The Sports Law Canary


"Sports law news, views, articles and cases from around the world."

Author: Kris Lines is a lecturer and head of the sports law group at Staffordshire University School of Law, in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England; Jon Heshka is an assistant professor at Thompson Rivers University, in Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada.

Blawg Related Categories: Entertainment & Sports Law • International • Europe • United Kingdom • North America • Canada • Staffordshire University School of Law • Law Professor

Recent Posts from The Sports Law Canary


  • Do Helmets Make Contact Sport Safer?

    http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704402404574527881984299454.html The Wall Street Journal published an interesting story about the role helmets serve in protecting players in American football.  The article describes how helmets were invented to protect against skull and facial fractures which…

  • Hockey Goalie Pleads Guilty to Assault

    http://www.montrealgazette.com/sports/Jonathan+pleads+guilty+assault+charges/2077429/story.html Chicoutimi, Quebec Jonathan Roy pleaded guilty to simple assault in a Quebec court and was granted an absolute discharge by the judge today.  The charge stemmed from an incident during a Quebec Major Junior…

  • Definition of Sport

    I thought while I was waiting for the quotes to come through for a new computer, I would hang out in the animation studio at the University. Below is the first of the forthcoming animated…

  • Broken laptops & Discussion Forums

    First a quick apology for the lack of posting recently, I’ve broken my laptop (again) and am looking at a desktop PC to replace it. Hopefully this should only be a week or so before…

  • Is Rugby Union soon to follow in the footsteps of Cycling and Athletics?

    Sources: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/sport1/hi/rugby_union/my_club/bath/8093596.stm http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/rugby_union/article6737649.ece http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/8174825.stm Following several doping related incidents 2009 seems to be a year the RFU and Bath Rugby may want to either put behind them or feel proud of. It all started in…

  • A taxing fitness case

    Source: Read the full case report here: http://www.bailii.org/uk/cases/UKVAT/2009/V20933.html The Atrium Club Ltd v. The Commissioners for Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC) [2009] UKVAT V20933 (London Tribunal Centre), 21 January This an appeal against a…

  • What’s in a name? well quite a lot actually by the sounds of it…

    Sources: Full case report – http://www.employmentappeals.gov.uk/Public/Upload/08_0505rjfhwwDA.doc  Lambden v. Henley Rugby Football Club & Henley Rugby Football Club Ltd [2009] UKEAT/0505/08/DA The case concerns the sacking of Jon Lambden, the 54 yr-old Head Coach and Director…

  • Restricted access to rugby ground

    Sources: full case report - http://www.bailii.org/ie/cases/IEHC/2009/H191.html; see also an interesting Irish blog report on the case: http://www.cearta.ie/2009/05/rugby-property-and-the-interpretation-of-contracts/ Hannon & Others v. BQ Investments [2009] IEHC 191 The four claimants (Brendan Hannon, Martin Ryan, Declan Cusack…

  • Racing case did not crash out of court

    Sources: Full case report – http://www.bailii.org/cgi-bin/markup.cgi?doc=/scot/cases/ScotCS/2009/2009CSOH39.html Opinion of Lady Clark of Calton in the cause of Pearce v. Ferguson & Another [2009] CSOH 39 This case is an ex tempore oral opinion given by Lady…

  • Please don’t gamble in the comments section of the blog…….

    Source: Sunday Business Post write-up: http://www.sbpost.ie/post/pages/p/story.aspx-qqqt=Business+Of+Law-qqqm=nav-qqqid=41591-qqqx=1.asp; Full case report: http://www.bailii.org/ie/cases/IEHC/2009/H133.html Mulvaney & Others v. Sporting Exchange Ltd (Trading as Betfair) & others [2009] IEHC 133 The two linked cases both concern bookmakers (Seamus Mulvaney and…