Evidence
1.1 A Commission of Inquiry, Regulatory Commission, a Disciplinary Commission and an Appeal Board shall not be bound by any enactment or rule of law relating to the admissibility of evidence in proceedings before a court of law.
1.2 A Commission of Inquiry, a Regulatory Commission, a Disciplinary Commission and an Appeal Board may draw such inference from the failure of a Participant or an Alleged Offender or a witness to give evidence or answer a question as it considers appropriate.
Representation
2.1 A Participant may be represented by one individual. (For instance, a Player may be represented by a Club Official of a Club with which he is associated or by a representative of the Professional Footballers’ Association, and a Referee may be represented by a representative of the Referees’ Association).
2.2 An Alleged Offender appearing before a Regulatory Commission or an Appellant before
an Appeal Board, and any individual or body assisting in any way an inquiry of The Association or a Commission of Inquiry, may be legally represented only with the prior consent of such Commission or Appeal Board, The Association or Commission of Inquiry respectively. Request for consent must be made with at least 7 days’ notice.
2.3 An individual acting as representative for an Alleged Offender shall not be allowed to give
evidence.
Confidentiality/Publication of Proceedings
3.1 The proceedings of a Commission of Inquiry, a Regulatory Commission, a Disciplinary Commission and an Appeal Board shall take place in private.
3.2 Subject to Rule 3.3 below, all oral or written representations and documents created in the course of any proceedings are confidential between The Association and the individual or body concerned. All evidence and representations shall be privileged.
3.3 The Association shall have the power to publish in the public press, on a web site or in any other manner considered appropriate, reports of any hearing, order, requirement, instruction, decision, proceedings, acts, resolution, finding and penalty and any transcript or document prepared in the course of proceedings, or evidence, whether or not this reflects on the character or conduct of a Participant. Each Participant shall be deemed to have consented to any inquiry or Commission of Inquiry, a Regulatory Commission, a Disciplinary Commission or an Appeal Board and to the publication of any report.
Service of Documents
4.1 A document may be served by giving it to the person to whom it is addressed or by leaving it at, or sending it by first class post, e-mail or by fax to, the last known address of the addressee or, in the case of an individual, the Club with which he is associated.
Days
5.1 Any reference to a day or days in the Regulations shall mean a calendar day or days. Bank Holidays shall not be counted.
Fees
6.1 An Appeal fee of £100 is required when a participant requests an appeal against a decision of a Regulatory Commission and £50 for an appeal against a decision of a Disciplinary Commission of an Affiliated Association.
Concurrent Hearings
7.1 For offences alleged to have been committed in the same match, where there is common Association or defence evidence, the relevant Commission shall hear all parties at the same hearing. Evidence adduced in the defence of a participant shall be capable of constituting evidence against another participant. The relevant Commission shall give appropriate weight to such evidence. Participants or their representatives shall be entitled to cross-examine other participants and their witnesses.
The relevant Commission shall generally hear defence cases in chronological order of the alleged events but shall have complete discretion to take parties and witnesses out of order for timely, efficient and appropriate disposal of the proceedings.
Issue Date July 2008