THE COURT OF ARBITRATION FOR SPORT (CAS) REGISTERS TWO REQUESTS FOR ARBITRATION FILED BY THE WORLD ANTI-DOPING AGENCY (WADA) IN RELATION TO THE RUSSIAN ANTI-DOPING AGENCY (RUSADA) AND THE SOUTH AFRICAN INSTITUTE FOR DRUG-FREE SPORT (SAIDS)

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has registered two Requests for Arbitration filed by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in relation to (non-)compliance matters concerning the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) and the South African Institute for Drug-free Sport (SAIDS).

On 22 September 2023, the WADA Executive Committee endorsed the recommendation of its Compliance Review Committee (CRC) which alleged RUSADA to be non-compliant with the World Anti-Doping Code (the WADC) due to Russia’s federal sports legislation not being considered to be in line with the 2021 WADC. Similarly, on the same day, the WADA Executive Committee also endorsed the recommendation of the CRC to allege SAIDS as non-compliant with the WADC due to South Africa’s legislation not being considered to be in line with the 2021 WADA Code. Since both RUSADA and SAIDS have disputed their non-compliance, as set out in the International Standard for Code Compliance by Signatories (ISCCS), WADA has submitted both matters to the CAS Ordinary Arbitration Division for resolution.

Two separate CAS arbitration procedures have been registered. The procedures will be conducted according to the provisions of the ISCCS and the Code of Sports-related Arbitration (the CAS Code). In summary, for each procedure, there will be an exchange of written submissions while a Panel of three arbitrators is simultaneously constituted in accordance with the provisions of Article 9.4.1 of the ISCCS. Once appointed, the Panel for each matter will issue directions for the next phase of the proceedings and shall, save for extensions of time requested by the parties or other exceptional circumstances, issue its reasoned decision no later than three months after the date of its constitution. The Panels’ decisions will be publicly reported by CAS.

The decisions issued by the CAS Panels will be final and binding with the exception of the parties’ right to file an appeal to the Swiss Federal Tribunal within 30 days on limited grounds.

Thursday, 23 November 2023