Sec. 01.03.01.08. General Authority of an Arbitration Panel

A. Issues.

(1) The chairman shall decide all issues of law.

(2) The panel, in its entirety, shall decide all issues of fact.

B. Duties of the Chairman. The chairman shall:

(1) Decide all prehearing procedures including issues relating to discovery;

(2) Contact all parties within 2 months of appointment to determine a schedule for completion of discovery and a tentative hearing date, in accordance with Regulations .09C and .11A(1) of this chapter, and issue a scheduling order to all parties and the Director;

(3) Keep all parties, the panel, the court reporter, and the Director informed of the selected hearing date, postponements, or cancellations, and adjust the schedule as necessary to accommodate the panel; and

(4) Invoke, when necessary, the authority, powers, and directions as would be exercised normally by a circuit court judge in order to preserve the orderly progress of the case, except for contempt citations.

C. Majority of Panel. An arbitration panel shall exercise its authority by a majority.

D. The Director, if admitted to the Maryland Bar, and when a chairman has not been appointed or is temporarily unable to serve, may rule on issues of law that are not dispositive of the case and on the assessment of costs.