Sunday, October 12, 2008

That Zany Ethics Committee

Well, now the USCF Ethics Committee managed to get the conclusion right but in the wackiest way possible.

They were asked to take up the matter of Paul Truong and the FSS case against him. They "declined jurisdiction". Huh? Well, now what that means in plain English that they decided to not consider the case.

But what is this "declined jurisdiction" stuff? Either a body or a court has jurisdiction in a case or it does not. For example, if I am a state judge in Georgia and I am asked to consider a case in Illinois, I state that Illinois is outside of my jurisdiction. I don't decline jurisdiction; it is not mine to decline. Either I have it or I don't. I decline to consider a case; I don't decline to make Illinois a part of Georgia.

Jurisdiction may be conceptually limited. For example, a judge may only be allowed to hear misdomeanors but not felonies. Same thing.

Leave it to the USCF to come up with a brand new legal concept never before seen on land, sea, or sky. - And doesn't make any sense, either