This proposed policy is designed to codify within policy Jimbo Wales's current role on the English Wikipedia. This proposal attempts to describe his role-- it does not propose to alter his role.

This proposal has become dormant through lack of discussion by the community. It is inactive but retained for historical interest. If you want to revive discussion on this subject, try using the talk page or start a discussion at the village pump.

In addition to his roles as Founder and Chairman Emeritus of the Wikimedia Foundation, Jimbo Wales is the Project Leader of the English Wikipedia.

Historically, the project leader keeps wide discretionary power over the English Wikipedia and is known to have exercised, or has explicitly stated to have retained, at least the following powers:

• Following an election, the project leader selects the new members of the Arbitration Committee. Historically, the project leader has tended to select those candidates with the highest approval percentage, but the project leader has the discretion to select any of the candidates who received greater than 50% support.
• The project leader makes interim appointments to the Arbitration Committee.
• The project leader has the option of dissolving the Arbitration Committee.
• The project leader has the option of overturning any decision of the Arbitration Committee.
• The project leader can subscribe and post to the private Arbitration Committee mailing list.

• The project leader has the power to appoint members of the Mediation Committee and to veto new nominations to the mediation committee.
• The project leader can subscribe and post to the private Mediation Committee mailing list, Mediation-en-l.

• The project leader has the power to ban users.
• The project leader has the power to bestow or remove user rights.

• The project leader may not overturn an Arbitration Committee ruling that overturns a decision by the project leader.^[1]