LAW 3533 - Sports Law

In the last fifty years, sports law has emerged as one of the most important and controversial fields of law. It overlaps with contract law, employment law, competition law, intellectual property law, criminal law, tort law and many other fields. There are also many legal issues specific to sport such as policy responses to doping and drug use, athlete behaviour and discipline, corruption, and selection processes. This course will examine a number of these legal fields in the sporting context and analyse the way in which sport and the law interact. The course will provide an overview of some of the unique legal issues which arise in modern elite and professional sports at a national and international level. Topics covered will include: national and international governance of sport and sporting organisations; employment and contract law issues concerning elite athletes; discrimination in sport; IP and marketing; labour market controls and issues such as salary caps; animals in sport; disciplinary tribunals and the regulation of athlete behaviour; anti-doping policy and cases; restrictive trade practices; and civil/criminal liability for sporting injuries.