The Department of Justice today held a workshop to promote an online platform for sports dispute resolution.

The event was co-staged with the administering body and technology provider of the Pilot Scheme on Sports Dispute Resolution, as well as the Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China.

More than 120 representatives from Hong Kong's sports and legal sectors, including individuals from 30 sports organisations, attended the “Efficient Resolution for All: Sports Dispute Resolution Workshop”.

Deputy Secretary for Justice and Chairperson of the Advisory Committee on Sports Dispute Resolution Cheung Kwok-kwan also attended the event and gave welcome remarks.

Mr Cheung outlined that with the rapid development of sports and related industries, differences of opinion and disputes are inevitable. However, to settle these by traditional methods, such as internal rulings or adjudication within national sports associations, or litigation in courts, often leads to more complex problems and imposes a burden on parties in terms of time, mental energy, and finance.

Therefore, Mr Cheung said, establishing an efficient, professional, and credible sports dispute resolution system that handles sports disputes through a “mediation first, arbitration next” approach can resolve disputes more flexibly and effectively.

He added that resolving disputes through arbitration can help the parties concerned avoid the lengthy legal procedures and substantial legal fees that result from litigation.

Mr Cheung revealed that following the launch of the pilot scheme’s online platform in February, it has received a number of inquiries and has begun processing cases, with the first of these being successfully resolved recently.

He emphasised that the scheme’s successful implementation confirms that Hong Kong is on the right track in promoting a sports dispute resolution system, and encouraged attendees of the workshop to engage with the pilot scheme and promote the long-term development of sports in the city.

Through various activities, the workshop explored how, under the pilot scheme's framework, sports disputes can be efficiently resolved by way of mediation and arbitration. Attendees were introduced to simulated mediation procedures, as details of actual cases are typically confidential under regulations,.

Expert speakers outlined the fundamental principles of mediation and arbitration, the workflow under the pilot scheme, the operational procedures of the online dispute resolution platform, and various case studies of disputes that have been successfully resolved.

In a sharing session, a representative from a national sports association and an athlete discussed the possible challenges in resolving sports disputes, and elaborated on the specific benefits of adopting the pilot scheme's model.