December 30, 2008 (Montréal, Québec) — The Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada (SDRCC) is pleased to announce that the new Canadian Sport Dispute Resolution Code (“Code”), posted on its website will come into effect on January 1, 2009 – click here. The publication of this Code follows a public consultation during which the entire sport community was invited to provide input, comments, and suggestions on a draft version.

Notable changes include:
– improved definitions of parties, affected parties and intervenors;
– new timelines for filing a request and for rendering cost or doping decisions;
– new provisions pertaining to the language of the proceedings;
– clarification of the resolution facilitation services;
– amendment to the rule on the onus of proof in team selection disputes; and
– several other changes mandated by the new Canadian Anti-Doping Program 2009.

We sincerely thank all individuals from the legal and sport communities who took the time to consider the proposed revisions and provide helpful feedback. We are confident that this new Code will enable the delivery of better services to the members of the sport community.

About SDRCC

The SDRCC is a not-for-profit corporation created by federal legislation and funded by Sport Canada. The mission of the SDRCC is to provide the sport community with a national alternative dispute resolution service and strengthen the culture of fairness in Canadian sport by resolving disputes quickly and efficiently and to provide expertise and assistance regarding alternative dispute resolution.