The suspension of Jamaican judoka Ebony Drysdale-Daley by the Jamaica Judo Federation (JJA) has been overturned following a hearing by the Appeals Committee last week. The committee ruled that the federation failed to follow proper procedures in enforcing its Vexatious Complaints and Unacceptable Behaviour Policy, resulting in an invalid disciplinary process.

The Appeals Committee, chaired by Rashid Hall and Lyle-Anthony Golding, convened on October 14, 2024, to hear the appeal submitted by Drysdale-Daley, who had been handed a one-year suspension by the JJA for allegedly violating its Code of Ethics. The suspension, which was originally set for the period June 13, 2024 to June 12, 2025, had been imposed by the JJA’s Executive Committee, which included President Dwayne Barnett, Vice-President Marvin Anthony Rickards, and Treasurer Fernando Gonzalves.

During the hearing, Drysdale-Daley was represented by Dr. Emir Crowne, Matthew Gayle, Jason Jones, and Sayeed Bernard, while Dwayne Barnett represented the JJA.

The case centered around the JJA’s use of its Vexatious Complaints and Unacceptable Behaviour Policy to justify Drysdale-Daley’s suspension and the decision to conduct a disciplinary hearing without her being present. However, the Appeals Committee found significant procedural flaws in the federation’s handling of the case.

Drysdale-Daley, who became Jamaica’s first judoka to compete at an Olympic Games in Tokyo 2020, claimed the JJA initially registered her for an event in Lima, Peru, but later removed her, depriving her of the opportunity to challenge Ashley McKenzie for the sole available judo spot for Jamaica. McKenzie had secured a silver medal at the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games last year.

“They have removed me from the competition registry. I feel the Jamaican Judo Association has favoured the other athlete in contention over me. They have effectively secured the other athlete’s qualification ahead of mine by blocking me from this final tournament, of which I have paid flights for,” Drysdale-Daley said.

The Dwayne Barnett-led JJA, in a statement, firmly denied these accusations, asserting that the federation’s decisions were based on adherence to deadlines and procedures, including missed Anti-Doping tests, which Drysdale-Daley reportedly failed to attend.

“The JJA categorically refutes any claims of impropriety or personal interests influencing the selection process. The General Secretary and other mentioned individuals have no personal or vested interests that would compromise the integrity of these processes,” the statement read.

She was subsequently suspended.

One of the key issues identified was the failure to exhaust all reasonable measures before invoking the policy, as outlined in Point 1.4 of the policy, which mandates that it should be used "only as a last resort." The Appeals Committee determined that there were no attempts by the JJA to resolve the matter through informal channels or standard procedures before resorting to disciplinary action.

Additionally, the Appeals Committee found that Drysdale-Daley was not properly notified or given an opportunity to address the situation before sanctions were applied, violating Point 4.2 of the policy. This failure to follow due process rendered the JJA’s decision invalid.

Further scrutiny of the JJA’s Statutes also revealed that Drysdale-Daley had not been formally invited to appear before the Executive Committee to address the accusations against her, as required by Article 17. This failure to follow the association’s own statutes constituted another breach, further invalidating the suspension.

In its ruling, the Appeals Committee concluded that the Jamaica Judo Federation had not adhered to the correct procedures in both invoking the Vexatious Complaints and Unacceptable Behaviour Policy and enforcing its Statutes. Consequently, the committee overturned the suspension and ordered Drysdale-Daley's immediate reinstatement as a member of the federation.