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08 August 2025
Issue: 8128 / Categories: Legal News , Sports law , Arbitration , Regulatory , Human rights , EU , International
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NLJ this week: A power imbalance in sports arbitration?

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In Semenya v Switzerland, the European Court of Human Rights found that Switzerland violated Caster Semenya’s right to a fair hearing by failing to rigorously review a Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruling that upheld discriminatory testosterone regulations. Dr Estelle Ivanova of Valloni Attorneys at Law examines the ruling, in which the court criticised the structural imbalance in international sports arbitration where athletes face mandatory arbitration under rules set by powerful governing bodies, in this week's NLJ

The court held that states must apply heightened judicial scrutiny when civil rights of fundamental importance are at stake. The ruling pressures Switzerland—and potentially other jurisdictions—to reform their oversight of sports arbitration.

It also raises broader questions about the legitimacy of CAS and the need for procedural safeguards to protect athletes’ rights in a system dominated by regulatory authorities.

MOVERS & SHAKERS

DAC Beachcroft—Clare Dewar

DAC Beachcroft—Clare Dewar

DAC Beachcroft strengthens Scottish real estate capabilitywith partner appointment

Womble Bond Dickinson—Brendan Ryan

Womble Bond Dickinson—Brendan Ryan

Womble Bond Dickinson appoints Brendan Ryan as partner in Public Law Projects team

Parklane Plowden Chambers—five appointments

Parklane Plowden Chambers—five appointments

Parklane Plowden Chambers welcomes five new barristers

NEWS
Pro bono is celebrating a silver anniversary, with initiatives putting businesses and students at the heart of access to justice
Choosing the wrong expert can cost a clinical negligence claimant more than their case
Judges risk weakening their own independence by staying silent over government reforms, a leading public lawyer argues
A discount on damages does not automatically mean an equivalent haircut for legal costs in military deafness claims
Police powers targeting concealed identities at protests come with procedural conditions that could determine whether prosecutions succeed
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