Can a managing editor replace the editor on a paper or remove them from the editorial board? Let's assume that a journal editor has been allocated a submission, started reviewing it himself, but stopped responding to the managing editor (= you) despite a long time since the authors had sent the submission (a little less than 3 years). The submission is longer than each of the papers accepted during the last 5 years, but historically, even longer papers were accepted. The authors were aware of the length issue, but they were concerned. The editor's Web page got updated (say, new teaching contents appears), so, he/she is  presumably still alive, but simply unresponsive.

Let's further assume that you've waited long enough (say, 1 month), tried to give them editor a call, but got no response at all.

Is it the managing editor's (= your) responsibility to replace the editor for the paper? And is it your task to get him/her off the editorial board?  What is the typical in the field of computer science?
Yes, a managing editor (which I'm using as a term synonymous to "editor-in-chief" etc - basically members of the editorial board with more responsibility) can replace the editor assigned to a paper or remove them from the editorial board.

Perhaps the more pertinent question is: if the managing editor doesn't do it, who will?


The editor is not going to remove himself/herself from the editorial board - after all they're already inactive.
The publisher is not likely to do anything without approval from the editorial board. In special circumstances they can, but doing so is a nuclear option that will leave a lot of bad feelings among the remaining editors and is therefore usually avoided.
Obviously the authors and the peer reviewers can't do anything about it.


Therefore the managing editor must do it. Nobody else will.