Students in Trinity Hall will vote on Sunday on whether to introduce new disciplinary measures for JCR officers.
A motion, at the JCR’s first open forum of the year, will propose that suspension is add to the constitution as a form of discipline for JCR officers who aren’t adequately fulfilling their role on the committee.
If passed, the amendment would allow the JCR President to suspend a member of the committee for up to three days, provided that they have the backing of one other committee member.
The proposal states that if the JCR president suspends a member, they must call a meeting within those three days, with all members in attendance. During this meeting, an explanation for the suspension must be provided and the suspension period may be extended by up to two weeks if the JCR committee votes by a two-thirds majority.
Only two suspension periods per year per officer would be allowed. The change doesn’t say what would happen after this if further action is required. A clause will also be inserted into the constitution that will formalise the Trinity Hall warden’s ability to suspend a JCR member.
In an email statement to The University Times, the President of the JCR, David Ola, said that while no event in particular prompted this change, the amendment is a necessary one. “We felt that there should be a way to discipline committee members if they weren’t fulfilling their role on the committee so we thought that a formal suspension would be a good addition”, he said.
Ola said that 50 residents will need to be present at the forum to meet quorum. For a motion to pass, there must be a two-thirds majority.
Students will also vote on a proposal to remove the provision that allows for an impeachment motion to be raised at a general meeting. Going forward, an impeachment motion would only be raised at an EGM, providing there is a quorum of 10 per cent.
The fourth proposed amendment is to prohibit JCR election candidates from posting on the JCR Facebook pages and group chats during election campaigns. Instead, all campaigning would take place in a designated Trinity Hall Elections Facebook group run by the communications and marketing officer.
The fifth proposed amendment is to clarify that it is the incumbent JCR officer and the JCR president who choose the incoming communications and marketing Officer, publications officer and technical officer. The proposed amendment states that while a panel can include a third party and an independent appointee may interview for these positions, the ultimate decision will rest with the respective officer and the JCR President.
Voting will take place on Sunday December 3rd from 8-9pm during the first JCR open forum of the academic year.
