GAA rule that disciplinary matters can be conducted by email

The GAA's Rules Advisory Committee has clarified that the association can conduct disciplinary matters by email.

Over the weekend clarification was delivered to county officials and at a Central Council meeting yesterday it was confirmed that the GAA’s Central Competitions Control Committee (CCCC) can use email for business matters.

Last week two Clare hurlers, Peter Duggan and Rory Hayes, and Galway hurler Cianan Fahy were cleared to play in the All-Ireland quarter-finals on a technicality.

One of the challenges to the proposed suspension centred on the use of email.

During an online CCCC meeting one member had an issue viewing a video clip of the incidents and the clip was subsequently sent by email with approval to go ahead with a disciplinary charge confirmed in a follow-up thread.

In this instance, the successful overturning of the proposed suspension centred on the basis that email had been used as part of the disciplinary process.

But the GAA’s rules committee has now confirmed that such communication was in line with their policy and that it was 'satisfied that decision making via email which has assumed the quality of custom and practice for many years now is a valid form of decision making and is not in conflict with the Rules of the GAA.’

The Rules Advisory Committee (RAC) had previously formulated a document centred on the validity of decisions taken by Central Council by email. But now a formal written interpretation has been delivered to avoid confusion in the future.

And following the overturning of suspensions last week an emergency Central Council meeting was last night briefed that disciplinary business can be conducted by email.

"Rule 4.7 makes explicit provision for ‘Video and/or Telephone Conferencing at