Corruption, Anti-Doping and other misconduct
Our Counsel have prosecuted and represented individual athletes, football and rugby players and clubs, national and international sporting associations and regulatory bodies.
Our Counsel regularly prosecute or defend in a range of sports from Horseracing in the UK and Ireland, greyhound Racing, Football, Snooker, Rugby and Gymnastics.
Our Counsel have achieved recognition in the directories for their excellence in the sport sector and appear in the leading cases in sports discipline.
Members of chambers have acted in some of the most significant sports disciplinary cases of the past decade, including acting for the BHA in the cases of Best, Eddie Ahern, Greenwood and McKeown (also in the Courts), for the Turf Club in the prosecution of O’Connell, for the WPBSA in the prosecution of Stephen Lee, for the manager Nick Bunyard before the FA and for the speedway rider Darcy Ward before FIM and in the Courts in the greyhound case of Chris Cronin in the Court of Appeal.
Our Sports Barristers...
King's Counsel
Junior Counsel
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3PB sports, employment and professional discipline barrister Gareth Graham (pictured here) has been appointed as one of the new chairs for the British Horseracing Authority's (BHA) independent Judicial Panel, which encompasses the Disciplinary Panel, Appeal Board and Licensing Committee. The Judicial Panel is established by the BHA as the pool of lawyers to hear all cases or appeals referred to it in connection with the Rules of Racing. Following a review of the Judicial Panel’s processes,...
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Sports and regulatory barrister Sam Shurey (2015 call), pictured here, has joined 3PB (3 Paper Buildings). Sam was formerly an in-house barrister at The Football Association (The FA), where he enjoyed a busy caseload including a wide range of disciplinary and safeguarding issues arising from youth, grassroots, non-league, Football League and Premier League football. Sam's work at The FA involved advising on, and appearing in, cases concerning on-field misconduct , betting related misconduct, discrimination, social...
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In his latest article for LawInSport, 3PB Sports barrister Graham Gilbert provides an in-depth analysis of the Chris Ashton disciplinary decision and examines the lessons it raises on sanctioning under RFU Regulation 19. Register for free on LawInSport’s website to read Graham’s analysis. Click here to view Graham Gilbert’s profile.
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Louis Weston, Head of the 3PB Sports Group, represented the Badminton World Federation (BWF) in the prosecution of the top players Zulfadli Zulkiffli and Tan Chun Seang for match fixing and point fixing. Following a hearing in February in Singapore, the two players, who contested the charges were found in breach and suspended for 20 years and 15 years respectively, as well as fined. The case involved the evidence of a player who had been...
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In his latest article for LawInSport, sports barrister Graham Gilbert reviews the cases of Dale Swift, Graham Gibbons and Dan Evans and, in doing so, provides an overview and brief comparison of the relevant anti-doping rules. Please click here to read Graham's analysis. To view Graham's profile, please click here.
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Sports Barrister Graham Gilbert was Junior to Tim Naylor, the BHA’s Head of Regulation, in the independent disciplinary panel considering whether Jockey Hayley Turner had broken the Rules of Racing on the grounds of bets placing. For more information on the hearing, please click here. The case attracted press coverage in The Guardian, SBC News and the BBC among others.
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Sports Barrister Graham Gilbert has represented the BHA in a disciplinary panel concerning Jockey Dale Swift and his testing positive for the use of cocaine. For more information on the hearing, please click here. The case attracted press coverage in The Times and from the BBC among others.
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Sports Barrister Graham Gilbert has represented the BHA in a disciplinary panel involving Rebecca Bastiman, following her horse Big Red being administered a Prohibited Substance. For more information on the hearing, please click here.
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Sports Barrister Graham Gilbert has represented the BHA twice in disciplinary panels involving trainer Dean Ivory. The disciplinary panel in Dean Ivory - Links Drive Lady concerned the cross-contamination of the horse with hayfever medicine, as a result of contacts between the horse and her keepers, who were using hayfever medicine to alleviate their symptoms at the time. The disciplinary panel in Dean Ivory - Wotadoll involved the cross-contamination of Wotadoll with O-desmethyltramadol, a metabolite of tramadol which...
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3PB head of sports Louis Weston and sports barrister Gemma White have written an article for LawInSport calling for a unified approach to sanctions for corruption offences across sports disciplines. While the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) has well known codified sanctions for doping violations, there is no consistency of punishment between sports for players or participants who breach anti-corruption or betting rules. Louis and Gemma's article examines the extent of the disparities, the reasons...
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