Sports, Leisure and Coaching Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Sports, Leisure and Coaching Law - Essay Example The initial outlines for the concept contained provision for the arbitration procedure to include an attempt to reach a settlement beforehand. It was also intended that the IOC should bear all the operating costs of the court. Right from the start, it was established that the jurisdiction of the CAS should in no way be imposed on athletes or federations, but remain freely available to the parties.†i The main reason for setting up such an arbitral institution was the need to create a specialized authority capable of settling international disputes and offering a flexible, quick and inexpensive procedure. The CAS is also known by its French name, Tribunal Arbitral du Sport (TAS). The CAS has its headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland but has two other courts in Sydney, Australia and Denver, Colorado. The CAS also has the authority to set up courts in other countries, which it does during the Olympics. The language for the CAS is either French or English. Until 1991-92, a wide range of cases involving issues such as the nationality of athletes and contracts concerning employment, televisions rights, sponsorship and licensing were submitted to the CAS. Subsequently numerous doping cases were also brought before the CAS.ii After that a new development occurred wherein the structure of the CAS was evolved. The CAS became more independent of the IOC, both in organization and financial terms. The International Council of Arbitration (ICAS) is the supreme body of the CAS. The main task of the ICAS is to safeguard the independence of the CAS and the rights of the parties. It is concerned with the administration and financing of the CAS. The ICAS is composed of 20 members who are all high level jurists well-acquainted with the issues of arbitration and sports law.iii The CAS is an institution that is independent of any other sports organization and was