The Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sports will set up shop in Salt Lake's downtown Gateway Towers during the Winter Games to resolve all legal disputes. And the Utah State Bar has agreed to provide volunteer attorneys to athletes who need representation.
The court, which was originally established by the International Olympic Committee and became independent in 1994, hears everything from appeals of sanctions for a failed doping test to commercial disputes between athletes and sponsors, according to CAS Secretary General Matthieu Reeb, who was in Salt Lake this week to finalize plans for the ad hoc division of the arbitration court during the Games.
While the Olympics are going on, the proceedings are both fast and free, he said. In most cases, a three-member arbitration panel will be assembled to hear disputes immediately to keep up with the pace of the Games themselves.
"Our goal is to resolve disputes within 24 hours," said Reeb. "We can extend that time if there's no urgency. But we want to see that a legal problem doesn't block the Olympics and the unfolding of competition."
During the Summer Games in Sydney, arbitrators heard 14 disputes, which were all resolved within a few days. In the expedited process, an athlete or sports federation can file a form requesting arbitration, stating briefly the perceived problem. Judge R.S. Pathak of India, who is chairing the "Tribunal for the Olympic Games" in Utah, will assemble three arbitrators for a short-notice hearing.
Proceedings take place in English or French, with interpreters provided if needed. The Utah State Bar has some 20 lawyers who have agreed to be on standby to help out with legal representation if they're needed, Reeb said.
Nine international arbitrators will be in Utah from one week before the Games until the closing ceremonies take place Feb. 24. The arbitrators — taken from CAS' 184 arbitrators in 55 countries — are from Italy, Australia, Canada, England, Germany, Switzerland, Finland and two from the United States.
Funding for the now well-established arbitration court comes from the IOC, the international sports federations, the national Olympic committees and fees paid by those involved in commercial disputes. Only one international sports federation, soccer's, fails to recognize the court as a kind of Supreme Court for sports disputes. Although a few cases have been appealed beyond CAS to the high court in Switzerland, a CAS ruling has never been overturned. The Swiss court focuses on procedure rather than merits, Reeb said. And not all cases can be appealed beyond CAS.
At the end of the Games, the results of proceedings are published.
CAS doesn't just arbitrate the Olympics. "The number of cases CAS heard in the early years since it was created in 1984 was not impressive," Reeb said. "No one knew about it."
In the early '90s, the equestrian federation included an arbitration clause referring to CAS — the court's "first big moment." Now CAS takes cases from all types of sports at different levels. This year, 45 cases have already come before the court, which also has offices in New York and Sydney.
The court is overseen by the International Council of Arbitration for Sports, an international panel of 20 members.
Reeb said CAS has not been asked to be involved during the Paralympics, but it could probably do so if the request was made.
E-mail: lois@desnews.com