A conflict of interest is when whoever’s deciding your case has a personal connection or stake that could affect their judgement, such as a relationship with a witness or having already investigated the allegation themselves. You’re entitled to ask about this before your hearing, and to raise it in writing if you’re not satisfied with the answer.
In practice
In the Roberts case, the chair of a disciplinary panel had an undisclosed personal friendship with a witness. The tribunal found that alone was enough to make the dismissal unfair.
See also