By JIGGSLAW®. The International Council of Arbitration for Sport, the governing body of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), has implemented a new Legal Aid Scheme for disputes exclusively related to Football. The Football Legal Aid Scheme is financed by FIFA and available to natural persons, including licensed FIFA agents, without financial means to proceed to CAS.
The Scheme may be exceptionally granted to football clubs affiliated with a FIFA association, which are in a difficult financial situation, under certain conditions (stated in the Legal Aid Guidelines) once per year and exclusively in disputes between clubs or between clubs and federations.
The legal aid will not be granted to clubs that are under judicial administration (insolvency or bankruptcy)
The general Legal Aid Scheme will continue to exist to provide support to natural persons from other Olympic sports. All legal aid applications will be treated by the four members of ICAS, constituting the ICAS Athletes Commission (formerly the Legal Aid Commission).
The revised guidelines will be available on the CAS website on January 31, 2023, and will be applicable to any CAS arbitration proceeding beginning February 1, 2023.
