Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/2015-10-07/Arbitration report

A new case was opened for ArbCom as the Genetically modified organisms case was accepted and opened on 28 September. The case is a combination of two requests: the first was the original GMO case that was filed by, while the second was a Clarification request on Pseudoscience made by. The main issues raised from the filing parties are policy disagreements and editor conduct. Edits wars, aggressive behavior accusations and calls for topic bans are said to have stemmed from fringe theories that GMOs are harmful. Looie496 is calling for discretionary sanctions to be placed on the subject. Discretionary sanctions have been used in controversial areas on the project such as Abortion, the Prophet Muhammad, Gun Control, and the Gender Gap Task Force.

The case is currently in its Evidence phase. With seventeen named parties in the case, it is expected that the phase will take a while before going to the Workshop. In the meantime, a temporary injunction has been enacted on all pages related to GMOs. The injunction will expire after the closure of the case. We'll keep everyone updated on future developments.

Other open cases

 * Editor conduct in e-cigs articles – Workshop phase over and awaiting Proposed Decision phase.
 * Palestine-Israel articles 3 – Workshop phase over and awaiting Proposed Decision phase.

In brief

 * Liz appointed to full clerk: On 28 September a notice was posted seeking out editors who are interested in applying to be arbitration clerks. On 30 September, admin, formerly a trainee clerk, was promoted to a full clerk. She is one of five currently active editors who are arbitration clerks.

Disclosure – Liz is currently a Copyeditor for the Signpost.