Wikipedia:Arbitration Committee/History

Until the beginning of 2004, Jimbo Wales dealt with all serious disputes other than simple vandalism (straightforward vandals could be blocked by any administrator). He was also the only person with the authority to ban users. In December 2003 he delegated that role in dispute handling to an Arbitration Committee, with initial membership of volunteer experienced users. Wales wrote in January 2004:

The Arbitration Committee [...] can impose a solution that I'll consider to be binding, with of course the exception that I reserve the right of executive clemency and indeed even to dissolve the whole thing if it turns out to be a disaster. But I regard that as unlikely, and I plan to do it about as often as the Queen of England dissolves Parliament against their wishes, i.e., basically never, but it is one last safety valve for our values.

In April 2007, Wales confirmed that the Committee could overturn any decision he makes in his traditional capacity within Wikipedia. In May of 2023, Jimbo's theoretical power to overturn committee decisions was removed following a community referendum.

Selection process

The original Arbitration Committee was appointed in 2004 by Jimbo Wales, primarily chosen from people who volunteered to help with the mediation and arbitration processes. Since then, arbitrators have been appointed based on the results of annual advisory elections. In the past, Jimbo did not consider himself bound by the results of the elections and has stated that he will not appoint candidates with less than 50% support. Nevertheless, he generally appointed arbitrators from among the candidates with the highest percentages of positive votes. Historically, users with past experience were sometimes re-appointed for continuity, and vacancies arising from mid-term resignations were sometimes filled by extending the terms of other sitting arbitrators.

The committee initially comprised twelve arbitrators who served terms from one to three years, in three "tranches", so that about a third of the committee was up for reappointment each year. After the 2008 election, Jimbo increased the size of the committee to eighteen. From the 2009 elections onwards, the maximum term was reduced to two years, with two instead of three tranches. In the 2011 elections, the size of the Committee was reduced to a maximum of fifteen members. The size of the committee was further reduced to 13 for the 2018 elections, a decision which was reversed the following year.

Originally Jimbo appointed new members according to the election results, but now the established community election process selects committee members directly.

Elections

Main page: Wikipedia:Arbitration Committee elections

Current and former members

Current Arbitrators are shown in boldface.

• Alex Shih (January 2018 – September 2018)
• AmandaNP aka DeltaQuad (January 2015 – December 2018)
• Aoidh (January 2024 – present, current member)
• Arcticocean, aka AGK (January 2012 – December 2015, January 2019 – April 2020)
• Barkeep49 (January 2021 – July 2024)
• BDD (January 2021 – December 2022)
• Bradv (January 2020 – December 2022)
• BU Rob13 (January 2018 – May 2019)
• Cabayi (January 2022 – present, current member)
• Callanecc (January 2016 – August 2019)
• Camembert (January 2004 – December 2004)
• CaptainEek (January 2021 – present, current member)
• Carcharoth (January 2009 – December 2010, January 2013 – December 2014)
• Cas Liber (January 2009 – October 2009, January 2011 – December 2012, January 2016 – December 2017, January 2020 – December 2021)
• Charles Matthews (February 2006 – December 2008)
• Chase me ladies, I'm the Cavalry (January 2011 – December 2011)
• Cool Hand Luke (January 2009 – December 2011)
• Coren (January 2009 – December 2011, January 2013 – March 2013)
• Courcelles (January 2012 – December 2013, January 2015 – December 2016, January 2019 – September 2019)
• David Fuchs (January 2011 – December 2014, January 2020 – December 2021)
• David Gerard (January 2005 – January 2006)
• Delirium (January 2004 – July 2005)
• Deskana (January 2008 – December 2008)
• DGG (January 2015 – December 2018, January 2020 – December 2020)
• Dominic, aka Dmcdevit (February 2006 – February 2007)
• Donald Albury (January 2022 – December 2022)
• Doug Weller, aka Dougweller (January 2015 – December 2018)
• Drmies (January 2016 – December 2017)
• Elen of the Roads (January 2011 – December 2012)
• Enterprisey (January 2022 – December 2023)
• Essjay (February 2007 – March 2007)
• Euryalus (January 2015 – December 2015, January 2017 – December 2018)
• FayssalF (January 2008 – December 2010)
• Fennec (July 2005 – January 2006)
• Filiocht (February 2006 – December 2006)
• Firefly (January 2024 – present, current member)
• Flcelloguy (January 2007 – December 2007)
• FloNight (January 2007 – December 2009)
• Floquenbeam (January 2014 – July 2014)
• Fred Bauder (January 2004 – December 2007)
• Fritzpoll (January 2010 – February 2010)
• FT2 (January 2008 – January 2009)
• Gamaliel (January 2016 – May 2016)
• GeneralNotability (January 2023 – April 2024)
• GorillaWarfare (January 2014 – December 2017, January 2019 – December 2020)
• Grunt (January 2005 – July 2005)
• Guerillero (January 2015 – December 2016, January 2023 – present, current member)
• Gutza (January 2004 – December 2004)
• Hersfold (January 2010 – May 2010, January 2012 – March 2013)
• HJ Mitchell (January 2024 – present, current member)
• Iridescent (January 2011 – November 2011)
• Izno (January 2022 – December 2023)
• Jayjg (July 2005 – December 2006)
• Jclemens (January 2011 – December 2012)
• Jdforrester (January 2004 – December 2004, July 2005 – December 2008)
• Joe Roe (January 2019 – December 2020)
• John Vandenberg (January 2009 – December 2009, January 2011 – December 2011)
• Jpgordon (January 2007 – December 2008)
• Just Step Sideways aka Beeblebrox (January 2014 – December 2014, January 2020 – November 2023)
• Jwrosenzweig (August 2004 – December 2004)
• Keilana (January 2016 – December 2017)
• Kelapstick (January 2016 – December 2017)
• Kelly Martin (October 2005 – January 2006)
• Kirill Lokshin (January 2007 – July 2009, January 2010 – December 2013, January 2016 – December 2017)
• KnightLago (January 2010 – December 2010)
• KrakatoaKatie (January 2018 – December 2021)
• Ks0stm (January 2017 – December 2018)
• L235 (January 2021 – present, current member)
• LFaraone (January 2014 – December 2015)
• Mackensen (February 2006, February 2007 – December 2007)
• Mailer diablo (January 2010 – December 2011)
• MartinHarper, aka MyRedDice (January 2004 – December 2004)
• Mav, aka Maveric149 (January 2004 – September 2005)
• Maxim (January 2020 – December 2022, January 2024 – October 2024)
• Mindspillage (October 2005 – December 2006)
• Mkdw (January 2017 – December 2020)
• Moneytrees (January 2023 – present, current member)
• Morven (February 2006 – December 2008)
• NativeForeigner (January 2014 – December 2015)
• Neutrality (January 2005 – December 2007)
• Newyorkbrad (January 2008 – December 2014, January 2017 – December 2018, January 2020 – December 2021)
• Nohat (January 2004 – September 2005)
• NuclearWarfare (January 2013 – October 2013)
• Opabinia regalis (January 2016 – December 2019, January 2022 – November 2023)
• Paul August (January 2007 – August 2008)
• PhilKnight, aka Addhoc (January 2011 – December 2012)
• Premeditated Chaos (January 2018 – December 2019)
• Primefac (January 2021 – present, current member)
• Raul654 (August 2004 – December 2007)
• Rebecca, aka Ambi (January 2005 – July 2005)
• RickinBaltimore (January 2018 – July 2019)
• Risker (January 2009 – December 2013)
• Rlevse (January 2009 – October 2010)
• Roger Davies (January 2009 – December 2015)
• Salvio giuliano (January 2013 – December 2016)
• Sam Blacketer (January 2008 – May 2009)
• Sam Korn (February 2006 – December 2006)
• Sannse (January 2005 – November 2005)
• Sdrqaz (January 2024 – present, current member)
• Seraphimblade (January 2014 – December 2015)
• Shell Kinney (January 2010 – July 2011)
• SilkTork (January 2012 – December 2013, January 2019 – September 2019, January 2023 – December 2023)
• SimonP (February 2006 – December 2007)
• SirFozzie (January 2010 – December 2012)
• SoWhy (January 2020 – December 2021)
• Stephen Bain aka Thebainer (January 2008 – December 2009)
• Steve Smith (January 2010 – November 2010)
• The Cunctator (January 2004 – December 2004)
• The Epopt (January 2004 – December 2006)
• Theresa Knott (January 2005 – December 2006)
• Thryduulf (January 2015 – December 2015)
• Timotheus Canens (January 2013 – December 2014)
• ToBeFree (January 2024 – present, current member)
• UninvitedCompany (January 2004 – February 2004, January 2007 – September 2008)
• Vassyana (January 2009 – January 2010)
• Wizardman (January 2009 – May 2010)
• Worm That Turned (January 2013 – December 2014, January 2018 – September 2023)
• Wugapodes (January 2022 – December 2023)
• Xeno (January 2011 – December 2012, January 2020 – January 2021)
• YellowMonkey, aka Blnguyen (January 2007 – December 2008)
• Yunshui (January 2015 – November 2015)
• Z1720 (January 2024 – present, current member)

Click [show] to display a chart of the Arbitration Committee composition since its inception in 2004.

Activity reports

The Committee has occasionally published reports regarding its activity:

• January to June 2009
• January 2021 to present

More detailed statistical reports are available for a number of periods:

• 2011 statistics
• 2010 statistics
• 2009 statistics
• 2008 statistics

An index of Arbitration Committee decisions is available here.

Policy changes

The Arbitration Committee is guided by a formally ratified Wikipedia:Arbitration/Policy.

The policy was first enunciated around February-March 2004 and ratified in April. The policy was "updated" in 2011, with the approval of a community referendum. The Committee changed it policy for the removal of ArbCom members, with a ratification in 2019.

In 2023, the Wikipedia community proposed and ratified a policy amendment to remove appeals of ArbCom decisions by Jimbo Wales. In 2024, the Committee approved by motion a mechanism for appeals of some types of editor bans or blocks.