What are the rules to release code in the maintenance branch?
You should not start on a fix in maintenance branch (either specific or backport from HEAD) before having got the +1 from the JDT/Core lead added as a comment in the corresponding bug. Then, when the fix is ready, it must be attached to the bug (as usual) and be reviewed by another JDT developer. No code should be released in the maintenance branch without these two conditions verified.