Conduct and Ethics Committee

Note that according to Article 8 of the Bylaws, a member of the association can be expelled for various reasons; however, these are not bridge-related reasons, but for offenses against the Association. Such expulsion is decided by the Board of Directors.

The Conduct and Ethics Committee (CEC) is the principal disciplinary body of the ARNB de Costa Rica, and from time to time hears complaints of disciplinary infractions against members, or non-members participating in ARNB sanctioned events.

Disciplinary proceedings are not criminal or civil trials in that they do not involve personal liberty but rather the privileges of membership in the ARNB or continued participation in ARNB sanctioned events.

Members of the Conduct and Ethics Committee

For complaints against participants in international events held in Costa Rica, for example zonal championships, the zonal bridge authority, the CACBF, may establish a "Tournament Disciplinary Committee". Such a committee is empowered to hear disciplinary matters related to participation in that event. However, the ARNB reserves the right to take further action regarding its own members, if it deems such action appropriate.

The current Conduct and Ethics Committee is composed of the following members:

John Goold, Chairman
Amalia Meltzer
Eduardo Piza

Offenses

The CEC will hear cases of alleged cheating by use of signals, other unauthorized information, other forms of cheating, or serious breaches of ethics. The CEC will hear cases of alleged breaches of the proprieties, the proprieties being described in the "Laws of Contract Duplicate Bridge", and breaches of the Association's Zero Tolerance policy, where such breaches are either serious or repeated.

Specific Grounds for Discipline

The following are specific, but not necessarily the exclusive, grounds for discipline:

  1. Violation of the Laws of Duplicate Contract Bridge.
  2. Violation of ARNB regulations.
  3. Leaving a session prior to completion of play without either a good cause or the permission of the tournament or game director.
  4. Accusations of unethical bridge conduct at an ARNB sanctioned event, not made privately to a tournament director or other tournament official. Private and confidential conversations are not within the ARNB's jurisdiction even if they take place at a tournament site. Note that this means public accusations of unethical bridge conduct will not be tolerated in the ARNB.
  5. Violation of a sanction resulting in suspension or explusion.
  6. Betting on the results of any ARNB sanctioned event.
  7. Actions or behavior unbecoming a member of the ARNB (or a person participating in an ARNB sanctioned event), including, but not limited to, improper actions at the time and site of an ARNB tournament or sanctioned game including parking lots, elevators, restaurants, and hotels. Private and confidential conversations are not within the ARNB's jurisdiction even if one takes place at a tournament site.
  8. Non-payment of a valid hotel bill when the person participating in an ARNB sanctioned tournament stays at such hotel during that ARNB sanctioned tournament.
  9. Non-payment of any sums owed the ARNB (for example: bad checks). Note that some grounds may fall under Article 8 of the Bylaws and thus be a matter for the Board of Directors and not the CEC.
  10. Filing formal legal action against the ARNB without first exhausting ARNB administrative or other internal remedies.
  11. Improper conduct toward any official or body of the ARNB.
  12. Influencing or attempting to influence an entrant or entrants, other than one's partner or teammates, to withdraw from any ARNB-sanctioned event.
  13. Knowingly submitting false information to a tournament official, ARNB official or ARNB body.
  14. Failure of a complainant or witness to appear before a disciplinary committee when requested and able to do so.
  15. Initiating disciplinary action against another with no reasonable basis or appealing the decision of a disciplinary body with no reasonable basis. (The rejection of a complaint is not equivalent to a finding that there was not a reasonable basis.)
  16. Improper conduct, a breach of ethics or improper behavior by an ARNB member for which another bridge organization has issued a discipline or sanction against said member. This section may be implemented only under the direction of the ARNB Board of Directors.

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