Our International Sports Arbitration Lawyers Can Guide You Through CAS Ad Hoc Disputes
On July 16, 2024, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) opened temporary offices in Paris for the 2024 Olympic Games (July 26, 2024, to August 11, 2024) to allow for an expedited dispute resolution process. This temporary tribunal has operated at every Summer and Winter Olympic Games since 1996. Offices are located within the Paris judicial court in the 17th arrondissement of Paris.
There are two temporary CAS Divisions: the CAS Ad Hoc Division and the CAS Anti-Doping Division (ADD). At Global Sports Advocates, our international sports arbitration lawyers handle cases before the Ad Hoc Division. Attorneys Paul Greene and Matt Kaiser have handled some of the more consequential CAS Ad Hoc cases of the past decade, including the Darya Klishina v. IAAF case in 2016 at the Rio Games.
Appearing Before the CAS Ad Hoc Division
Players who wish to bring a dispute before the CAS Ad Hoc Division can be represented by the sports arbitration and litigation attorney of their choice. After all internal legal remedies have been exhausted, your attorney will need to submit a written application to the CAS Court Office. The application needs to include information on how to contact you at the Olympic Games, as well as:
- A copy of the decision being challenged
- A statement of the facts and legal arguments related to the dispute
- Your request for relief
- If applicable, an application for a stay of the effects of the decision being challenged or for any urgent preliminary relief
- Any appropriate comments on the CAS basis for jurisdiction
There is no filing fee, as CAS arbitration is free for athletes.
After the Ad Hoc Division receives your application, the President will select the arbitrators. Cases are determined by a panel of three arbitrators or by a sole arbitrator. Presidents and arbitrators are experienced lawyers, judges, or professors who were selected for their extensive knowledge of sports law, anti-doping regulations, and/or arbitration. Their names were announced on June 11 in a CAS press release.
If your application is related to a pending arbitration, the President may assign your dispute to the Panel appointed to the first dispute.
A hearing will be held with all involved parties unless the Panel believes they have enough information available to make a decision without a formal hearing. Most hearings take place in person, but phone and video conference options are also available. Hearings will proceed even if one or both parties fail to attend or comply with instructions.
After all evidence has been reviewed at the hearing, the Panel will either make a final award or send the dispute to arbitration by regular CAS procedure. The Panel rules on disputes pursuant to the Olympic Charter, the applicable regulations, general principles of law, and the rules of law it deems applicable.
Decisions must be made within 24 hours, unless there is an exceptional circumstance. The decision is immediately enforceable, and there is no option for appeal.
You can review the full arbitration rules on the CAS website.