An interview with Michael Beloff QC - described as one of the "Godfathers of Sports Law" - Episode 43

Tuesday, 31 January 2017

Part 1

Part 2

In this interview Michael Beloff QC, described by Legal 500 as the "The Godfather of Sports Law", talks to LawInSport CEO, Sean Cottrell, about his career in sports law and shares his views on a range of sports law matters.

This is a fascinating interview with one of the great minds in sports law. We have split the interview into two parts.

In part one, Michael discusses his career, the role of lawyers in sport, the use of legal experts to investigate corruption in sport and the role of bodies such as World Anti-Doping Agency and the Court of Arbitration for Sport and how he came to appointed Sir Anthony Hooper, the former Court of Appeal judge, to conduct the IAAF Independent investigation.

In part two, Michael discusses the potential for a collective of legal experts to help governing bodies to investigate corruption in sport, athlete representation on sports arbitration panels and sports boards, the changing role of lawyers in international sport, the one thing he would like to every sports governing body to implement, the future of good governance of sport and the need for the rules, regulations and disciplinary decisions of sports bodies to be publicly available.

Quick reference: Part 1

2.12 mins - How did you get into sports law? When you first starting working with sports clients was there such a thing as sports law? How has it developed over the years?

6.00 mins - Over the years, you've transitioned from representing sports clients to being an adjudicator for sports disciplinary disputes, including being and arbitrator for the Court of Arbitration for Sport, can you speak about how you managed this transition?

11.32 mins - How has that professionalism of sport changed the dynamic of disputes in sport and the skill set required to hear those disputes?

14.28 mins - What are the skills sets do you need to be a good adjudicator of sports disputes?

20.03 mins - Even though they are often criticised do would you agree that one of the benefit of the World Anti-Doing Code and the Court of Arbitration for sport is that so many countries and sports agree to adhere to an agreed set of principles? Do you see this as a benefits to sports law?

21.44 mins - Why did you appoint Sir Anthony Hooper, the former Court of Appeal judge, to conduct the IAAF Independent investigation?

25.14 mins - Do you think the use of independent investigators by international federations and governing bodies will increase in the future?

27.00 mins - Do you think other parties , such as sponsors, should contribute to anti-doping and anti-corruption programs?

Quick reference: Part 2

2.00 mins - Do you think scope and appetitive for a collective of leading lawyers, former judges, to help governing bodies to investigate corruption in sport?

6.05 mins - Do you think that we assume that sports bodies know how to access legal experts to sit on panels or run these investigations?

9.08 mins - What do you think about the argument (Brendan Schwab, Uni World Athletes) - due to the structure of ICAS (International Council of Arbitration for Sport) there is not enough athlete representation?

10.20 mins - Do you think this concept of a "women's quota" should be applied to athlete as an athlete quota for panels?

12.34 mins - Given the number of cases you have been involved with can you give an example of the most interesting cases as an advocate or adjudicator?

18.02 mins - How do you see the role of lawyers developing in international sport?

20.38 mins - If there was one thing you would change or insist every sports governing body implemented into their rules what would it be?

22.14 mins - What is going to dictate the future of good governance of sport?

27.46 mins - How much of sport is about entertainment and how of it is about genuine competition?

29.39 mins - How important to do you think it is that the rules, regulations and disciplinary decisions of sports bodies should be publicly available?

For more podcasts, videos, articles, events and news focused sports law visit LawInSport.com or follow us on Twitter @LawInSport. You can follow the host Sean Cottrell on Twitter at @spcott.

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