The Student Association’s judicial council ruled Friday that the removal of Director of Programming Wendy Campbell was unconstitutional, ordering her immediate reinstatement.

In a 10-2 decision, the judicial council found that SA President Cameron Cummings lacked the authority to unilaterally remove an executive council member without Senate approval.

“The unilateral removal of an appointed member of the President’s Executive Council is and should here forth be recognized as…UNCONSTITUTIONAL,” the opinion stated.

Cummings announced Campbell’s removal at a general body meeting on Aug. 25, citing what he described as months of collaboration and communication issues.

The Judicial Council opinion emphasized that constitutional procedure takes precedence over executive discretion. Article II, § 2-G of the SA Constitution requires that the president may only remove an executive council member “with the concurrence of a majority of the SA Senate vote.”

The ruling declared that Campbell must be reinstated to her position and urged the Senate to clarify conflicting provisions in the constitution to prevent similar disputes in the future.

It remains unclear whether Cummings or the Senate will pursue further action in light of the judicial branch’s ruling in the Senate’s business meeting on Tuesday.

This is a developing story.