ISG at the “Criminal Law in Sport – Contemporary Challenges” Conference in Toruń
On Wednesday, April 9, 2025, the Faculty of Law and Administration at Nicolaus Copernicus University (UMK) in Toruń, Poland, hosted a nationwide academic conference for students and doctoral candidates titled “Criminal Law in Sport – Contemporary Challenges.”
The event was held under the honorary patronage of the Institute for Sport Governance (ISG). Our organization was represented by expert Rafał Kaszubski, who delivered a presentation on the boundaries between criminal law and disciplinary procedures in sport, and also participated in panel discussions throughout the conference.
A Timely and Essential Topic: Criminal Law in Sport
Organized by the Department of Criminal Law at UMK in collaboration with two student associations – Lex Sportiva (Sports Law Circle) and the Criminal Law Research Circle – the event brought together a broad audience: law students, PhD candidates, legal scholars, practitioners, and representatives of the professional sports community.
A total of 17 presentations were delivered, covering some of the most pressing criminal law issues in sport, including:
- Doping and corruption offenses
- Stadium-related crime and fan accountability
- Protection of athletes’ and referees’ bodily integrity
- Cases of violence within sports clubs
- The legal status of referees as public officials
- Legal concerns surrounding betting and match-fixing
- Safeguarding intangible assets and the interests of the sports market
Speakers also referred to current events in sport, such as the high-profile case of football coach Gonçalo Feio and the growing debate around technological doping. One topic that resonated strongly was athletes’ mental health, increasingly recognized as a systemic responsibility within sport.
ISG Supports Dialogue at the Intersection of Law and Sport
Our participation in this conference reflects ISG’s broader mission to promote good governance, transparency, and accountability in sport – and most importantly, to support young leaders shaping the future of Polish sport. The development of the sector depends on knowledgeable and ethical management, which is why ISG continues to partner with impactful academic and professional initiatives.
The conference created a unique space for knowledge exchange between academia and practitioners. It also highlighted the growing importance of a professional legal framework in the sports sector. The event’s high academic standard, excellent organization, and strong attendance confirmed that criminal law in sport is a field that deserves further exploration and well-designed solutions.
ISG as a Patron of Knowledge and Practice
By accepting honorary patronage of this event, the Institute for Sport Governance expressed its support for young scholars and for initiatives that bridge the gap between theory and practice in sport. We are proud to have been part of this important gathering, which demonstrated that sports law and criminal law are dynamic, interrelated pillars of modern sport’s development.
Our thanks to the organizers and congratulations on a successful event – one that truly deserved its reputation as a leading national academic conference.
