Canadian Connemara Pony Society
CCPS Policies & Procedures


Policy for Arbitration Committee

Purpose
1. To provide a procedure whereby CCPS members may resolve a dispute brought to the Board of Directors for Just Cause.

Just Cause
A member may bring a complaint against another member, an owner, or breeder for just cause, which includes, but is not limited to:
a. deliberate action in flagrant disregard of the Bylaws;
b. action prejudicial to the best interests of the Society;
c. conduct deemed improper, unethical, dishonest, unsportsmanlike or intemperate by the society.

Exclusions: Non-protestable items shall include, but are not be limited to:
i. The soundness of a pony as determined by a licensed veterinarian;
ii. Problems arising when the buyer has chosen not to have a presale health and soundness inspection by a licensed veterinarian;
iii. The mature height of a registered Connemara, full bred or half-bred;
iv. Situations in which either party has documents affirming that the animal or event is covered by insurance.

All cases are governed by the application of the CCPS bylaws, as approved by the Department of Agriculture and Agrifoods Canada.

Function
The function of the Arbitration Committee is to assist the Board of Directors by arbitrating complaints that a member may bring against another member, owner or breeder in confidence and without prejudice, and, insofar as is possible, in a non-confrontational and non-litigious way. The chairperson is appointed by the CCPS President, and in turn he/she appoints a maximum of two other members as he/she deems necessary. Should a committee member have a conflict of interest relating to a complaint, the chairperson may appoint another member for that particular case.

Procedure
Any minor complaint may be dealt with by the chairperson, limited to a letter, telephone call or email to both parties. Where this does not resolve the problem, a formal complaint shall be filed.

Formal complaints must:
a. Be in writing on the worksheet provided, signed by a second CCPS member and shall include a statement of the relief being sought, and a signed statement that the complainant has read these policies, and agrees to be bound thereby.
b. Be accompanied by a non-refundable filing fee of $75 payable to the CCPS to cover committee expenses.
c. Include copies of all documentation deemed relevant to the matter.

Upon receiving the charge, fee, and documentation the CCPS President shall refer the matter to the Arbitration Committee chairperson within 15 days.

Upon receipt of all required documentation and fee the Arbitration Committee chairperson shall:
i. Notify the parties, and request that any additional information relative to the case be sent to the committee within 15 days.
ii. Provide copies of all materials to the other members of the committee, who shall have a period of 30 days to review.
iii. The chairperson shall then call a telephone conference call of the committee members, who shall make a recommendation to those affected.
iv. The chairperson shall inform both parties of the decision reached.

Should a party to the complaint desire a committee meeting in lieu of a telephone conference, the expenses of such a meeting shall be borne by the person(s) requesting same.

Committee Decision
Should the committee’s decision not be acceptable to either party to the compliant, an appeal may be made to the Board of Directors within ten days of hearing the decision.

Penalty
In the event that a party is found to have contravened a policy as set out in Just Cause above, they will be held to be not in good standing with the Society and their membership renewal declined. Further registration of livestock will be at the non-member fee until such time as the complaint is resolved.

Disclaimer
It is understood and agreed by all parties that members of the Arbitration Committee and the CCPS Board of Directors shall be held harmless for any outcome that may result from their decisions and recommendations.