ESSENDON has lodged Federal Court documents challenging the legality of the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority’s 16-month investigation into the AFL club.
Club chairman Paul Little says lawyers acting for the club will seek a declaration from the court that ASADA’s joint investigation, conducted in tandem with the AFL, breached the anti-doping agency’s strict, statutory confidentiality provisions.
The matter will go before the Federal Court on June 27.
The Essendon legal action, if successful, will render inadmissable the bulk of evidence gathered by ASADA against the club and its players in the 16 months since last year’s “blackest day in Australian sport.’’
Mr Little said this afternoon the club had been “left with no alternative but to fight to protect the reputations of our players’’.
“Enough is enough,’’ he added.
“We will not be bullied and we will not allow our players to be hung out to dry any longer.’’
Essendon has moved to secure Peter Hanks QC, a barrister renowned as one of Australia’s foremost experts on administrative and constitutional law, to lead its case. He will be briefed by John Bornstein, a principal solicitor at Maurice Blackburn.
Nick Harrington, a barrister who advised Essendon’s senior coach James Hird throughout the supplements saga, has also joined the club’s legal team.
The Essendon board voted earlier today to launch the well-resourced attack against ASADA following the authority’s decision to issue show-cause notices against 34 past and present players for the suspected use of Thymosin Beta 4, a banned peptide
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Club chairman Paul Little says lawyers acting for the club will seek a declaration from the court that ASADA’s joint investigation, conducted in tandem with the AFL, breached the anti-doping agency’s strict, statutory confidentiality provisions.
The matter will go before the Federal Court on June 27.
The Essendon legal action, if successful, will render inadmissable the bulk of evidence gathered by ASADA against the club and its players in the 16 months since last year’s “blackest day in Australian sport.’’
Mr Little said this afternoon the club had been “left with no alternative but to fight to protect the reputations of our players’’.
“Enough is enough,’’ he added.
“We will not be bullied and we will not allow our players to be hung out to dry any longer.’’
Essendon has moved to secure Peter Hanks QC, a barrister renowned as one of Australia’s foremost experts on administrative and constitutional law, to lead its case. He will be briefed by John Bornstein, a principal solicitor at Maurice Blackburn.
Nick Harrington, a barrister who advised Essendon’s senior coach James Hird throughout the supplements saga, has also joined the club’s legal team.
The Essendon board voted earlier today to launch the well-resourced attack against ASADA following the authority’s decision to issue show-cause notices against 34 past and present players for the suspected use of Thymosin Beta 4, a banned peptide
continue to read here
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