§ 12.2 Definitions. For purposes of this part: *Act* means the Commodity Exchange Act, as amended, 7 U.S.C. 1, *et seq.*
*Administrative Judge* means an employee of the Commission who is authorized to conduct all reparations proceedings. In appropriate circumstances, the functions of an Administrative Judge may be performed by an Administrative Law Judge.
*Administrative Law Judge* means an administrative law judge appointed pursuant to the provisions of 5 U.S.C. 3105.
*Commission* means the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
*Commission decisional employee* means an employee or employees of the Commission who are or may reasonably be expected to be involved in the decisionmaking process in any proceeding, including, but not limited to: An Administrative Judge; members of the personal staffs of the Commissioners, but not the Commissioners themselves; members of the staffs of the Administrative Law Judges, but not an Administrative Law Judge; members of the staffs of the Administrative Judges; members of the Office of the General Counsel; members of the staff of the Office of Proceedings; and other Commission employees who may be assigned to hear or to participate in the decision of a particular matter.
*Complainant* means a person who, individually or jointly with others, has applied to the Commission for a reparation award pursuant to section 14(a) of the Act, but shall not include a cross claimant or any other type of third-party claimant. The term “complainant” under this part applies equally to two or more persons who have applied jointly for a reparation award.
*Complaint* means any document which constitutes an application for a reparation award pursuant to section 14(a) of the Act, regardless of whether it is denominated as such.
*Counterclaim* means an application for a reparation award by a respondent against a complainant which satisfies the requirements of § 12.19. A counterclaim does not mean a cross claim or other type of third party claim.
*Director of the Office of Proceedings* means an employee of the Commission who serves as the administrative head of that Office, with responsibility and authority to assure that the rules in this part are administered in a manner which will effectuate the purposes of section 14(b) of the Act. The Director is authorized to convene meetings of all personnel in the Office of Proceedings, including Administrative Judges, Administrative Law Judges, and the Judges' personally assigned law clerks. The Director shall have the authority to delegate their duties to administer §§ 12.15, 12.24, 12.26, and 12.27, and, shall have the authority to assign and, if necessary, reassign the duties of, and set reasonable standards for performance for, all personnel in the Office, including the Administrative Judges, but not including Administrative Law Judges and their personally assigned law clerks.
*Ex parte communication* means an oral or written communication not on the public record with respect to which reasonable prior notice to all parties is not given, but does not include: ( 1 ) A discussion, after consent has been obtained from all of the named parties, between a party and an Administrative Judge or Administrative Law Judge, or the staffs of the foregoing, pertaining solely to the possibility of settling the case without the need for a decision;
( 2 ) Requests for status reports, including questions relating to service of the complaint, and the registration status of any persons, on any matter or proceeding covered by this part; or
( 3 ) Requests made to the Office of Proceedings or the Office of the General Counsel for interpretation of this part.
*Formal decisional procedure* means, where the amount of total damages claimed exceeds $30,000, exclusive of interest and costs, a procedure elected by the complainant or a respondent where the parties may be granted an oral hearing. A formal decisional proceeding is governed by subpart E of this part.
*Hearing* means that part of a proceeding which involves the submission of proof, either by oral presentation or written submission.
*Interested person* means any party, and includes any person or agency permitted limited participation or to state views in a reparation proceeding, or other person who might be adversely affected or aggrieved by the outcome of a proceeding (including the officers, agents, employees, associates, affiliates, attorneys, accountants or other representatives of such persons), and any other person having a direct or indirect pecuniary or other interest in the outcome of a proceeding.
*Office of the General Counsel* refers to the members of the Commission's staff who provide assistance to the Commission in its direct review of any proceeding conducted pursuant to this part.
*Office of Proceedings* means that Office within the Commission comprised of the Administrative Law Judges, Administrative Judges, the Director of that Office, the Proceedings Clerk, and members of the staffs of the foregoing, which administers the rules in this part, other than the rules in this part authorizing direct review by the Commission.
*Order* means the whole or any part of a final procedural or substantive disposition of a reparation proceeding by the Commission, an Administrative Law Judge, an Administrative Judge, or the Proceedings Clerk.
*Party* means a complainant, respondent or any other person or agency named or admitted as a party in a reparation matter.
*Person* means any individual, association, partnership, corporation or trust.
*Pleading* means the complaint, the answer to the complaint, any supplement or amendment thereto, and any reply to the foregoing.
*Proceeding* means a case in which the pleadings have been forwarded and in which a procedure has been commenced pursuant to § 12.26.
*Proceedings Clerk* means any member of the Commission's staff designated as such by the Director of the Office of Proceedings;
*Punitive damages* means damages awarded (no more than two times the amount of actual damages) in the case of any action arising from a willful and intentional violation in the execution of an order on the floor of a contract market. An order does not have to be actually executed to render a violation subject to punitive damages. As a prerequisite to an award of punitive damages, a complainant must claim actual and punitive damages, prove actual damages, and demonstrate that punitive damages are appropriate.
*Registrant* means any person who— ( 1 ) Was registered under the Act at the time of the alleged violation;
( 2 ) Is subject to reparation proceedings by virtue of section 4m of the Commodity Exchange Act, regardless of whether such person was ever registered under the Act; or
( 3 ) Is otherwise subject to reparation proceedings under the Act.
*Reparation award* means the amount of monetary damages a party may be ordered to pay.
*Respondent* means any person or persons against whom a complainant seeks a reparation award pursuant to section 14(a) of the Act.
*Summary decisional procedure* means, where the amount of total damages claimed does not exceed $30,000, exclusive of interest and costs, a procedure elected by the complainant or the respondent wherein an oral hearing need not be held and proof in support of each party's case may be supplied in the form and manner prescribed by § 12.208. A summary decisional proceeding is governed by subpart D of this part.
*Voluntary decisional procedure* means, regardless of the amount of damages claimed, a procedure which the complainant and the respondent have chosen voluntarily to submit their claims and counterclaims, allowable under this part, for an expeditious resolution by an Administrative Judge. By electing the voluntary decisional procedure, parties agree that a decision issued by an Administrative Judge shall be without accompanying findings of fact and shall be final without right of Commission review or judicial review. A voluntary decisional proceeding is governed by subpart C of this part.
[86 FR 64350, Nov. 18, 2021, as amended at 89 FR 71808, Sept. 4, 2024]