England and Wales Cricket Board Ltd v Kaneria

Ian Mill QC and Nick De Marco represented the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) in a highly significant decision for those involved in sports disciplinary and dispute resolution processes, and in particular for sports governing bodies. Cooke J in the Commercial Court held that Mr Kaneria’s appeal under the ECB's disciplinary rules against his lifetime ban for corruption amounted to an arbitration for the purposes of the Arbitration Act 1996. The implications of this decision are very significant for all sports – not least in terms of the Court’s supervisory role over disciplinary procedures and the ability to rely on a Court to entertain appeals from, and make ancillary orders in support of, those processes.

Blackstone Chambers will shortly be organising a series of workshops to discuss the case and its practical implications.