The Olympic Games, Sports Law and Human Rights

This book explores the relationship between sports law, the Olympic Movement and human rights. Examining the historical legal roots of contemporary "Olympic law", including the ancient history of the Olympic Games and the legacy of Pierre de Coubertin, this book shines new light on one of the most important issues in world sport today.

Written by a practising lawyer with expertise in sports law, this book explains the core concepts underpinning Olympic law and offers in-depth analysis of the Olympic Charter, arguing that the Charter is a key legal instrument in the context of which the interplay between ethics, rights and the Olympics must be understood. The book also examines key contemporary issues at the nexus of sports law and human rights, including religious freedom and protests by athletes.

Offering a new interdisciplinary perspective on Olympic law, drawing on legal theory, history and contemporary social scientific studies in sport, this book is fascinating reading for any advanced student, researcher, policymaker or practitioner with an interest in sports law, the Olympic Games, mega-events or human rights.

Alexandre Miguel Mestre is Assistant Professor at the Autonomous University of Lisbon, Portugal, and a legal counsel at the law firm Abreu Advogados, working primarily in the areas of sports law and European Union law. He is an independent member of the UEFA Governance and Compliance Committee; a member of the Aquatics Integrity Unit – the adjudicatory body of the International Swimming Federation/World Aquatics – and a member of the Pierre de Coubertin International Committee. He was Secretary of State for Sport in Youth in Portugal.