Hong Kong should up its game in sports law to nurture sector, chief justice says
Andrew Cheung says ‘massive’ industry needs support from legal profession, as government touts sports-related arbitration in city
Hong Kong should improve its sports-related laws and regulations to better align with international standards and address the increasingly complex demands of the emerging sector, the chief justice has said.
Andrew Cheung Kui-nung said on Saturday that bolstering the legal environment was crucial as sports had evolved into “a massive industry”. He cited competition rules, athletes’ rights, commercial contracts and arbitration mechanisms as areas of focus.
“As Hong Kong athletes continue to achieve great success in the international sports arena, the influence of the sports industry is growing day by day,” he said at the opening ceremony of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Lawyers Sports Meet.
“The legal industry must develop in parallel to meet the increasingly complex demands of sports law.”
Cheung said developments included formulating and improving laws and regulations to ensure fairness in sports and the protection of athletes’ rights. The industry also needed to provide professional legal support and dispute resolution mechanisms, he added.
He said the efforts aimed to better align the city with international standards and lay a solid foundation for the long-term development of the sports sector.
The top judge also said that sports and the rule of law shared a commitment to fairness and justice.