Role of Examiners Meetings

Recently I was asked about the assessment process by a lecturer who was uncomfortable with a rigid mechanical marking process, where students they though should pass had been failed for not getting the required 50% So I described the process I was used to taking part in at the end of each semester: the "examiners meeting", which I assumed every university used. Each examiner has to justify the grades of all their students to their peers. Usually the marks of the top students and those failing are looked at most closely. It is common for one of the meeting to ask to see the results for other courses for a student, if they think that student should not be failed on one course. Examiners are frequently sent off to review marks where they appear to be inconsistent.