News & Events
News & Events
Join our Sports Team Members at Outer Temple Chambers for an evening of discussions on Regulation in Football. You are invited to join OTC’s Sports Team members’ Sarah Crowther KC, Louis Weston and Samuel Cuthbert at Outer Temple Chambers for an evening of discussions on Regulation in Football with David Winnie of Burlingtons LLP, Lloyd Thomas of Brighton & Hove Albion and Daniel McDonagh of Charles Russell Speechlys LLP. Topics of discussion will include: the FIFA Football Agent Regulations, the Bosman Ruling, central regulation in football, multi-club ownership models, and the uses and pitfalls of Rule K. Agenda 4.30pm – Registration (tea and coffee on arrival)5pm – Introduction by Louis Weston outlining some of the key regulatory trends in football5.15pm…
Events 7 Aug, 2023
Louis Weston, who leads the OTC Sports Law Group, acted for the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board in opposing the appeal of Ronan McNally against being found in breach and the length of his 12-year suspension, the longest in Irish racing. Louis Weston, who leads the Sports Law Group, acted for the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board with Caoimhe Daly, BL, in opposing the appeal of Ronan McNally against being found in breach and the length of his 12 year suspension, the longest in Irish racing. The IHRB’s Appeal Body has dismissed the appeal against breach and suspended the last 4 years of the suspension to give Mr McNally ‘opportunity and motivation to mend his ways’, and awarded the IHRB its costs.…
News 23 Jun, 2023
Louis Weston, who leads the Sports Law Group, acted for the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) in the prosecution of 10 snooker players for match-fixing and betting offences. The case which was heard over 4 days in April and May 2023, has resulted in each of the 10 players being found in breach of the WPBSA Member Rules and suspensions being imposed on all of them. The principal offenders Liang Wenbo and Li Hang both have been banned for life and other players suspended for periods of between 1.75 and 5.33 years. These are the heaviest sanctions in the sport of snooker, and follow on from its most complicated and substantial case and investigation. All 10 players have until…
News 6 Jun, 2023
Head Coach of the Russian Rhythmic Team, Irina Viner, faces a lengthy ban after a decision in disciplinary proceedings by Gymnastics Ethics Foundation (GEF). Louis Weston acted on behalf of GEF. The GEF Disciplinary Commission Panel sanctioned the head coach of Russian rhythmic gymnastics, Ms Viner with a two year suspension and issued her Russian Member Federation, Artistic Gymnastics Federation of Russia, with a warning. The case Louis Weston, who heads up the Outer Temple Sports Law team acted for the Gymnastics Ethics Foundation in the prosecution of the Russian Rhythmic Gymnastics Head Coach and Member Federation. The proceedings related to the alleged retaliatory withdrawal of Ms Nataliya Kuzmina’s candidacy for the 2021 elections to the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique…
News 24 Apr, 2023
Two of Outer Temple’s specialist sports barristers, Louis Weston and Samuel Cuthbert, have been published in the Sports Integrity section of the LawInSport Yearbook 2022 on betting and corruption. The chapter identifies and reviews some of the notable cases and events in 2022 and discusses what trends might be drawn from them. This year, Louis Weston was joined by Samuel Cuthbert to review the topic of betting and corruption. As memories of the empty stadiums caused by COVID 19 have faded, the sporting calendar has found its feet once more. Like night follows day, with more professional sport has come more corruption, match manipulation and the detection and prosecution of cases left hovering by inability to travel and interview. This…
External Publications 7 Mar, 2023
You are invited to join Outer Temple Chambers and guests for an evening of talks around Integrity in Sport on Thursday 27th April 2023. This event will be held at Outer Temple Chambers and booking is required. Louis Weston will be joined by fellow OTC sports barrister, Samuel Cuthbert, Alastair Campbell of Level Law and Aja Hall of British Horseracing Authority to discuss: Integrity through technology Assessing outcomes in football betting cases Why betting evidence matters and the problems in obtaining that evidence The event will be chaired, with occasional observations, by Louis Weston. The discussions will be followed by networking drinks in Chambers. Book your place This event will be held in-person at Outer Temple Chambers. Places are limited…
Events 3 Mar, 2023
Former horseracing jockey Danny Brock faces a lengthy ban after the British Horseracing Authority instructed sports law specialist Louis Weston in this complicated race fixing case. The case The British Horseracing Authority’s independent disciplinary panel decided the fate of former jockey Danny Brock on Tuesday 17 January, issuing a ban after deciding he had deliberately stopped horses in three races. Louis Weston, aided by Tomás Nolan, a senior regulatory lawyer at BHA, argued that Brock was responsible for ‘fixing’ three races in 2018 and 2019 along with five other individuals including Sean McBride. There were a series of large bets staked and Louis relied on detailed analysis of videos and betting patterns after a widespread refusal by the respondents to…
News 19 Jan, 2023
An Independent Appeal Committee has upheld a decision relating to breaches of player eligibility in an appeal lodged by the Spanish Rugby Federation (FER). Louis Weston acted pro bono to advise the accused rugby player who was subject to the allegations of fraud and dishonesty. Louis Weston, Head of the OTC Sports Law Group, acted pro bono along with Olivia Amos of Northridge Law. They advised a rugby player who was subject to allegations of fraud and dishonesty by the Spanish Rugby Federation (FER), in it’s appeal against the decision of World Rugby’s Judicial Committee to dock points for fielding an ineligible player in World Cup Qualification. On the appeal FER, having contested the opposite at first instance when the…
News 27 Jun, 2022
Louis Weston recently acted for the British Horseracing Authority in the prosecution of two men charged with doping a horse at Newcastle Racecourse, resulting in 10 years disqualification and a nominal fine for the faultless trainer. The British Horseracing Authority instructed Head of the Sports Law Team, Louis Weston, to act on their behalf at the hearing of Neil Waggot and Stephen Walker, two stable hands employed by Newcastle Racecourse. The hearing centred around alleged doping of horses in 2018. Ladies First was a favourite to win at Newcastle but was well beaten by 22 lengths and later tested positive for Timolol, a beta blocker. CCTV footage showed Waggot and Walker acting suspiciously and appearing to administer something to the…
News 28 Jan, 2022
Professional horseracing jockey Freddie Tylicki brought a Personal Injury Action for liability only against his fellow jockey, Graham Gibbons after a collision at Kempton in 2016 caused severe and life changing injuries. Louis Weston explains why this case is of interest to the sport. The Background The core issue of the legal dispute concerned the standard of care to be taken by a jockey racing in a competitive environment and, specifically, whether on this occasion the Defendant’s riding fell below that standard of care. The parties agreed that the standard was set in the case of Caldwell v Maguire [2001] EWCA Civ 1054 and that in particular it should be recognised that liability for sporting errors could not be established…
News 12 Jan, 2022
Louis Weston acted for the British Horseracing Authority in the disciplinary case against Robbie Dunne which resulted in an 18 month ban for bullying and harassment of Bryony Frost. The full reasons for the decision have now been published alongside a statement from the major stakeholders in the sport. Louis Weston represented the British Horseracing Authority at a disciplinary panel which decided today that jockey Robbie Dunne should receive an 18 month ban for acting in a violent or improper manner towards Britain’s most successful female rider, Bryony Frost, and acting in a way prejudicial to the sport. The disciplinary panel heard from Louis Weston that Robbie threatened to cause fellow rider Bryony serious physical harm and that he used…
News 6 Jan, 2022
Louis Weston acts for the BHA in the disciplinary case against Robbie Dunne relating to alleged bullying and harassment of Bryony Frost. Robbie Dunne appeared in front of a British Horse Racing panel on Tuesday 30th November 2021 to face allegations of acting in a violent or improper manner towards Britain’s most successful female rider, Bryony Frost, and acting in a way prejudicial to the sport. Robbie is charged with abusing, harassing and intimidating Bryony. The disciplinary panel has heard from Louis Weston that Robbie threatened to cause fellow ride Bryony serious physical harm and using “foul, sexually abusive and misogynistic language”. The jockey is accused of breaching two British Horseracing Authority rules in relation to each event at Uttoxeter,…
News 1 Dec, 2021