Ombudsman in Sport: Comparative Law Perspective
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https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9625-1298
Abstract
Violations of sports law may undermine the effective protection of human rights and the rule of law, potentially warranting ombudsman intervention. Despite this connection, legal scholarship has devoted comparatively little attention to the role of ombudsman institutions in the field of sport. This paper examines the evolution, institutional positioning, and mandates of national sports ombudsman institutions in safeguarding sports law across selected jurisdictions. The paper first establishes a conceptual definition and classification of the ombudsman institution, as analytical benchmarks for assessing sports ombudsman models in the jurisdictions under review. Using comparative and normative approaches, supplemented by a historical-legal analysis of the evolution of the ombudsman institution, the paper assesses whether emerging sports ombudsman bodies conform to established institutional classifications and the extent to which their functions align with the traditional ombudsman mandate of strengthening the rule of law and addressing maladministration.
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