User:Kelapstick/The Notwithstanding Clause

Section Thirty-three of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, commonly known as the notwithstanding clause is a seldom used section of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms that allows for the suspension of some basic rights of Canadian residents and citizens, notwithstanding their protection in the Charter. The suspension is renewable indefinitely, however it must be renewed every five years. The five year justification is based on the maximum time a Canadian Legislature can sit before a new election is called. This gives the power to the citizens of Canada to repeal the suspension of rights every five years by electing a new government that will follow their will.

Currently (outside of the unused veto power of Jimbo Wales), there is no way to immediately repeal a decision by the English Wikipedia Arbitration Committee. There has been at least one Request for Comment to determine if that power should still rest with Jimbo, and if not, than with whom. There is however one (non-immediate) way to repeal a decision by the Arbitration Committee, and it is in the same manner as is done with Section Thirty-three. Arbitrators sit for two years (generally), and half the committee is elected in alternating years. This means that the community has the opportunity to have every decision ever made by the Arbitration Committee repealed every two years. If the Wikipedia Community wishes to have an Arbitration Committee decision repealed, and the current Committee will not do it, the best (not easiest) way to do it is to elect a set of Arbitrators that will follow the will of the community and repeal the decision. This may mean that someone who feels strongly that the decision should be repealed should run for the position on the committee themselves. If you cannot get the community to elect a set of Arbitrators that will repeal the decision that you want, perhaps you do not have the will of the community behind you.