The Faculty of Law (UP Law) at the University of Pretoria (UP) extends hearty congratulations to and announces with pride that Professor Steve Cornelius, Head of the Department of Private Law, has been appointed to the Independent Hearing Panel of the Council of the Badminton World Federation.

The Independent Hearing Panel acts as a hearing panel of first instance for Integrity and Ethics cases, and as an appeal panel for Sports cases and for Continental Confederation governance cases in the sport of badminton.

He is also a member of the Independent Doping Hearing Panel of the South African Institute for Drug-free Sport and served a term as independent non-executive director on the board of Cricket South Africa. While on the Board, he chaired the Social and Ethics Committee and was acting chair of the Finance Committee.

Prof Cornelius is a former member of the Disciplinary Tribunal of the International Association of Athletics Federations (now World Ahtletics). He stepped down from this position and was part of the legal team that challenged the IAAF eligibility regulations for female classification on behalf of Athletics South Africa before the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland.

In her response to Cornelius' appointment, a proud Dean Professor Elsabe Schoeman states that 'This appointment is well-deserved, and underscores the fact that Professor Cornelius is one of the leading experts in Sports law in South Africa and internationally.  Hearty congratulations on this achievement, Steve, and we wish you the very best with this additional global responsibility'.