All Judiciary hearings are held at the Newcastle Leagues Club. All send-offs must be
reported to the Judiciary Co-ordinator and the R.O.M by text message or email by 7pm Sunday night, or 10.00am of the following day for weeknight games.

Judiciary is held WEDNESDAY nights at 5pm.
Reports faxed to NRL 4929 1618, emailed to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or dropped into
Newcastle Leagues Club by 10.00am Monday morning


Judiciary Co-ordinator

Graham Stair 
Ph: 0417 049 476
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . (If you need to contact Graham, please send to all 3 emails)

JUDICIARY PROCEDURES

If you send a player off; cite a player; place a player on report or have an on-field complaint, you shall ring the Judiciary Co-ordinator by 6pm Sunday night (for weekend games) and within 24 hours for week-night games. The charge sheet must also be faxed to the Newcastle Rugby League.

If you are unable to attend Judiciary on the scheduled night, you must also fax in a letter of explanation to the league, and notify the Judiciary Co-ordinator, so that alternative arrangements can be made for the hearing.

At Judiciary, you will be required to read the charge sheet, and give any extra evidence you wish to give. You may be asked questions by the Judiciary members, the player and/or the player’s advocate or legal representative. The player will give his evidence, and may be questioned by the Judiciary members and/or yourself. Witnesses (if present) will be called to give evidence and may be questioned.

At the conclusion, the Judiciary will ask you to leave the room while they consider their verdict. They will then call the parties back into the room to hear the verdict. If the finding is guilty, then the Judiciary will hear from the player regarding his character and playing record. You will be asked to leave the room again, and the Judiciary will consider the sentence for the player. All parties will be called back into the room to hear the sentence.

You may ask to be excused after giving your evidence, and do not have to return to the Judiciary to hear the finding or the sentence. However, do not leave without being excused, as the Judiciary may wish to call you back in to clarify a point or for more evidence.


 

Completing the charge sheet

An official report sheet must be filled out whenever a player is dismissed from the field; a player or official is cited by a referee; a player is put on report; or there is an on-field complaint.

All details must be filled out. The clubs are obliged to supply the name and number of players involved. If they do not, then a report must be made to the relevant league and the fact noted on the report sheet. Record player details as per the sign-on sheet.

When you are writing the charge for a player dismissed from the field, you must use one of the charges as listen under Section 15 – Player’s Misconduct Paragraph 1. Write the charge exactly as it appears in the Laws Book. (Have the Laws Book at every game!)

Then write a description of the incident: keep it short and simple, and write only the facts. Do not include thoughts or opinions. Record any previous cautions issued to the player, or to the team. Have another referee read the report, if possible, before handing the report sheet to the team official. You should have time to write the report, and be able to write it without the team officials being present. Make sure the report is legible and at the bottom of the sheet the referee prints his/her name then signature.

If the send-off was based on a touch-judge’s report, or if a touch-judge made a report on the incident leading to the send-off, then the touch-judge must write a report to be attached to the referee’s report. The report should contain the charge written as above that was reported on. The referee should not describe the incident in his report if he did not view the incident, and acted solely on the touch-judge’s report. The touch-judge must then also attend the Judiciary hearing.

Biting, eye-gouging or other on-field complaint

A player may approach a referee during a game to make an on-field complaint. This is commonly regarding an allegation of biting or eye-gouging. If such an on-field complaint is made, then the referee must do the following:

1. Signal time-off

2. Call a touch-judge onto the field (only if there are official touch-judges)

3. Call out both team captains and the player alleged to have bitten or gouged etc

4. Have the player again state the complaint in the presence of all the above

5. The referee and touch-judge examine the player for any signs of bite marks, scratching etc

6. Inspect the accused player to see if he has a mouth-guard (full or half) that would prevent him from biting, or for any other evidence supporting or disputing the allegation

7. Inform the player making the accusation that the matter must now be referred to the relevant league.


 

The referee is to make out a report sheet with details of the accusation and the players involved. Remember that you, the referee, are NOT charging a player with misconduct. Make an extra copy so that both club secretaries have a copy of the report sheet.



The referee and touch-judge must attend the Judiciary hearing, as must the players involved.