International Sports Law and Governance

This foundational module introduces you to the key concepts that underpin this course. It begins by exploring the ways in which modern sport is regulated and governed by both internal and external frameworks. It examines the national, international, and transnational laws that govern modern sport, the concepts of lex sportiva and lex Olympica, how they have grown into distinct legal systems, how they interact with more traditional concepts of law, and their relationships with key bodies such as the Court of Arbitration for Sport and the World Anti-Doping Agency. 

The interaction of law with the business operations of sports organisations, clubs, and competitions has produced some of the most famous and controversial sports law cases. This module examines the ways that contract, commercial, corporate, and competition/anti-trust laws have had an impact on the ways that sports are governed and regulated both transnationally and in different jurisdictions. It will examine the key contractual relationships in sport, the ways that the law has shaped employment and commercial rights, and how the law has influenced the ways that sports events and competitions are organised.

The need to protect, respect and provide remedies for the abuse of human rights in sport is of increasing contemporary importance. This module introduces the frameworks by which human rights commitments are embedded in key documents, such as the Olympic Charter, and the requirements of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Human Rights in Business. It will focus in particular on the rights to a fair trial, the right to privacy, the protection from discrimination and the right to free expression. 

This module ensures that students from all disciplinary and national backgrounds have the necessary skills to undertake their LLM assessments. It provides a conceptual framework for finding relevant and appropriate resources, understanding their importance to specific topics, interpreting the research presented within them, and presenting that information in an appropriate and professional manner. Alongside these essential skills, it introduces you to the key methods that will underpin your research. These foundational skills will equip you for success on the course and beyond, with the ability to undertake applied research in a range of legal, policy and regulatory environments.

This module ensures that you have the necessary skills to undertake their dissertation, and to deliver evidence-based research in a range of employment contexts. It introduces the principles of research design so that you can produce a coherent research proposal for your dissertation project. It will focus on problem identification and conceptualisation, the development of effective aims, objectives and research questions, research ethics and the appropriate ways of conducting and evaluating research, and the use of appropriate research methods. This integrated approach ensures that the necessary scaffolding is in place for the successful completion of this course.

Students are able to choose between completing an extended dissertation/research project; two advanced and independently researched, prescribed essays or problem questions. Where permitted in an academic year, students may choose, instead, to carry out a shortened dissertation/research project alongside a substantial reflective piece of work following a period of self-obtained work experience or pro bono work. This module is completed under the individual or group supervision of one or more members of staff from Manchester Law School or the wider Faculty.