News & Events
News & Events
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
Louis Weston, who heads up the Sports Group at Outer Temple, acted for the British Horseracing Association in resisting the appeal by the connections of Dragon Symbol against that horse being demoted to second place and Campanelle being declared the winner in the Commonwealth Cup Group 1 race at Ascot on 18 June 2021. Royal Ascot stewards decided to award the Commonwealth Cup to Campanelle after Dragon Symbol passed the post a head in front of Campanelle but hung right in the final furlong and a half, bumping Campanelle. This interference caused Dragon Symbol’s jockey, Oisin Murphy, to earn a careless-riding ban. In determining the question of the effect of the interference on Campanelle, the disciplinary panel considered that the…
News 11 Aug, 2021
Outer Temple Chambers and Irwin Mitchell recently hosted a lunch-time discussion on women in sport and the developing law. We were delighted to also be joined by Cliodhna Guy from the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board. Watch the webinar on-demand here. In June, Louis Weston chaired the second in our series of sports related lunchtime discussions. This event focused on women in sport. The Talks After an introduction by Louis, he welcomed Kylie Hutchison from Irwin Mitchell to talk about her experience as an elite Touch rugby player and Senior Associate in the International Serious Injury Team at Irwin Mitchell. Kylie presented ‘Caps and claims – balancing sporting and legal life’. Sarah Crowther QC presented ‘A level playing field? Is equal treatment enough for the safe…
Webinars & Recordings 8 Jul, 2021
Louis Weston authored LawInSport’s ‘Sports Integrity (Betting & Financial Corruption) – The Year In Review 2020/21’. Louis’s review identifies and reviews some of the notable cases and events in 2020/21 and discusses what trends might be drawn from them. Louis reviews key events, disciplinary decisions and the impact of coronavirus on betting and financial corruption. This year, Louis considers the effect that the worldwide Covid crisis has had on the world of sport. In the chapter, Louis covers: Two Key Themes Corruption cases and fights against it: Disciplinary and state police activity in tennis, Esports and around the world; Cases without criminal element; Organised crime in sports during a pandemic – ghost events; Match fixing and football betting cases; Governance…
Legal Blogs 5 May, 2021
On Tuesday 16th February, Outer Temple Chambers, Irwin Mitchell and guests held a lunch-time discussion on concussion, liability and litigation and sports law. The recording of the webinar is now available to watch. Outer Temple Chambers and Irwin Mitchell hosted a joint webinar to discuss the issue of sports related concussion and liability on Tuesday 16th February 2021. We were delighted to be joined by two external speakers for this event to explore the issue from all angles; Dr Michael Turner, a medical expert in this field, and David Denton, an ex-professional rugby player who was forced into early retirement due to a head injury. Agenda Introduction by Louis Weston (Chair) – Barrister, Outer Temple Chambers Concussion – the mechanism…
Webinars & Recordings 26 Feb, 2021
You are invited to join Outer Temple Chambers, Irwin Mitchell and guests for a lunch-time discussion on Tuesday 16th February on concussion, liability and litigation and sports law. Outer Temple Chambers and Irwin Mitchell will be hosting a joint webinar to discuss the issue of sports related concussion and liability on Tuesday 16th February 2021. We are delighted to be joined by two external speakers for this event to explore the issue from all angles; Dr Michael Turner, a medical expert in this field, and David Denton, an ex-professional rugby player who was forced into early retirement due to a head injury. Please join us for this unique event which we are sure will be invaluable to all sports law…
Events 5 Feb, 2021
Outer Temple Chambers was delighted to join the LawInSport Annual Conference in November 2020, where James Counsell QC, Sarah Crowther QC and Louis Weston spoke at this leading sports event. The 6th Annual LawInSport Conference, ‘Understand The Rules of The Game 2020’, included over 50 speakers from more than ten countries, discussing and debating 18 topics, over two weeks. This “must attend” sports law conference was one not to be missed. As leading experts in their field, James Counsell QC, Sarah Crowther QC and Louis Weston were invited to join the list of speakers and panelists. The Talks Sarah Crowther QC was a panelist on the in-house counsel forum for work developments and effective practices; ‘What legal and governance lessons have…
News 30 Nov, 2020
