Fair Play: Fighting to Protect the Spirit of Sport

 

Jonathan Taylor KC

 

£40, Bloomsbury

 

★★★★✩

This is an absorbing memoir of a sports lawyer. The author charts his legal career in the US before returning to England in 1997 to head the sports disputes department at Townleys. He has gone on to make a name for himself in some of the biggest disputes in international sport. 

Fairplay

These disputes include a betting scam (spot-fixing) by Pakistan cricketers in 2010 and Russia’s use of performance-enhancing drugs. The book looks at Caster Semenya’s (pictured) right to compete in women’s athletics events. Semenya was born with differences of sexual development (DSD), meaning she has an elevated level of testosterone. Paralympian Blake Leeper’s right to compete against able-bodied athletes is also considered. 

The chapters are thorough and Taylor provides excellent summaries of the key arguments. His analysis of intersex and transgender sportspeople stands out. This is a must-read for anyone seriously interested in the scientific and legal arguments about where to draw the line for eligibility to compete in women’s sports – even if you do not agree with his conclusions.

I would have liked to have heard more about the author himself. Maybe there will be a sequel?

 

Lee Wall is a senior associate at Irvings Law in Liverpool

 

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