News & Events
News & Events
We are delighted to announce that our Head of Sports Law, Louis Weston, has been appointed to the Independent Ethics Board (IEB) of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) as an Independent UK Board Member. WADA is an international independent agency composed and funded by the Sports Movement and governments of the world. In 2021, WADA approved a Code of Ethics, recognising the importance of ensuring these high standards and establishing clear ethical standards over the activities of WADA Officials (as defined in the WADA Code of Ethics). These reforms included the creation of an Independent Ethics Board (IEB). Louis Weston has specialised in Sports Law for over 15 years and has appeared in many of the leading cases in the…
News 3 Jun, 2025
Louis Weston acted for the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) in resisting the appeal by Mark King Jones against a five-year ban for match fixing. Louis, the Head of Outer Temple’s Sports Law team acted for the WPBSA in resisting an appeal by snooker player Mark King against the finding that he had engaged in match fixing. The ban was handed down in November 2024 by an independent disciplinary committee, which Mr. King appealed against liability-only on multiple grounds. His appeal was dismissed on all grounds in a clear and helpful guide to how a sports law appellate body will address issues on review. The sanction that was imposed at the original hearing will stand. The full decision of…
News 16 May, 2025
Head of Outer Temple’s Sports Law team, Louis Weston has been published in the LawInSport magazine. The article acts as a guide for sports governing bodies on how they should put into effect anti-corruption policies and procedures governing the sport and the tournaments they deal with. Louis Weston’s article titled ‘Top 10 Tips for Sports Organisations & Tournament Organisers on Implementing Anti-Corruption Policies’ draws upon his experience having advised governing bodies in the UK and internationally on the structure and methods of policing sports related corruption. He has also acted as a prosecutor for many cases involving corruption, including for the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, the Darts Regulatory Authority, British Horseracing Authority, Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board and Jockey…
External Publications, News 4 Apr, 2025
Louis Weston acted for Table Tennis England in the prosecution of four players involved in betting on fixed outcomes in Table Tennis matches in Ukraine. Louis, the Head of Outer Temple’s Sports Law team acted for Table Tennis England in the case of players Luke Savill, Darius Knight, Joseph Langham-Ferreira and Kazeem Adeleke, where they were all found guilty of match fixing and unusual betting activity. The case arose from the match fixing by Australian Adam Green in 2021. The Gambling Commission began an investigation after receiving reports of unusual and suspicious betting activity from licensed operators on matches held in Ukraine in 2020 that were linked to British betting accounts. Table Tennis England collaborated with experts from the Gambling…
News 31 Mar, 2025
Louis Weston acted for the Darts Regulation Authority (DRA) in the prosecution of professional darts player Prakash Jiwa for betting offences and match fixing under DRA Rules. Louis, the Head of Outer Temple’s Sports Law team acted for the DRA in the case of Prakash Jiwa, where the player was found guilty of fixing four matches and betting on darts at a hearing before the Darts Regulation Authority Disciplinary Committee. The case arose from Mr Jiwa deliberately losing the matches for his associates to bet upon. Jiwa, a three time winner of the PDC Tour card, has been suspended for 8 years from the sport, and faced a fine of £17,741.46. The DRA said that the decision “sends a clear message…
News 24 Mar, 2025
Head of Outer Temple’s Sports Law team, Louis Weston has been published in the Sports Integrity chapter of the LawInSport Annual Review 2024/25 on betting and financial corruption. The chapter gives a comprehensive summary of events, linking the key issues and developments of the past year. Louis Weston reviewed the topic of betting and financial corruption. One quarter of the way through the first century of this millennium and, no surprise to Mr Sherlock Holmes, corrupters and the corrupt have not stopped trying to make illicit money from sport. The motives of money laundering, greed and envy drive the corrupt. The to and fro, the cat and mouse of the regulators, the state and the miscreants carried on globally with…
External Publications, News 20 Mar, 2025
Louis Weston acted for the Badminton World Federation (BWF) in the prosecution of Liew Daren and Jerry Gan for betting offences under the Rules of the BWF. Head of Outer Temple’s Sports Law team, Louis Weston represented the Badminton World Federation at an Independent Hearing Panel where former Malaysian badminton player Liew Daren and former National Sports Institute (ISN) performance analyst Jerry Gan were found guilty of betting violations and match-fixing. The case followed a hearing in Malaysia in May 2021, in which the Coach and Analyst were found to have bet on a series of badminton matches discovered by messages between them on phones. The decision of the BWF Independent Hearing Panel was published in December 2024 and both…
News 27 Jan, 2025
Louis Weston acted for the Darts Regulation Authority (DRA) in the prosecution of Leighton Bennett and Billy Warriner for numerous breaches of the DRA Rules, including match fixing. Louis, the Head of Outer Temple’s Sports Law Group acted for the Darts Regulation Authority in the case of Leighton Bennett and Billy Warriner. The case involved the rising star Leighton Bennett (aged 17) agreeing to fix a series of matches which were then bet on by Billy Warriner. After investigations following reported suspicious betting at a series of matches, the DRA Disciplinary Committee found both players guilty of the breaches of the DRA Rules. Mr Bennett was suspended for 8 years and Mr Warriner for 10 years. The decision of the…
News 24 Jan, 2025
Louis Weston acted for DP World Tour, in the prosecution of Marco Penge for betting offences under the Rules of the Tour in December 2024. Louis , Head of the Outer Temple’s Sports Law team, represented DP World Tour at an Independent Disciplinary Panel which found that Penge placed bets on multiple golf events in breach of Regulation 3(a)(i)* of the Programme. Penge did not bet on himself or on the progress of tournaments during days when he was participating, leading the panel to find that the integrity of such events had not been compromised. However, Penge was suspended from the Tour for a period of three months, of which one month was suspended for a period of 12 months…
News 21 Jan, 2025
Louis Weston acted for the Gymnastics Ethics Foundation (GEF) in the prosecution of the Azerbaijan Gymnastics Federation (AGF) and its Coaches regarding allegations of physical and psychological abuse of gymnasts in Azerbaijan. Louis Weston, Head of Outer Temple’s Sports Group, successfully acted for the GEF in the disciplinary proceedings against the Azerbaijan Gymnastics Federation, its former Head Coach Mariana Vasileva, Acting Head Coach Siyana Vasileva, Coach Evgeniya Vilyayeva and AGF Sport Director Natalia Bulanova for charges of alleged physical and psychological abuse against multiple rhythmic gymnasts in Azerbaijan between 2013 and 2021. The Gymnastics Ethics Foundation (GEF) was founded in January 2019 by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG), the world governing body for the sport of gymnastics. It now…
News 17 Jan, 2025
Event Date: 5 Dec, 2024
We look forward to our Third Annual Sanctions Forum ‘A Deep Dive into the Russia Regulations, US Sanctions & Sanctions in Sport’ taking place on Thursday, 5th December at The Reform Club. Outer Temple’s Sanctions experts, together with a line-up of renowned guest speakers will be discussing a range of sanctions related topics across 3 panels at our annual sanctions breakfast seminar. Topics: Panel 1 – Sanctions in Sport – from Football to Formula 1 Panel 2 – Down the Russia Regulations Rabbit Hole – pitfalls and peculiarities Panel 3 – US Sanctions – the New World Order Speakers: Louis Weston, Outer Temple Chambers Oliver Powell, Outer Temple Chambers Sophie O’Sullivan, Outer Temple Chambers Jeremy Scott-Joynt, Outer Temple Chambers Salomé Lemasson,…
Louis Weston successfully acted for the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) in the prosecution of former Northern Ireland Open champion, Mark King for match fixing, ending with a five year ban and an award of costs to the WPBSA of just under £70,000. Mark King was suspended by the WPBSA on 18th March 2023 after suspicious betting was reported on his match with Joe Perry on 13 February, 2023 at the Welsh Open. King, who denied the charges in the case, has until 28 November 2024 to appeal against the decisions of the independent disciplinary committee, which also ordered him to pay £68,000 costs. Reasons for the liability and sanction decisions will follow in due course. To read…
News 18 Nov, 2024
