Sport

Background

Fair proceedings that respect athlete’s rights to a fair hearing within a reasonable time by an impartial hearing panel are essential to the proper administration of justice, including in the fight against doping. The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe has adopted a Recommendation to strengthen the human rights principles in anti-doping procedures and to ensure the full implementation of Article 6 of the European Convention of Human Rights. A fair trial in the anti-doping context requires an independent investigation and competent jurisdictions, the right to be heard and to have an effective defence, public hearings, and the publication of decisions.

Objectives

The Riga Conference will allow to study the national and international anti-doping procedures and identify good practices and possible gaps. It will focus on the following principles – access to justice, independence and impartiality of the Panel, public nature of the procedure and right to an effective defence. The Conference is aimed at practitioners involved in anti-doping proceedings, from anti-doping organisations, disciplinary and appeal bodies, lawyers, academics as well as athletes and their representatives.