Peternell v South African Sports Confederation & Olympic Committee

South African eventing rider, Alexander Peternell, won his Olympic team selection case following two appeals before the the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).  His was the first case to be heard under the CAS Ad Hoc procedure for the London 2012 Olympic Games. 

In his first appeal on 20 July 2012, Mr Peternell challenged the decisions of the South African Equestrian Federation (SAEF) and the South African Olympics Committee (SASCOC) to select another rider, Paul Hart, to compete at London 2012, on the basis that Mr Peternell was not eligible. The first CAS Panel allowed Mr Peternell's appeal and held that he satisfied  SASCOC and SAEF eligibility criteria and should be selected to represent South Africa (and thereby replace Paul Hart). 

Notwithstanding this, SAEF and SASCOC declined to select Mr Peternell and issued a second decision selecting no one. Mr Peternell issued a second appeal against this decision before the CAS Ad Hoc Panel. In a hearing on 24 July, the CAS Ad Hoc Panel upheld Mr Peternell’s case and ordered that he be placed on the South African team and given the necessary assistance by SAEF and SASCOV to get to the Games to compete.

Andrew Hunter QC represented Alexander Peternell at both CAS hearings. Ian Mill QC was instructed, in his capacity as a specialist sports advocate on the London 2012 Olympic pro bono panel, to represent Paul Hart.