Olga Kostyshyna and Kateryna Lykhopeka took part in the annual International Sports Law Journal Conference 2025
On November 6 and 7, Counsel Olga Kostyshyna and Junior Associate Kateryna Lykhopeka took part in the annual International Sports Law Journal (ISLJ) Conference 2025, traditionally hosted by the Asser Institute in The Hague – one of the world’s leading academic centers in the field of sports law.
This year’s event held special significance: the global legal community marked the 20th anniversary of the World Anti-Doping Code (WADC) – a document that shaped a new paradigm of athlete responsibility and a global framework for fair play.
Among scholars from around the world, only about twenty authors – practicing sports lawyers and arbitrators of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) – were selected to participate and be published in the ISLJ. Such recognition reflects a high level of expertise, strategic vision, and the ability to engage in dialogue with the leading institutions of sports justice.
In their article and presentation in The Hague, Olga Kostyshyna and Kateryna Lykhopeka explored one of the most complex issues in modern anti-doping regulation – the standard of proof in anti- doping cases, between strict liability and fairness.
They analyzed how the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne applies different standards of proof – balance of probabilities and comfortable satisfaction – which often determine the outcome of anti-doping cases.
At the heart of the discussion were key questions for the global sports community:
- how to maintain balance between effective anti-doping enforcement and athletes’ rights;
- whether the principle of strict liability can coexist with the right to a fair hearing;
- how the evolution of the WADA Code affects the independence and predictability of sports justice.
The contribution of the Ukrainian experts became part of the global dialogue on reforming anti-doping procedures and developing international standards of proof.
We are proud that LCF Law Group’s lawyers take part in shaping the global professional discourse and contribute to the advancement of international sports justice.
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