I fully disagree that IJs ignore Appendix M or "throw procedure to the wind." The IJs I've worked with follow the same process for all hearings, and that is basically what's spelled out in Appendix M.
I don't assert that all International Juries ignore procedure. I mean that International Juries are composed the way they are so that they are able to "cut to the chase" when necessary.
I once sat in (as a silent observer) on an International Jury at the Sunfish Worlds. A couple of the most senior judges in the area were the junior members of the Jury. The Chief Judge and the Jury Scribe were International Judges from Canada. They were phenomenally skilled. With just 5 minutes (or less) of testimony from each party, and only 5 minutes (or less) of deliberation, the Jury delivered their written decision, complete with diagram, rule analysis, and ISAF Case citations. It was the quickest and most thorough Protest Committee I have ever seen.
And no, the jury did not step through the procedure of Appendix M. With the number of protests filed (98 world-class competitors in a single start) summary justice was the only way to get through them each day.
If those guys held 3-minute hearings on the beach, I'd be confident in their decision.
