Case management hearing: JFF, BSJ back in court today
THE CASE management hearing for the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) and Beach Soccer Jamaica (BSJ) will begin today, and although JFF general secretary Dennis Chung is confident the court will eventually rule in the federation’s favour, he said another delay would be upsetting.
Last week the Court of Appeal denied the BSJ a second injunction to further delay the JFF election, set for Sunday, March 17. The BSJ is seeking to be returned as the rightful representative for Beach football, after the organisation was disenfranchised for another entity (Beach Football Jamaica Limited (BFJL), which the BSJ claims is an illegitimate organisation.
The BSJ had filed a complaint in the court and an injunction was placed on the original election, scheduled for January 14, but that was lifted when the parties returned to court recently to review the matter.
The JFF has maintained that the BSJ did not fulfil all its criteria, and that its decision to select the BFJL is constitutional and binding.
According to Chung, both parties will receive instructions as to how they will proceed when they go before the court this afternoon.
“The Court of Appeal will give us directions in terms of how we move forward with the case.
“I don’t want to say what will happen but there are constitutional provisions and FIFA requirements.
“We are confident about the situation. The injunction has been dismissed about three times, and we are confident that the constitutional process has been followed,” he said.
He revealed that he has communicated the new election date to FIFA and Concacaf, who are expected to have representatives at the election, and he admitted that another delay would be distressing.
“It would cause a lot of upset if it (election) didn’t happen because it stops members from exercising their right.
“FIFA and Concacaf are looking forward to the election. We are going to have representatives from overseas for the elective congress and those plans have been put in place.
“But I do not anticipate that there will be another delay. We are pretty confident we have followed the constitution. We will hear what the directions are from the Court of Appeal, and as soon as those directions are provided a release will be issued to say what the position is.”