International Sports Dispute Resolution (LAWS90310)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)
About this subject
Contact information
October
Teaching staff:
Björn Hessert (Subject Coordinator)
Chu Ling Goh
For current student enquiries, contact the Law School Academic Support Office
Overview
| Availability(Quotas apply) | October |
|---|---|
| Fees | Look up fees |
Sports law has developed tremendously since the institution of modern sports in the late 19th century, and more appreciably in the past decades with the growth of sports professionalism and commercialisation. Sport law has developed into a highly complex discipline of law that is influenced by other significant areas of law, such as corporate law, competition law and human rights law. Sports law is increasingly being recognised a distinct subject in the field of law with its complexity and unique sets of regulation and jurisprudence.
Many sports governing bodies have created their own adjudicatory bodies to resolve disputes between the sports organisation and its members or disputes between members internally. For example, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) has its internal tribunal for football disputes (FIFA Football Tribunal), while the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) instituted a sport-specific arbitration tribunal (Basketball Arbitral Tribunal) to adjudicate certain disputes therein. Sports organisations can, among other things, decide on the procedural rules and the appeal procedure, including whether a sports organisation’s decision can be appealed before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
This subject will explore sports dispute resolution mechanisms and forums at both the national and international level, the differences between internal tribunals and arbitration, and the challenge of sports-related disputes before domestic and international courts. An increasing number of sports-related disputes have been referred to and been adjudicated before the European Court of Human Rights and European Court of Justice, amongst other high judicial bodies. The subject will empower students with substantial knowledge and extensive skills in this area, which will enable them to work in this field professionally and academically.
Indicative list of principal topics:
- Overview of the national and international sports resolution landscape
- Introduction to sports-specific dispute forums e.g., FIFA Football Tribunal, Basketball Arbitral Tribunal (BAT)
- Introduction to national dispute resolution forums e.g., National Sports Tribunal (NST), Sports Resolution, major American sports leagues (MLB, NBA, NFL, and NHL)
- Introduction to Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS)
- Introduction to summary proceedings in sports e.g., doping violations
- Mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)
- Challenges of decisions before domestic courts e.g., judicial review and courts’ supervision over arbitration proceedings
- Appeals to regional and international courts e.g., European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) and European Court of Justice (CJEU)
- Emerging and contemporary issues in dispute resolution e.g., the participation of affected individuals in abuse-related matters sports proceedings, the application of human rights to private sports bodies.
Intended learning outcomes
A student who has successfully completed this subject should be able to:
- Examine in detail the complex ecosystem of sports dispute mechanisms at both national and international level.
- Evaluate and compare the procedural nuances of different sports dispute resolution methods and forums.
- Assess the significance of national dispute resolution forums in the international sports landscape.
- Apply sports arbitration rules and procedures, including legal recourse to domestic courts, and appraise substantive and procedural laws in sports dispute resolution.
- Independently investigate legal issues in sports dispute resolution by researching and analysing existing and emerging legal issues and critiquing legal frameworks and regulatory practices in both international and Australian contexts.
Generic skills
- A capacity to engage in critical thinking, evaluation and independent thought at both abstract and practical levels;
- Apply scholarly and ethical thinking to personal and academic conduct and engage in rigorous and respectful debate;
- Applied research skills, including the ability to identify issues, research and synthesise legal information and present it accurately and effectively;
- Communicate effectively, in oral and written forms;
- Work collaboratively and productively in groups.
Last updated: 4 March 2025
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
None
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
Recommended background knowledge
Applicants without legal qualifications should note that subjects are taught in the discipline of law at an advanced graduate level. While efforts are made to meet the needs of students trained in other fields, teaching and assessment activities are designed to give an advanced and integrated understanding of the discipline of law for legal researchers, practitioners and learners.
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 4 March 2025
Assessment
| Description | Timing | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
Sports Arbitration Moot
| During the teaching period | 25% |
Research Paper on a topic approved by subject coordinator.
| 14 January 2026 | 75% |
| Hurdle requirement: A minimum of 75% attendance at classes is required. | Throughout the teaching period | N/A |
Last updated: 4 March 2025
Quotas apply to this subject
Dates & times
- October
Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours 34 Total time commitment 150 hours Pre teaching start date 30 September 2025 Pre teaching requirements Please refer to Canvas LMS to check on the pre-class readings and preparatory learning activities before the teaching period commences. Teaching period 28 October 2025 to 3 November 2025 Last self-enrol date 6 October 2025 Census date 31 October 2025 Last date to withdraw without fail 12 December 2025 Assessment period ends 16 January 2026 October contact information
Teaching staff:
Björn Hessert (Subject Coordinator)
Chu Ling Goh
For current student enquiries, contact the Law School Academic Support Office
What do these dates mean
Visit this webpage to find out about these key dates, including how they impact on:
- Your tuition fees, academic transcript and statements.
- And for Commonwealth Supported students, your:
- Student Learning Entitlement. This applies to all students enrolled in a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP).
Subjects withdrawn after the census date (including up to the ‘last day to withdraw without fail’) count toward the Student Learning Entitlement.
Additional delivery details
Please refer to the Melbourne Law Masters enrolment webpage for further information about re-enrolment, subject quotas and waitlists.
Melbourne Law School may reserve places in a subject for incoming international cohorts or where a subject is core to a specialisation with limited alternate options.
Last updated: 4 March 2025
Further information
- Texts
- Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
Type Name Course Graduate Diploma in Dispute Resolution Course Master of Laws Course Graduate Diploma in Laws - Links to additional information
- Available through the Community Access Program
About the Community Access Program (CAP)
This subject is available through the Community Access Program (also called Single Subject Studies) which allows you to enrol in single subjects offered by the University of Melbourne, without the commitment required to complete a whole degree.
Please note Single Subject Studies via Community Access Program is not available to student visa holders or applicants
Entry requirements including prerequisites may apply. Please refer to the CAP applications page for further information.
Additional information for this subject
If subject coordinator approval is required, or for further information about Community Access Program study, please contact us
- Available to Study Abroad and/or Study Exchange Students
Last updated: 4 March 2025