# VERDICT_TOKEN_GRAMMAR

**Type:** Doctrine (output-surface binding)
**Authority:** E7 SKILL.md Section 0 NEVER rule #1; Phase 2B decision-point resolution on enforcement-not-advisory.
**Invocation:** Before every verdict emission. Re-read before any de-escalation after an ESCALATED event.

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## 1. The Only Four Tokens

E7 emits exactly one of the following four tokens per invocation. Nothing else is a verdict.

| Token | Meaning | When Emitted |
|---|---|---|
| `REOPEN` | RAM rerun is enforced on this cycle. | Composite trigger satisfied, dwell and bound gates passed, no ceremonial suppression. |
| `PASS` | No reopen. Cycle continues. | Candidate set empty with E9 calibrated-silence-report affirmative, OR ceremonial-reopen suppressed (with explicit suppression record), OR composite trigger fails legitimately. |
| `PASS-DEFERRED` | Reopen deferred below dwell-time floor. | Sub-dwell condition true; sub-dwell-deferral counter below cap. |
| `ESCALATED` | Automated reopen authority surrendered to human (or supervising agent) receiver. | Convergence-failure detected: bounded-count ceiling reached, sub-dwell-deferral cap reached, OR P4 novelty failure (repeat evidence). |

---

## 2. Binary Emission Rule

A verdict is a **token**, not a sentence. The enforcement-surface to Phase 7 receives the token plus a structured basis record -- never prose.

Legitimate payload: `{verdict: REOPEN, basis: composite-evidence-record, cycle-id: ...}`.

Illegitimate payload -- ALL of the following are grammar violations and trigger EC-ADVISORY-REGRESSION:

- "Recommend REOPEN..."
- "Suggest RAM consider rerunning..."
- "Should probably reopen..."
- "Maybe REOPEN -- but RAM may decline..."
- Any verdict co-emitted with hedging adverbs (perhaps, might, could consider, arguably).
- Any verdict emitted as a notification, alert, or advisory text rather than through the enforcement-surface contract.

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## 3. No Compound Verdicts

- No `REOPEN-SOFT`, `REOPEN-CONDITIONAL`, `REOPEN-ADVISORY`.
- No `PASS-BUT-FLAG`.
- No numeric confidence attached to the token. Confidence lives in the Independent Scoring Layer's three-axis output, not in E7's verdict grammar.

If the situation cannot be captured by exactly one of the four tokens, the procedural phase is wrong -- halt and re-enter Phase 3-5 of the SKILL.md procedure, or route to Phase 6 escalation.

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## 4. De-Escalation Grammar

After an `ESCALATED` verdict:

- Human disposition is received through the Charter channel, not back-channeled into E7 reasoning.
- E7 emits the next verdict fresh per SKILL.md Phase 0 pre-flight. It does NOT re-emit `ESCALATED` unless convergence-failure re-appears with distinct evidence.
- No verdict sequence like "ESCALATED then REOPEN-override" exists. Human disposition closes the escalation; Charter adjustment (if any) is external input to the next cycle.

---

## 5. Cross-Reference

- Composite-trigger decision rule: see `COMPOSITE_TRIGGER_SPEC.md`.
- Dwell, bound, ceremonial, and escalation gating: see `DWELL_AND_BOUND_RULES.md`.
- Why binary tokens (not advisory text): see `GOODHART_RESISTANCE_NOTES.md` on enforcement-surface contract.
