Arbitration Committee

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to navigationJump to search

For other uses, see Arbitration committee.
For the main page of the English Wikipedia's Arbitration Committee, see Wikipedia:Arbitration
Committee.

Arbitration Committee

Screenshot of the Arbitration Committee main page in 2021

Abbreviation Arbcom

Formation December 4, 2003[1]

On Wikimedia Foundation projects an Arbitration Committee (ArbCom) is a binding,

dispute resolution panel of editors. The first project to use an arbitration committee, and
the most widely covered, is the English Wikipedia. Each of Wikimedia's projects are
editorially autonomous and independent, and have established their own ArbComs,
which are established by the project's editors and are usually annually elected by their
communities. ArbComs address misconduct by administrators and editors with access
to advanced tools, and a range of "real-world" issues related to harmful conduct that
can arise in the context of a Wikimedia projects. [2][3] Rulings, policies and procedures
differ between projects depending on local and cultural contexts. According to the
Wikimedia Terms of Use, users are not obliged to have a dispute solved by an ArbCom.
[4]

The first Wikimedia project to use an arbitration committee, was the Swedish Wikipedia,
soon followed by the widely covered English Wikipedia Committee. Over time, other
Wikimedia projects have established arbitration committees as well.
The English Wikipedia ArbCom was created by Jimmy Wales on December 4, 2003, as
an extension of the decision-making power he formerly held as CEO of site-
owner Bomis.[1][5] Wales appointed members of the committee either in person or by
email following advisory elections; Wales generally appointed editors who received the
most votes to the ArbCom.[6][needs update]
The English Wikipedia's ArbCom acts as a court of last resort for disputes among
editors and has been described in the media as "quasi-judicial" and a Wikipedian "High
or Supreme Court", although the Committee states it is not, nor pretends to be, a formal
court of law. English Wikipedia's ArbCom has decided several hundred cases in its
history.[7] The Foundation's Arbitration Committee process has been examined by
academics researching dispute resolution, and has been reported in public media in
connection with case decisions and Wikipedia-related controversies. [5][8][9]

Contents

 1History

 2On English Wikipedia

o 2.1Controversies

o 2.2In academic studies

 3On Wikimedia Foundation projects worldwide

 4References

History[edit]
The Swedish Wikipedia "thing" of November 2002 became the first instance akin to a
prototype arbitration committee on any Wikipedia language version.[10]
In October 2003, as part of an etiquette discussion on Wikipedia, Alex T. Roshuk, then
legal adviser to the Wikimedia Foundation, drafted a 1,300-word outline of mediation
and arbitration. This outline evolved into the twin Mediation Committee and Arbitration
Committee, formally announced by Jimmy Wales on December 4, 2003. [5][11] Over time
the concept of an "Arbitration Committee" was adopted by other communities within the
Wikimedia Foundation's hosted projects.
When founded, the Committee consisted of 12 arbitrators divided into three groups of
four members each.[1][12]