Field Fisher Waterhouse Partner Appointed to New National Anti-Doping Panel
19 March 2008
Matthew Lohn,
partner and head of Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP’s Public and Regulatory
Law Group, has been appointed to the newly established National
Anti-Doping Panel (NADP).
The NADP role is to make consistent, impartial
rulings where athletes are charged with anti-doping
violations. The panel, which begins work next month, will
take over the responsibility for anti-doping cases once an athlete
has been charged and has been given the opportunity to respond to
the charge.
The 16 strong panel includes a mix of senior
lawyers, doctors, scientists, sportsmen and women. It will
ensure that an athlete gets a fair hearing and that a proportionate
penalty which is in accordance with the World Anti-Doping Code, is
handed down for those found to be in breach of the rules. Sports
will need to amend their rules in order to give jurisdiction to the
NADP in cases involving alleged doping violations.
Partner, Matthew
Lohn advises regulatory bodies on all
aspects of their work and is highly regarded in relation to his
sports regulatory work as well as his
expertise in the field of healthcare. He advises professional
regulators on their registration and discipline functions and in
the sports arena, sits as a Chairman of
the Disciplinary Panel for the British Horseracing Authority, the
Rugby Football Union and Six Nations Rugby.
Field Fisher Waterhouse has a strong Sports Law Group with a range of sports clients
such as Sport England, the MCC and Tottenham Hotspur Football
Club.
Matthew Lohn, Field
Fisher Waterhouse said: “The creation of the NAPD will ensure that
the UK leads the way in the fight against drugs in sport. In
January 2009 a new version of the World Anti-Doping Code comes into
force, which gives tribunals more discretion over the sanctions
they hand down. This new, centralised tribunal system will be
important to ensure we achieve high quality, consistent
decisions.”
Peter Leaver QC is President of the NADP. The
National Anti-Doping Panel has been established by Sport
Resolutions (UK), the independent service provider contracted by UK
Sport to run the NADP Secretariat in support of Peter Leaver.
For further press information please
contact:
Louise Eckersley, PR Manager,
Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP on 020 7861 4120
Scarlett Yianni, PR Assistant,
Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP on 020 7861 4795