Prof Steve Cornelius, Head of the Department of Private Law in the Faculty of Law at the University of Pretoria, has been appointed by the Council of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) as a member of the IAAF Disciplinary Tribunal. In terms of the IAAF Constitution, the Disciplinary Tribunal is required to act independently of the IAAF and is expected to play a vital role in safeguarding the integrity of athletics as a sport. 

The establishment of an independent disciplinary body is one of the reforms introduced under the leadership of IAAF President, Lord Sebastian Coe, in the wake of a number of scandals that had rocked the sports world in recent years. Prof Cornelius is also a member of the Independent Anti-doping Hearing Panel of the South African Institute for Drug-free Sports and his main research interests are Law of Contract and Sports Law.

He has received a B2 (Internationally Renowned Scholar) rating from the National Research Foundation for the high quality of his research. His appointment to the IAAF Disciplinary Tribunal again attests to his international status as an expert in Sports Law.