generally, i admit to dislike "ingenious" logical links created to present some ordinary in-game event as something which breaks rules.
for me, situation is simple: such dukes have sensible claims and appointing them looks rather natural. if you would forbid reappointment after auto-pausing, that would be serious push about ir, isn't it? someone can auto-pause for whatever reason and if his ic claims and reasons are still strong, there is no ground to forbid reappointment.
all this you hear from someone who heartedly advocate more push to dukes.
however, i am advocating more push for dukes to be more interactive, not login-active. i think these two terms always need strong separation, and every experienced player should care to hold that distinction in his/her mind.
