Dr Emir Crowne has described the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission (JADCO) as disrespectful for failing to attend its anti-doping hearing against national squash champion Julian Morrison on Thursday. This led to an early adjournment of the day’s proceedings.

Crowne, one of the legal representatives of Morrison, says JADCO has not only disrespected his client but also the Independent Anti-Doping Panel (IADP) with late notice of their absence from what was to be the start of their hearing.

Morrison, who JADCO provisionally suspended, is seeking to prove his innocence after testing positive for trace amounts of Boldenone, a banned anabolic substance, on January 28. Crowne and his partner Matthew Gayle’s defence of Morrison rests on the argument that the substance unintentionally entered his body through contamination.

The IADP received an email from Wilkinson Law just over an hour before the hearing set for 10:00 am on Thursday, notifying it that JADCO and its legal representatives, led by King’s Council Ian Wilkinson, would be unable to attend because neither the date nor time was convenient to either because of court hearings and previously scheduled engagements.

The IADP had however notified JADCO of the date and time for the hearing days prior.

The hearing on Thursday was earmarked for deciding dates for subsequent sessions regarding the filing of statements, evidence, and scheduling for the substantive hearing of the matter.

Crowne, when addressing the IADP at the hearing, said the communication from JADCO was beyond late.

“How JADCO, which is a sophisticated entity, with multiple people that could possibly represent the organisation itself, was unavailable was quite frankly disrespectful to the panel and to the athlete,” he said.

Crowne mentioned that this was the second belated communication from JADCO, saying that during the recusal process of the hearing, JADCO behaved poorly with its submissions.

“They tossed submissions across the line, in complete disregard of the panel’s orders literally a day before the hearing,” he said. “And now, the day of the hearing JADCO said the notice was short.

“We all received notice on Monday — notice was not short by any means. And again, it’s the athlete that suffers. JADCO itself is behaving in an unruly manner. The athlete has been banned, cannot train, cannot compete, and cannot qualify [for the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028], and he’s in limbo.

“If the situation were reversed — if the athlete didn’t show up, without representation, JADCO would say, ‘Our rules provide that the athlete has waived his right to a hearing and we proceed’.”

Crowne said the situation was unfortunate given the time set aside by all present. He says this has also affected his other affairs, including a legal hearing regarding another client, national hammer thrower Nayoka Clunis, who has filed an appeal regarding her Olympic team status with the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s Ad Hoc Division on Wednesday.

“During this call, I’ve declined calls from international bodies to be present,” he said. “If JADCO can’t afford that scant courtesy to the panel or the athlete, at a minimum, that should be recorded and noted.”

IADP’s chairperson, Catherine Minto, agreed with Crowne, saying she too was surprised that it took JADCO’s council three days to indicate a challenge with the date. She shared her disappointment with the outcome of the day’s events.

“Had they alerted the secretariat on Monday or Tuesday, we could have at least canvassed some dates knowing full well that the athlete is on suspension,” she said. “I have stressed this at every hearing that we should all do our best — all parties, we all have other obligations — to make ourselves available to advance this matter as promptly as possible.”

Minto said the panel would ensure that the secretariat crafts the appropriate response to JADCO’s council. She said the IADP has already sent an email indicating that he should canvass dates within the next seven days.

Minto said she was not minded to fix dates relating to when JADCO would participate with statements, evidence, and affidavits.

“That would only encourage them, as far as I’m concerned, to continue to breach the orders that the panel has made,” she said. “Of course, we will hear that the orders were made in their absence, hence their inability to comply with the orders.”

Minto said that the panel would have tried to confirm new dates by the end of Thursday’s business day, but the Jamaica Observer understands that no updates regarding such were given at press time.

Dr Donovan Calder and Dean Martin complete the IADP.