IPC appoints new panel members to independent Board of Appeal of Classification
After a wide-ranging open recruitment process, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has appointed a new independent Board of Appeal of Classification (BAC). The 14-member panel report to the independent chair of the BAC, who is Fred Jansen of the Netherlands.
The primary purpose of the BAC 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.
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.
BAC members have a range of expertise in law, medicine, science, classification and/or Para sports. They hold a volunteer position on a four-year term and the current panel members have been appointed until May 2024. BAC panel members must be independent from the IPC and able to appropriately manage any other potential conflicts of interest.
Liz Riley, General Counsel of the IPC, commented: “The recruitment of the new panel was part of a strategic refresh of the Board of Appeal of Classification. This is the first time that the IPC has run an open and proactive recruitment campaign for members of the panel and was designed to ensure we have the best independent and appropriately qualified people. These new members will enable the IPC and the IFs to ensure that the BAC has appropriate capacity and expert knowledge.”
Fred Jansen, independent chair of the BAC, added: “We were very impressed by the number of highly qualified candidates, and athletes should be reassured that we have a panel with a wide-range of expertise in the fields of legal, medical, scientific and Para sport. That is thanks, in no small part, to the Association of Paralympic Sports Organisations and the IFs, who for the last year have been unstinting in their support of the recruitment process. It has ensured that we have the best panel possible for athletes.”
The BAC is a service that is available to all IFs. The BAC currently has jurisdiction over classification appeals in the following sports: Badminton World Federation; World Archery; World Para Alpine Skiing; World Para Athletics; World Para Dance Sport; World Para Ice Hockey; World Para Nordic Skiing; World Para Powerlifting; World Para Snowboard; World Para Swimming; World Shooting Para Sport.
The original article can be found here.
