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Board of Appeal of Classification

The BAC is an independent body that considers classification appeals and, where appropriate, conducts hearings.

BOARD OF APPEAL OF CLASSIFICATION

WHAT IS THE BOARD OF APPEAL OF CLASSIFICATION?

The Board of Appeal of Classification (BAC) is an independent body that considers, and where deemed appropriate, conducts hearings regarding classification appeals.

The primary purpose of the Board of Appeal of Classification is to hear athlete classification appeals in various Para sports across the Paralympic Movement. For each specific appeal three panel members are usually appointed from the pool of panel members, to act as a hearing panel. The chair of each hearing panel is responsible for writing a full and reasoned judgment in each case.

WHAT DOES THE BAC HAVE JURISDICTION OVER?

The BAC has jurisdiction over classification appeals and resolution of disputes involving alleged intentional misrepresentation for sports for which the IPC acts as the international federation. Other matters specified in the IPC’s rules and regulations, as well as Paralympic sports not governed by the IPC, are subject to agreement.

The BAC currently has jurisdiction over classification appeals in the following sports: Badminton World Federation; International Biathlon Union; International Blind Sports Federation (Blind Football, Goalball, Judo); International Canoe Federation; International Ski and Snowboard Federation; Union Cycliste Internationale; World Archery; World Boccia; World Para Athletics; World Para Dance Sport; World Para Ice Hockey; World Para Powerlifting; World Para Swimming; World Shooting Para Sport; World Taekwondo; World Triathlon.

WHO CAN MAKE AN APPEAL?

A classification appeal can only be brought forward by an athlete’s respective National Paralympic Committee or National Federation, whichever is the member of the International Federation (IF) governing the sport.

WHO ARE THE BAC PANEL MEMBERS?

The BAC members have a range of expertise in law, medicine, science, classification and/or Para sports. They hold a volunteer position typically on a four-year term. The BAC panel members must be independent from the IPC and able to appropriately manage any other potential conflicts of interest. Below is a table detailing the current BAC members.

Name
Profile
Chairperson
Fred Jansen
With over four decades of Para sport expertise, Fred is the former chair of the International Para Shooting Committee. He is also a former member of the Governing Board of the IPC and a member of the BAC. Since 2019 Fred has been acting chair of the BAC.
Members
Dr. Tiago Carvalho
A sports law and corporate law specialist, Tiago is currently taking a Masters in Sports Management. A previous BAC member, he has also been a member of the IPC’s Legal and Ethics Committee since 2019.
Chris Cohen
Chris brings a plethora of sporting experience to the BAC, having previously worked within the IPC for over 18 years and competed as an athlete and coach in athletics. He is also a member of the UK Athletics Technical Advisory Group and an International Technical Official.
Alan Dickson
Alan has been involved in disability sport since 1993 and was President of Cerebral Palsy International Sports and Recreation Association. He served for eight years on the Governing Board of the IPC, and also chaired the IPC Legal and Ethics Committee for eight years.
Barry Lysaght
Barry is Managing Director of Lysaght Sports, a boutique legal consultancy specialising in sports law and sports regulatory matters. An Irish-qualified solicitor and sports lawyer, Barry has extensive experience in the regulation and governance of major sports federations. His previous roles include Head of Sports Legal at the Asian Football Confederation, General Counsel at the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, and Legal Group Leader at FIFA. Barry is also a published author and speaker in sports law, having lectured for organisations such as the Law Society of Ireland, the British Association for Sport, and Law and the International Football Business Institute. His articles have appeared in leading sports law publications such as Football Legal, Law In Sport and the World Sports Law Report.
Bethan Mitchell
Bethan trained as a commercial litigator and worked for a major international law firm on complex, high-value and multi-jurisdictional cases, before joining The Football Association as a football regulatory and litigation lawyer. She is a non-executive director of NGB Welsh Triathlon.
Andrew Moroney
Andrew is an English-qualified solicitor working as a Senior Associate in Greenberg Traurig’s global Sports and Entertainment Group in Dubai. He handles a wide array of commercial, regulatory and disciplinary matters for a suite of major sports. Previously he was Legal Counsel at The Football Association and has undertaken secondments with the world’s largest sports and talent agency, a sports streaming platform, and a Formula 1 track.
Angela Peco
Angela is a Canadian lawyer and adjudicator with direct experience in regulatory matters and misconduct. She is an active member of the Sports Lawyers Association and an appointed member of the Committee on Mass Disaster Response in New York.
Chiara Perona
Chiara is a lawyer specialising in sport. In addition to running her own practice, she is a member of the Italian Olympic Committee’s educational body, running courses for athletes, coaches, referees and representatives. She also advises the Italian Football Referees’ Association.
Alberto Predieri
Alberto is an Italian corporate and commercial lawyer with a focus on cross-border deals. He has always been involved in the sport environment, first as an athlete, then as an official in international sailing organisations. He is now a member of various judicial bodies with involvement, among others, in classification, ethical, and integrity cases.
Owain Rhys James
A barrister with a private practice in Wales, Owain is also a Deputy District Judge. He has an MSc in Dispute Resolution and is involved with sports regulation and discipline, both domestically and internationally.
Dr David Sharpe
David QC is a barrister practising in the UK, Ireland and internationally. He is dual-qualified as a physician and has experience in emergency and sports medicine. David is an expert in sports law and sits as an arbitrator for several sport dispute resolution bodies.
Liz Soutter
Liz is an independent strategic consultant, helping federations and sport-adjacent organisations maximise their impact with minimal resources through better strategic planning. She is the former Para Sport Manager and Classification Coordinator for World Rowing, bringing a deep understanding of protest regulations and classification systems. She also has an MSc in Sport Management.
Dr. Shibu Varghese
Dr. Shibu is an orthopaedic surgeon with a special interest in sports medicine, working as a Chief Medical Officer and Anti-Doping Officer. He brings previous experience as a Badminton World Federation Paralympic Classifier.
Joe Walsh
Joe is a two-time Paralympian and Paralympic bronze medallist in Nordic skiing. He was Managing Director of Paralympics for the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee from 2001-2012 and worked on six Paralympic Games. He served as Vice President of the International Blind Sports Federation from 2013-2017.

WHO DO I CONTACT IN RELATION TO THE BAC?

Any appeal or general enquiries regarding the BAC should be made to: leen.coudenys@paralympic.org

Any media enquiries on classification should be made to: ipc.media@paralympic.org.

WHERE CAN I FIND MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE BAC?

Please see the IPC Handbook for further information regarding the Board of Appeal of Classification's regulations and the Notice of Appeal form.

Go to the IPC Handbook