We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 08 June 2012
In this article, Mark James and Guy Osborn discuss how the relationships between the various members of the Olympic Movement are governed by the Olympic Charter and the legal framework within which an edition of the Olympic Games is organised. The legal status of the Charter and its interpretation by the Court of Arbitration for Sport are examined to identify who is subject to its terms and how challenges to its requirements can be made. Finally, by using the UK legislation that has been enacted to regulate advertising and trading at London 2012, the far-reaching and sometimes unexpected reach of Olympic Law is explored.
1 For Beijing 2008, aggregate audiences were said to reach 4.7 billion, see Miah, A. and Garcia, B., 2010, ‘The Olympic Games: Imagining a new media legacy’, 15 British Academy ReviewGoogle Scholar 37; and projections suggest that London 2012 will be higher still.
2 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-17302068, last accessed 28 March 2012.
3 Rule 1 Olympic Charter, available at http://www.olympic.org/Documents/olympic_charter_en.pdf, last accessed 28 March 2012.
4 Rules 25 and 26 Olympic Charter.
5 Rule 27 Olympic Charter.
6 See further, http://www.teamgb.com, last accessed 28 March 2012.
7 Rules 25 and 27(2.1) Olympic Charter respectively.
8 Rules 25 and 27(2.6) Olympic Charter respectively.
9 Rule 1(3) Olympic Charter.
10 For further detail see Mark, James (2010) Sports Law, Basingstoke, Palgrave MacmillanGoogle Scholar, ch.14.
11 See further, Steve, Greenfield, Mark, James and Guy, Osborn, ‘The Olympics, the law and the contradictions of Olympism’ in Helen, Lenskyj and Stephen, Wagg (Eds), Palgrave Handbook of Olympic Studies, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan, 304–318Google Scholar.
12 Alexandre, Mestre (2009) The Law of the Olympic Games, The Hague, TMC Asser PressGoogle Scholar, 11.
13 See further http://www.tas-cas.org/history, last accessed 28 March 2012.
14 Gundel v FEI CAS 1992/A/63 available at http://jurisprudence.tas-cas.org/sites/CaseLaw/Shared%20Documents/63.pdf, last accessed 28 March 2012.
15 Gundel v FEI and CAS ATF 119 II 271, Swiss Federal Tribunal 15 March 1993.
16 USOC v IOC CAS 2011/O/2422 available at http://www.tas-cas.org/d2wfiles/document/5314/5048/0/Final20award202422.pdf, last accessed 28 March 2012.
17 WADA Code available at http://www.wada-ama.org/Documents/World_Anti-Doping_Program/WADP-The-Code/WADA_Anti-Doping_CODE_2009_EN.pdf, last accessed 28 March 2012.
18 See further, Greene, Paul, ‘USOC v IOC: Olympic bans for ‘convicted’ dopers’ (2011) 9(11) World Sports Law Report 3–5.
19 Sagen et al. v VANOC (2009) BCCA 522.
20 BOA v WADA CAS 2011/A/2658 available at http://www.tas-cas.org/d2wfiles/document/5879/5048/0/Award20265820FINAL.pdf, last accessed 11 May 2012.
21 See further Mark, James and Guy, Osborn, ‘London 2012 and the impact of the UK's Olympic and Paralympic legislation: protecting commerce or preserving culture?’ 74(3) Modern Law Review 410–429Google Scholar.
22 For example, the Olympics, Paralympics and London Olympics Association Rights (Infringement Proceedings) Regulations 2010/2477 and the London Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (Advertising and Trading) (England) Regulations 2011/2898.
23 Rule 50(2) Olympic Charter.
24 Best, Jessica, ‘Traders’ anger over red tape for Olympics' South Wales Echo 23 March 2012, available at http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Traders'+anger+over+red+tape+for+Olympics%3B+Permit+needed+to+trade...-a0283921447, last accessed 28 March 2012.
25 London 2012's Statutory Marketing Rights available at http://www.london2012.com/documents/brand-guidelines/statutory-marketing-rights.pdf, last accessed 28 March 2012.
26 In Cardiff, where the only event taking place is Olympic football, the stadium is very centrally located in the middle of the city centre and the event zone encompasses a large area within the centre, stretching from Cathedral Road in the north, to Tresillian Way in the South, the Hayes and Working Street in the east and Pendyris Street in the west. Given the location of the stadium, the impact upon a key business area is manifest.
