text: The panel that cleared Inverness defender Josh Meekings to play in the William Hill Scottish Cup final did not even consider his handball, the Scottish Football Association has revealed. Meekings saw his cup-final ban thrown out by a judicial panel tribunal on Thursday after Caley Thistle challenged his one-game suspension for denying Celtic an obvious goalscoring opportunity by deliberate handball. And it has emerged the Highland club's lawyers successfully argued that SFA compliance officer Tony McGlennan had no right to bring the case because match officials had seen the incident where Meekings stopped a Leigh Griffiths header during his side's 3-2 win over Celtic on Sunday. Inverness defender Josh Meekings will be allowed to appear in Scottish Cup final after his ban was dismissed . Meekings was not sent off and no penalty was given as Inverness went on to beat Celtic 3-2 after extra-time . The SFA published the reasons given by the chair of the three-man panel. They read: 'Further to the judicial panel hearing yesterday involving Josh Meekings, the panel considered initial submissions from Mr Meekings' solicitor. 'In particular it was argued by him that under protocol 13.4.1.1 the judicial panel was not entitled to determine the matter. 'The panel considered that as the incident (but not the actual alleged sending-off offence of handball) had been seen by one or more of the officials it was not entitled to consider the matter further. PFA Scotland chief executive Fraser Wishart had warned before the verdict that the SFA was veering into dangerous territory . 'It accordingly dismissed the complaint without any consideration of the merits of the incident or the decision arrived at by the referee.' The decision could effectively blunt the SFA's powers to bring retrospective cases against players, unless an incident has been completely missed by all match officials. Players have previously been cited for diving to win penalties. The rule states that the compliance officer can bring cases for alleged sending-off offences 'not seen by match officials'. The Meekings case was brought because referee Steven McLean and his team had not seen the ball hit the defender's hand. PFA Scotland chief executive Fraser Wishart had warned before the verdict that the SFA was veering into dangerous territory. He said: 'I think you have seen this week from the reaction of players across the country, players have no problem with video evidence being used for incidents that genuinely haven't been seen by the referee. 'Maybe a punch behind the referee's back and fly kick when the ball is away. 'But we think, if the rule has been extended, then it is now erring into re-refereeing a game on a Monday. 'That's not the purpose of video evidence. That's why the English FA and FIFA and UEFA steer away from that. The referee could see the incident on Sunday, he just didn't see the handball.'
target: Inverness defender Josh Meekings won appeal against one-match ban .
  The 22-year-old was offered one-game suspension following incident .
  However, an independent judicial panel tribunal overturned decision .
  Inverness reached the Scottish Cup final with 3-2 win over Celtic .