After nearly four hours of discussion — the majority of which was spent in closed session — the ASUC Judicial Council announced that this upcoming Friday, it will deliberate on Student Action’s appeal of the ruling that disqualified the party’s entire slate from the 2019 election cycle.

At its Wednesday night meeting, the Judicial Council decided that it will hold “final deliberations” on Student Action’s appeal this Friday. According to newly appointed Judicial Council chair Jonathan Fuentes, Friday’s meeting will not be structured like a “normal hearing” in that it will not be focused on oral arguments. It will be a “public deliberation,” he said, in which the council will consider public comment given by any involved parties and written materials relevant to the case.

“Any appeal is based on … the rule of law. It has to be a legal matter of interpreting the bylaws, or a matter of procedure for the appeal,” said Chief Legal Officer Claire Goudy. “It’s not a rehearing of facts.”

Throughout the meeting, the Judicial Council moved in and out of closed session three times — the four-hour meeting was open to the public for a little more than 10 minutes.

Also during the meeting, the council named campus professor of rhetoric and political science Nadesan Permaul as its “legal advisor,” meaning he will advise the council but not make decisions on its behalf. Permaul previously served as the ASUC auxiliary director until he retired in 2011.