Biathlon: a day on the Disciplinary Committee for Julia Simon
Nearly two weeks after being given a suspended three-month prison sentence and fined €15,000 for theft and fraud by the criminal court inAlbertville (Savoie), Beaufort biathlete Julia Simon will appear before the French Ski Federation ‘s(FFS) national disciplinary committee on Thursday.
Article 2 of the FFS disciplinary regulations states that this commission is appointed by the Management Committee in compliance with strict rules of independence and incompatibility. The members, moreover, are chosen “for their competence in the legal field or in matters of sporting ethics and deontology”.
She may be assisted by her lawyer during the hearing.
Several other articles set out the procedure for the hearing that Julia Simon will have to face. Firstly, she may be accompanied by a lawyer at the hearing and may consult the report and the entire case file before the hearing. It is also possible for her to be heard by people of her choice , provided that she has given the names at least 48 hours before the hearing.
The session will begin with the presentation of the report and will end with a final speech by Julia Simon, as explained in article 15. After that, the deliberations will take place behind closed doors and the National Disciplinary Committee will take a “reasoned decision”, as article 17 reveals.
The decision must be announced within ten weeks. In this particular case, however, we imagine that things will move much more quickly to give Julia Simon a sporting horizon with less than a month to go before the start of the Olympic season.
No fewer than fifteen possible sanctions
Article 22 sets out the fifteen “applicable penalties”:
- a warning
- a reprimand
- a fine: where this fine is imposed on an individual, it may not exceed €45,000
- a time or points penalty
- downgrading
- non-approval of a sporting result
- suspension from the pitch or hall
- a temporary or permanent ban on taking part in sporting events organised or authorised by a federation
- a temporary or permanent ban from participating directly or indirectly in the organisation and running of sports competitions and events authorised by a delegated federation or organised by an approved federation
- a ban from holding office
- temporary withdrawal of the licence for the duration of the ban
- a ban on holding a licence with the federation or becoming a member for a period set by the federation
- deregistration
- ineligibility for a fixed term on the governing bodies
- removal from the register or disqualification from membership of a disciplinary body for a specified period
It is specified that “one or more sanctions may be chosen from among the sanctions listed in compliance with the principle of proportionality. They are imposed in consideration of the seriousness of the offence and the behaviour of the offender”. All of them, “other than a warning, reprimand or striking off, may be
suspended in whole or in part”, states article 25.
There is also a possibility of agreement : “The sanction(s) may, with the agreement of the person concerned, be replaced or supplemented by the performance, for a period which may not exceed one sporting season, of activities of general interest for the benefit of the federation, its decentralised bodies, the professional league or a sporting or charitable association”.
Lastly, the time limit for appeals is set at seven days, but “the appeal shall not have suspensive effect”, as Article 19 explains.
- “I admit to the facts”: Julia Simon admits to theft and fraud at her trial
- Julia Simon given three-month suspended prison sentence and fined €15,000 in bank card fraud case
- Sentencing of Julia Simon: reaction from the French Ski Federation, which “takes note” of the verdict
- Julia Simon case: FFS national disciplinary committee to meet on 6 November
- “Such behaviour may fall under the code of integrity”: Julia Simon could also be sanctioned by the Biathlon Integrity Unit
