International Sports And Human Rights Law

Catalog description

The intersection of sports with human rights law is a complex and multifaceted realm, encompassing individual physical exercise, competitive games, global competitions, and mega sporting events such as the Olympic Games and the FIFA World Cup. Despite sports' historical autonomy and the court’s traditional deference to sport’s governing bodies, national and international human rights regimes are increasingly paying attention to abuses taking place in the sports field. Sport relies on a rules-based system in all its facets, including athletes, fans, workers, volunteers, and local communities, as well as governments, businesses large and small, the media, and sports bodies. This seminar examines and unpacks human rights standards and legal commitments to show the diverse actors involved in sports business and/or governance and their human rights responsibilities and obligations. Understanding the diverse actors involved in sport business and/or governance and their human rights responsibilities and obligations. how human rights are impacted by sporting events or sports activities. Sports operate within a meticulously structured system, involving athletes, fans, workers, volunteers, communities, governments, businesses, media, and sports bodies, all bound by rules. The seminar will address issues such as the human rights of athletes, the basic right to participate in sports and physical activity, remedies for victims of human rights abuses tied to major global sporting events; discrimination against women, LGBTQI+ people, and persons with disabilities in sport; campaigns against racism and apartheid in sports; the existence of disciplinary systems in the sports movement and the growing number of situations and cases of potential or actual clashes between the running of competitions and human rights standards (e.g. individuals rights in the context of anti-doping, corruption, and match-fixing). In particular, the seminar will discuss cases decided by human rights courts, such as the European and Inter-American Courts of Human Rights (ECHR and IACtHR), and specialized sports arbitration mechanisms, notably the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).