THE TRIBUNAL

The Regional Tribunal serves as the judicial branch of the Region. It is charged with resolving disputes between members, chapters, officers, and entities within the Region in accordance with the Region’s governing documents. The Tribunal operates independently of the executive and legislative arms of the Region to ensure fair, impartial, and equitable resolution of conflicts that arise within the organization.

What kinds of disputes can the Tribunal hear?

The Tribunal has jurisdiction over disputes and controversies involving:

Regional Officers and Staff
Chapters and Chapter Members
Conflicts between Chapters
Issues between Chapters and Regional entities
Disputes between members of different Chapters
Other matters where all parties agree to the Tribunal’s jurisdiction

HOW IT WORKS

1. Submission

A member, chapter, or regional officer submits a request using the official Tribunal Request Form. The form collects details about the parties involved, the nature of the dispute, and any evidence or documentation.

2. Review

The Tribunal reviews the submission to determine whether the matter falls within its jurisdiction.

3. Preliminary Consideration

The Tribunal may:

Request additional information
Dismiss the case due to lack of jurisdiction
Recommend alternative dispute resolution
Agree to proceed with a hearing

4. Scheduling and Notification

The Chair of the Tribunal will coordinate scheduling and notify all involved parties. The individual who submitted the request, along with any relevant parties, will be contacted within 2 to 5 business days of the Tribunal receiving the submission.

5. Hearing

If a hearing is held, both parties will be given the opportunity to present their case.

6. Deliberation and Decision

After hearing all sides, the Tribunal deliberates privately and issues a written decision. Remedies may include reprimands, recommendations for removal, suspension of chapter rights, interpretations of governing documents, and more, as authorized by the bylaws.

Unless the issue is sensitive in nature, Tribunal decisions must be shared or made available to the Region's Active Chapters & Members within 2 weeks of issuance.