Does the chairman of the SJAs awards sub-committee, David Welch, have any influence on judging?
No. He is the chairman of the organising committee of the event, not of the judging panel. His job is to oversee the organisation of the evening, the facilities and service provided by the venue. While the judging is going on he is kept out of the loop and doesn’t get any details about voting patterns. He is informed of the shortlists when they are made public and he is only told who the winners and highly commended are in the run up to the awards to help with the preparation on the night.
