On November 13, 2025, Ganna Gnizdovska, Managing Partner of Juris Ferrum Law Firm, took part in the round table “Sport and Law: Legal Guarantees for Ensuring Access to Sports and Wellness Services”, held to mark the 35th anniversary of the establishment of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine.
The round-table format made it possible to move beyond general declarations and address what usually remains outside official wording: how the rules of sports and anti-doping law operate in real cases and what they actually mean for an athlete.
In her speech, Ganna focused not only on the formal content of the strict liability principle enshrined in the World Anti-Doping Code and Ukrainian legislation, but also on how this principle is applied in practice — in doping cases that reach the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and national anti-doping bodies.
Special attention was paid to:
• the balance between the automatic establishment of a violation and the individualization of sanctions;
• standards of proof for anti-doping organizations and athletes;
• the evolution of CAS case law from a purely punitive approach toward procedural balance and genuine protection of athletes’ rights;
• the role of due process, even in cases where the presence of a prohibited substance is not formally disputed.
This discussion once again confirmed that modern anti-doping law is not only about “clean samples.” It is about fair procedure, proportionality of sanctions, and the responsibility of the state and sports institutions toward the athlete ⚖️
For Juris Ferrum Law Firm, participation in such events is a natural extension of its daily practice in sports law and a contribution to shaping clear and fair rules of the game in sport.