University of Virginia Library

Judiciary Constitution

The Judiciary Committee is trying again
this week to get its new constitution passed.
Last spring, the issue carried preponderant
majorities in the voting (1711-259 in the
college) but failed for lack of the required 60
per cent turnout, mainly because the Education,
Graduate Business, and Nursing Schools
never got a chance to vote on it.

The faults in the present Constitution are
many, chief among them being its limitation
of eligibility for the committee to male
students. In addition, the revised constitution
would bring some needed order to the present
inchoate system of student discipline, placing
the Judiciary Committee in the position of
appellate body for the residential councils
that presently enforce housing and parietal
rules in the various living areas. The
constitution removes a great deal of the Dean
of Student Affairs' present review power and
places it back in the hands of the students.
Where before the Dean could change any
verdict or penalty, he may not do so under
the new constitution without the consent of
the administrative Committee on Students,
and then only in cases where Judiciary
Committee action has been blatantly detrimental
to the best interests of the University.
While this is undoubtedly an escape clause for
the administration to use in case of lenient
penalties levied on student protectors, it is
probably something that has to be tolerated.

Apparently by fiat and with the consent of
Dean Williams, the committee has to get only
40 per cent of the students to vote in this
election in order to pass the constitution. It
won't be easy. Students are not likely to go
out of their way to vote on this question, and
there is no Student Council election to draw
them to the polls. We urge every student to
recognize the importance of a new Judiciary
Constitution, for someday it undoubtedly will
be important, perhaps solely to individuals
snared in our archaic disciplinary system, but
more likely to the entire community. We urge
them to vote, and to vote yes.