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Centre for Commercial Law Studies

International Sports Arbitration

Four athletes running through water

Build your expertise on the legal and practical aspects of contemporary sporting disputes.

The Centre for Commercial Law Studies, Queen Mary University of London, is pleased to offer a new Executive Education course on International Sports Arbitration. Designed for legal practitioners and those wishing to develop a better understanding of modern-day sporting disputes arising out of professional and elite sporting competitions and environments.

Key information

When: 17-20 June 2024, 24-27 June 2024

Location: The Centre for Commercial Law Studies, Lincoln's Inns Fields, London

Fee: £1,850

Course description and aims

This two-week executive education course will help you build upon existing expertise and knowledge of the world of sport, types of sporting disputes and the various forums which address these disputes, including aspects of jurisdiction, the seat of arbitration and the role of the Court of Arbitration for Sport and the Swiss Federal Tribunal. Overall the course focuses on the legal and practical aspects of contemporary sporting disputes that are of critical importance to the sports administrator, or the sports law practitioner.

This course will develop your understanding of:

  • the political and legal foundations of modern sport and how participation in sport is regulated internationally and domestically;
  • the ‘sporting contract’;
  • ‘sporting disputes’ and the lex ludorem (the law of games);
  • how sporting disputes are determined or resolved, whether it be through arbitration, before statutory tribunals, domestic tribunals or mediation; and
  • the entire process from beginning to end as to how sporting disputes arise and are finally addressed.

The course is taught interactively, in-person and class discussions and debates are frequently embarked upon on topics ranging from ‘sport and politics’ to ‘doping’ or ‘match-fixing’ and more recently, ‘gender issues in sport’.

At the conclusion of the course, participants should have a comprehensive understanding of sporting disputes and how they are determined and should also have the tools to confidently address and respond to sporting disputes, whether it be in their role as a sports lawyer, sports administrator, or a government or regulatory official.

Delivery Format

The course will be taught over 2 weeks, Monday-Thursday 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. between 17 June and 27 June 2024.  

Day One
  • The organisation and politics of international sport
  • Sport and the Law
Day Two
  • The sporting contract
  • Sports arbitration generally
  • The Court of Arbitration for Sport (Introduction)
Day Three
  • Doping (Part 1): The World Anti-Doping Code - History and Origins
  • Doping (Part 2): Anti-Doping Rule Violations
Day Four
  • Doping (Part 3): Defences and Sanctions
Day Five
  • Integrity and Match-Fixing
  • Conduct (On Field)
  • Conduct (Off Field)
Day Six
  • Eligibility
  • Selection
  • Sex and Gender
  • Field of Play/Game Rule
Day Seven
  • The Court of Arbitration for Sport: Rules and Procedure
  • Commencement of arbitral proceedings
  • The arbitration hearing
Day Eight
  • The Sports Arbitration Award
  • Challenging CAS Awards
  • Pechstein: A German Case Study
  • The Essendon 34: An Australian Case Study
  • Domestic Tribunals (and Judicial Review)

Participants

The programme is designed for legal practitioners, sports administrators, insurers, arbitrators, civil servants and university graduates in law, sports administration and business, who wish to develop a better understanding of modern-day sporting disputes arising out of professional and elite sporting competitions and environments.

To gain the most out of this course, an interest in sport and how participation in sport is regulated and administered is essential and a curiosity as to how the law responds to sporting disputes (between athlete and sports organisation, or between sports organisations) is desirable.

You will be awarded a Certificate of Participation upon successful completion of the programme.

Speakers

Paul Hayes KC FCIArb (Course Director) has successfully practised in the field of sports law and arbitration for over 30 years and has appeared in many of the world’s leading sports law cases as Counsel, as determined by the Court of Arbitration of Sport. He has also presided over important international sports arbitrations and inquiries and has been highlighted by Who’s Who Legal in 2021, 2022 and 2023 as a ‘global thought leader’ in international sports law.

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If you have any questions about any of our courses, get in touch:

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Join our mailing list

Register your interest and join our mailing list:

Register now

Get in touch

If you have any questions about any of our courses, get in touch:

Email us
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