member may postpone the meeting for up to 14 days if they are unable to attend on the date originally set.
The appeal Committee will review all of the available evidence in advance of the hearing, and during the meeting will discuss the situation with the club member and review the evidence available. The Committee will explore with the club member their reasons for appeal, and will then adjourn the hearing to consider whether to uphold the original decision, to give a lesser sanction if the original decision was too severe, or if the original decision should be reversed and no sanction is required.
The Committee will then reconvene the hearing, and will confirm their decision, along with the reasons for this to the club member. This will be confirmed in writing, usually within 14 working days.
This decision is final.
In the event of the appeal Committee being unable to reach a unanimous decision the results of the appeal will be based on the judgement of the majority in number of the Committee.
