LAW5438 · Sports law

Overview

This Unit examines the governance of sport through multiple lenses: public policy, regulatory and legal, and at both a national and transnational level. The Unit begins by examining the place of sport in society, and how sports' social, cultural, economic and political importance shapes government policy towards it. Next the Unit will examine how this balance translates into a regulatory system of great sophistication: private and public; decentred and networked; and national and transnational. The Unit then explores how these policy and regulatory settings have influenced the development and application of the law to sport. In this regard, the Unit explores what has become known as "sports law" that covers both: • traditional legal concepts applied to sport (including contract and employment law to sports persons' employment contracts and collective bargaining agreements; competition, equal opportunity and anti-discrimination law to the rules and practices by which sporting competitions are organised and conducted; and criminal and torts law to on-field violence and sports related injuries); and • sport specific rules and institutions (including sports' anti-doping codes and institutions, rules concerning corruption, gambling and match-fixing, and sports' system of tribunals and dispute resolution). Finally, the Unit concludes by considering what insights and lessons can be drawn from the governance of sport to inform the development of regulatory systems and law making more broadly.

Offerings

The Handbook publishes no offerings for this unit.

Assessment

The Handbook lists an examination for this unit.

Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.

Requisites

Learning outcomes

1. Demonstrate an understanding of sports’ economic, socio-cultural and political contexts, and explain how these have shaped the development of sports governance and regulatory frameworks and the application of the law to them.
2. Interpret and apply the body of law known as "sports law".
3. Apply legal reasoning and critical evaluation skills in order to deconstruct complex real-world issues, scenarios and problems, and generate coherent and persuasive responses to them.
4. Research, synthesise and analyse issues, scenarios and problems relating to the governance and regulation of sports and the application of the law to them.
5. Communicate ideas and arguments clearly, concisely and persuasively relating to the governance and regulation of sport and the practice of "sports law" and its future direction.

Workload

Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit typically comprises of a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study applicable to a 6 credit point unit. Learning activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning, and online engagement.

Student experience, not official rules. Nothing here changes what the Handbook says.