media_artricles :: 2018

Justice for all athletes

Crowne launches Sports Law Clinic

Athletes here in Trinidad and Tobago and throughout the Caribbean now have access to legal representation when they choose to fight for their rights.

The Sports Law Clinic was launched recently, and will provide pro bono services for regional and Canadian athletes. Prominent sports lawyer Dr Emir Crowne is the founder. The clinic is also staffed by Matthew Gayle, who works out of New City Chambers in Port of Spain, and Toronto-based sports lawyer Amanda Fowler.

Crowne told the Express that the establishment of the Sports Law Clinic levels the playing field.

"The clinic is the first of its kind in the region. It provides pro bono representation to athletes across a variety of sporting tribunals. For far too long, athletes have been unable to access justice. They were simply at the mercy of their national sporting organisations, anti-doping bodies and others.

"The clinic seeks to address that imbalance," the sports lawyer explained. "Athletes now have access to experienced representation when defending their rights, be it doping allegations, team selection disputes, disciplinary matters or otherwise."

Crowne, Gayle and attorney Sheriza Khan are representing Dexter St Louis and Rheann Chung in their ongoing high court battle with the T&T Table Tennis Association (TTTTA) over the non-selection of the France-based pros for the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia. St Louis and Chung did represent the Red, White and Black at Gold Coast 2018 following the intervention of the T&T Olympic Committee (TTOC).

Crowne, who is on the Sport Resolutions (UK) International Panel of Arbitrators & Mediators and is an Editorial Board Member at LawInSport, has also represented T&T gymnast Thema Williams.

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