What are the procedures for addressing complaints in a Lodge?

Addressing formal charges against a Mason within a lodge involves a regulated trial procedure, which begins at a Regular Communication but may be continued at Special Communications to avoid undue delay 1.

The lodge is opened in the highest degree attained by the accuser during witness examinations, though the final decision and verdict must always take place in a lodge opened on the Third Degree 1. Visitors are generally excluded from trial proceedings 1. The accused has the right to be represented by counsel, provided that counsel is a Master Mason 1. Testimony from Master Masons is given on their Masonic honor, whereas testimony from non-Masons or Masons of lower degree than the accused is collected by a committee and reported to the lodge 1.

Once testimony is concluded, the accuser, accused, and counsel must withdraw 1. The Master then puts the question of guilt to the lodge 1. Albert Mackey notes that while authorities differ, standard practice requires a two-thirds majority vote to find the accused guilty 1. If a guilty verdict is returned, the lodge votes on the penalty—ranging from expulsion or indefinite suspension (requiring a two-thirds vote) to a public or private reprimand (requiring a simple majority) 1.

Civil court proceedings do not dictate or bar lodge discipline 1. An acquittal or conviction in a secular court cannot be pleaded to prevent a Masonic trial, as the Craft evaluates offenses against its own laws and moral standards 1. Any appeal against the trial's outcome or the Master's ruling cannot be entertained within the lodge itself, but must be made directly to the Grand Lodge 2.