An Oxford Union tribunal carried out at the end of last term found President-Elect Chris Farmer not guilty on seven claims of electoral malpractice. The complaints were brought forward by Vlad Bermant, the opposing candidate for President in the Hilary Term 2005 elections.
The tribunal did not find any conclusive proof to uphold Bermant’s accusations that Farmer had made deliberately misleading statements in his presidential manifesto.
Its findings also dismissed Bermant’s allegations of innocent interference, brought againstCherwell and the Oxford Gossip website.
The tribunal also concluded that Union ex-Librarian Matthew Richardson was not guilty of deliberate publication of confidential correspondence between Bermant and potential guest speakers.
The members of the tribunal did find many aspects of the evidence put before them “disturbing”, drawing attention to the nature of current manifestos and of the Oxford Gossip website.
It stated, “We are concerned with what seems to be the current practice of stating in the manifesto famous people that it is intended will come to the society in the future” and went on to recommend changes in the Rules, calling the present system “so vague and ambiguous as to people’s actual real experience as to be worthless.”
With regard to the Oxford Gossip website, the tribunal concluded that “if there were a close election, there is a very real danger that behaviour on Oxford Gossip could interfere sufficiently in such an election to constitute innocent interference.” The report went on to recommend that the President and the Returning Officer should try to enter into discussions with the website.
The tribunal unanimously agreed that Bermant’s intentions were “not frivolous” and that none of the allegations were brought out of malice. Bermant himself did not agree to comment.
Current Union President Richard Tydeman said, “It is obviously extremely frustrating that the Union continues to be tarnished by these kinds of proceedings, and I will be taking the Tribunal’s recommendations into account when proposing some of my own amendments to the electoral rules later on this term.”ARCHIVE: 0th week TT 2005
Tribunal attempt fails
