By Daily Sports Nigeria on July 8, 2023

Following the issuance of circulars 1848 (regarding integrity experts) and 1847 (regarding legal aid and pro bono counsel) and the closure of the relevant application windows, over 100 applications were received for each of the above mentioned roles from candidates worldwide with extensive experience and expertise in the field of football/sports law.

After a thorough review process of the applications submitted, which were of a particularly high standard, a final list of 21 integrity experts and 20 pro bono counsel has been drawn up by the FIFA administration and subsequently ratified by the FIFA Council.

As previously communicated, following the changes introduced within the 2023 editions of the FIFA Disciplinary Code and the FIFA Code of Ethics, FIFA may assign the responsibilities, tasks and duties performed and/or undertaken by the FIFA general secretariat to an independent integrity expert.

The first-ever appointed independent integrity experts will assist FIFA in maintaining one of its core objectives of safeguarding and promoting the integrity of football worldwide, whilst ensuring that the football stakeholders are supported by leading experts.

 In particular, they will perform a fundamental role in assisting with the necessary investigations into potential breaches of the FIFA regulations and will be entrusted by FIFA to apply their professional knowledge in their respective fields in order to, amongst other functions, gather appropriate evidence, engage with third parties and represent or support FIFA in proceedings.

In addition, as an essential component of FIFA’s legal aid system, the newly appointed pro bono counsel will perform a crucial role in guaranteeing the rights of individuals who would otherwise lack the financial means to defend themselves appropriately before FIFA’s judicial bodies.

By representing those faced with overwhelming financial barriers and providing concrete legal expertise in judicial proceedings, the pro bono counsel will help to ensure that individuals facing monetary difficulties are not prevented from accessing fair and expert legal representation – such valuable work that is aligned with FIFA’s steadfast dedication to ensuring that individuals’ legal rights are both upheld and respected.

The final lists of the first-ever appointed integrity experts and newly appointed pro bono counsel can be found at legal.fifa.com.

Source Inside FIFA

Posted July 8, 2023

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