Review Severity

Categories and Evidence

• Prefix messages with [defect], [policy mismatch] or [optional hardening].
• Defects require a concrete trigger, reachable path and material consequence.
• Policy mismatches cite binding clauses and source.
• Identify unproven harm as unproven.
• Optional hardening adds safeguards without a demonstrated defect or obligation.

Severity and Remedy

• Blocking: substantiated material defects, tests concealing them, or binding obligations affecting meaning or behavior.
• Advisory: optional hardening and presentation-only suggestions.
• A behavior-changing suggestion alone never establishes a blocker.
• Resolve mismatches through compliant code or authorized policy amendment and re-review.
• Reviewers cannot waive policy.
• Apply rules/simplicity.md to remedy cost and scope.

Merge Gate

• Any blocker → CHANGES_REQUESTED; otherwise APPROVED or COMMENTED.
• Retain both independent review gates.

Judge-Weighed Finding Carve-Out

• Narrow exception for merging with a blocking policy finding a weighing ruled defer or decline.
• Applies only when fixing costs more than the failure it prevents.
• Preconditions are binding: read skills/release/references/review-severity-carve-outs.md Judge-Weighed Finding Carve-Out before relying on it.
• Every other blocker is resolved before merge.

Split Reading From Acting

• Read all feedback under rules/reviewer-feedback-reading.md.
• Advisory → note it directly in the existing review conversation or authorized task record.
• Fold advisories into required same-surface fixes only without another push or check round.
• Advisories require no push, review round, issue, PR or delivery prerequisite.