News & Events
News & Events
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…
Legal Blog & Publications, News, Sports, Sports 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…
Samuel Cuthbert recently acted for Motorsport UK in a multi-day inquest at Norfolk Coroners Court into the death of Angela Lucas. Angela Lucas was fatally injured, and died of severe head injuries during an endurance race at Snetterton Race Circuit. The jury found that the buckle of Mrs Lucas’ harness was not correctly located and if the buckle had been correctly located in line with the FIA regulations, it would not have been possible for the turnbuckle to be activated. The Coroner did not issue a Prevention of Future Deaths report. Motorsport UK said “This tragic accident is a stark reminder of the need to ensure that motorsport regulations are complied with and that safety equipment – in particular harnesses…
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…
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…
Victoria Brown has written an article for LawInSport on the topic of athlete welfare; ‘Bullying In The Weighing Room – Will Bryony Frost’s Case Mark A Sea Change For Sports?’ The willingness and capability of sports governing bodies to tackle discrimination and harassment in sport has long been topical and the case of English National Hunt jockey, Bryony Frost, is the latest in a long line of cases. Head of Sports Law team, Louis Weston, acted for the British Horseracing Authority in this disciplinary case against Robbie Dunne which resulted in a ban for bullying and harassment of Ms Frost and there is now cause for optimism that things may be changing. Victoria Brown has written an article for LawInSport…
Legal Blog & Publications, Sports 27 May, 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…
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…
Convicted paedophile Barry Bennell, is to give evidence for the first time, in the ongoing trial against Manchester City FC. James Counsell QC and Ben Bradley continue to act in this ongoing trial for eight victims. On Tuesday 30 November, Manchester City FC will open its case, relying on evidence from the perpetrator himself, Barry Bennell. Bennell is serving a 34-year prison sentence for around 90 separate sexual offences perpetrated against children. Bennell is likely to say that he played no part in Manchester City FC’s youth operations. The case will be the first time that Bennell has ever given live evidence about the circumstances surrounding his crimes; having elected not to give evidence (despite, at times, entering not guilty…
News, Personal Injury, Sports 29 Nov, 2021
James Counsell QC and Ben Bradley represent eight victims in the High Court, seeking damages from Manchester City FC after suffering sexual abuse from one of the country’s most prolific sex offenders. James and Ben represent eight claimants who were subjected to sexual abuse by Barry Bennell whilst they were playing for Manchester City FC junior or ‘feeder teams’. These teams were set up by the Defendant, Manchester City FC, for the purpose of seeking to recruit a steady source of highly talented young footballers who were then of an age (under 14) when they could not be formally signed up to schoolboy contracts. James told the Court that Barry Bennell was recruited by the Defendant to scout promising young…
News, Personal Injury, Sports 25 Oct, 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 Blog & Publications, Sports 5 May, 2021
Paul Rogers provides a health & safety perspective on how to manage a safe return of spectators to elite sport in his article for LawInSport. The Department for Culture Media & Sport announced a series of pilots to trial the safe return of spectators to stadiums. The aim of the pilots was to prepare for the full “socially distanced” return of sporting events from 1 October 2020 in England as stated in its guidance “Elite sport – return to competition: safe return of spectators”. Paul’s article considers the : How the safe return of spectators will be managed; What the implications are for sporting venues under Sections 2, 3 and 4 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974;…
Legal Blog & Publications, Sports 17 Aug, 2020
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