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Sports law & governance: widening the net?

23 July 2021 / David Mayor , Alastair Gillespie
Issue: 7942 / Categories: Features , Governance , Sports law
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When problems crop up in the sporting world, its governing bodies can no longer rely on lack of knowledge, say David Mayor & Alastair Gillespie
  • Sports governing bodies must ensure that they are proactively enforcing a positive culture at every level; otherwise, they will face claims of responsibility or vicarious liability when allegations of abuse and discrimination arise.

The recent case of Ollie Robinson has brought the nature of the relationship between governing bodies and the individuals for whom they are responsible into sharp focus. In June, on the very day that Mr Robinson made his debut for the England cricket team, it was revealed in the national media that nine years previously he had posted racist and sexist tweets. Amid the media frenzy, as some blamed the naivety of youth and others called for a variety of punishments to be meted out, the governing body of cricket in this country, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), announced that it would be conducting a thorough investigation.

The

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Hugh James—Phil Edwards

Hugh James—Phil Edwards

Serious injury teambolstered by high-profile partner hire

Freeths—Melanie Stancliffe

Freeths—Melanie Stancliffe

Firm strengthens employment team with partner hire

DAC Beachcroft—Tim Barr

DAC Beachcroft—Tim Barr

Lawyers’ liability practice strengthened with partner appointment in London

NEWS
Tech companies will be legally required to prevent material that encourages or assists serious self-harm appearing on their platforms, under Online Safety Act 2023 regulations due to come into force in the autumn
Commercial leasehold, the defence of insanity and ‘consent’ in the criminal law are among the next tranche of projects for the Law Commission
The Bar has a culture of ‘impunity’ and ‘collusive bystanding’ in which making a complaint is deemed career-ending due to a ‘cohort of untouchables’ at the top, Baroness Harriet Harman KC has found
Lawyers have broadly welcomed plans to electronically tag up to 22,000 more offenders, scrap most prison terms below a year and make prisoners ‘earn’ early release
David Lammy, Ellie Reeves and Baroness Levitt have taken up office at the Ministry of Justice, following the cabinet reshuffle
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