Attorneys representing Jamaican squash player Julian Morrison are raising strong objections to what they describe as an “unjustified and prejudicial” delay in the delivery of a decision by the independent panel hearing his anti-doping matter.

The challenge stems from a provisional suspension imposed by the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission (JADCO) after a January 18, 2024 out-of-competition test returned trace amounts of Boldenone, a banned anabolic agent. Morrison and his legal team insist that the positive test resulted from unintentional contamination, not deliberate use.

Nearly five months after the hearing concluded on December 13, 2024, no ruling has been issued by the Independent Anti-Doping Panel (IADP), leaving Morrison barred from competition and training — a situation that his lawyers say has now reached an intolerable level.

“I mean, I honestly, from our perspective, it is unacceptable for this panel to be trying to justify this level of delay through events that are happening concurrently with the delay,” said Matthew G.W. Gayle, one of Morrison’s attorneys while speaking with Sportsmax.TV.

“The athlete remains on a provisional ban. How could it possibly not be prejudicial to him and to his career for him to be kept hanging in limbo like this?

Dr Emir Crowne (left) and Matthew Gayle are decrying the delay in the ruling in Morrison's case.

“It’s disturbing to my mind that the panel is looking for excuses to justify the continued delay. They should be spending the time working on and rendering the decision in the shortest possible time.”

Gayle noted that there was a time when anti-doping panels delivered rulings shortly after oral arguments.

“You make your oral submissions and then the panel makes a decision on the spot. Now we've gotten to the stage where it's acceptable to be waiting months and months with no real prospect of knowing when the end of the wait is — I think it’s unacceptable.”

He warned that if Morrison is ultimately exonerated, the harm already done would be irreversible.

“If it is that they were to exonerate Morrison, he would have served this extended period of ban purely at their pleasure. And that’s surely not the purpose of the provisional ban. That is a totally improper use of the system as it’s set up today.

“Nothing should beat an accountable panel. They should look to be spending a day, two days, three days — at the outside chance of the most complicated of cases, maybe a week — before rendering a decision. We shouldn’t be looking at... I’ve stopped even counting, but it’s into the multiples of months. And that’s unacceptable.”

The hearing concluded on December 13, 2024. Morrison’s attorneys filed their closing submissions on January 10, 2025, while JADCO’s were submitted on January 16, after being granted a unilateral extension.

Since early March, Morrison’s legal team — comprising Dr. Emir Crowne, Gayle and Sayeed Bernard — has issued repeated requests for a ruling. On March 11, the IADP Secretariat confirmed the matter had been referred to the Chair. No decision followed.

Then, on April 24, panel representative Dionne Blair advised in writing: “The Chair has indicated that the written decision will be available on Monday, April 28, 2025.”

That deadline passed without a ruling. On May 5, Jhanelle Brown of the Secretariat advised: “The Chair has advised that the decision will be available tomorrow, May 6, 2025.”

After that deadline also lapsed, Dr. Crowne followed up on May 8, stating: “On two occasions we were promised the decision, could the Athlete please know the reasons for the delay?”

On May 9, panel attorney Catherine Minto responded: “An urgent matter developed regarding the State, and which has commanded my attention these last few days. I will revert shortly with a new timeline.”

That prompted Gayle’s formal response in writing: “I must say at this juncture, looking at the period of time that has lapsed since the hearing itself concluded and indeed when the submissions were filed, I am constrained to say that I do have grave concerns as to the effect on the athlete which results from this delay. Months have now passed while we await the decision of the panel; meanwhile, the provisional ban continues. How is this not highly prejudicial to the athlete? I call upon you to issue your decision forthwith and without any further prejudicial and unnecessary delay.”

Morrison, considered one of Jamaica’s top squash athletes, remains unable to compete or train without restriction. His legal team argues that the prolonged delay has not only harmed his career but is a breach of his right to a fair and timely adjudication under global anti-doping standards.

Main photo: Morrison (left) has been awaiting a decision since January 2025.