On Sun, Nov 18, 2001 at 01:02:41AM +0000, Ian Jackson wrote:
> Branden Robinson writes ("Bug#119517: pcmcia-cs: cardinfo binary needs to move into a s eparate package"):
> > On Sat, Nov 17, 2001 at 09:15:21PM +0000, Ian Jackson wrote:
> > > Nonsense. The Technical Committee should make whatever specific or
> > > general ruling it sees fit, according to the Constitution.
> >
> > Constitution 6.3.5:
> [...]
>
> Thanks for that. <sarcasm> I'm sure that the most helpful thing we
> could do at this point is lawyering the Constitution. </>
<sarcasm>
Yes, I can see how noting the difference between "the Technical
Commitee restricts itself to...<x>" and "the Technical Committee
should make...whatever ruling it sees fit" is lawyering.
</sarcasm>
The existence of any constraint <x> logically precludes absolute
discretion.
> Why don't you wait and see what the Committee decides and see if you
> think it meets your idea of these requirements ?
Because the Technical Committee's decision is not legitimate or binding
if it is not constitutional. The Constitution does not provide a
mechanism for invalidating TC rulings if they are in fact illegimate (or
even for identifying them as such), so if the TC goes ahead and acts in
this manner it will provoke yet another GR to amend the Constitution,
and the concomitant interminable debate.
I think it would save everyone a lot of time of the TC just behaved
as the Constitution instructs, instead of resorting to extralegal
measures.
Of course I shouldn't tar the entire TC with this brush; perhaps it is
only you that is seriously entertaining expansionist notions of the
Technical Committee's powers.
I have restored the CC to the bug report at issue, because it is unclear
to me whether debian-ctte will ever be archived again, and I think it is
worthwhile to have record of these discussions.
--
G. Branden Robinson | Reality is what refuses to go away
Debian GNU/Linux | when I stop believing in it.
branden@debian.org | -- Philip K. Dick
http://people.debian.org/~branden/ |
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