Members of the British Equestrian Judicial Panel play a central role in ensuring the effective provision of dispute resolution services for member bodies and sports participants, forming a diverse panel of independent arbitrators, legal and subject matter experts that may be called upon on a case-by-case basis.
The Judicial Panel can be called upon to adjudicate on specific regulatory and disciplinary matters. These include:
The Judicial Panel members consist of a Judicial Panel Chair, Legally Qualified Chairs and Hearing Body panel members. British Equestrian also has a panel of Stewards who are nominated by its member bodies to sit as members of hearing body panels to provide equestrian knowledge and expertise to the Hearing Body.
Alexandra is a highly experienced practitioner who has a broad practice encompassing criminal law, professional regulation, inquests and related public law. She is acknowledged as an expert in both criminal and regulatory work and is recognised in both Chambers and Partner and Legal 500.
Clive Dobbin is a solicitor, and partner, with Paris Smith LLP. He specialises in employment law, and was until July 2021 a Council Member of the Law Society representing the interests of employment lawyers. He remains chair of the Conduct Committee of the Law Society. He was also, for 8 years, a member of the management committee of the Employment Lawyers Association. He has a strong background in education, and has been a governor of HSDC college for 7 years (and was vice chair for 3 years before being appointed as chair in September 2021). He was previously a governor of Totton College for 7 years. Clive has experience of conducting sports disciplinary matters and has been a member of the disciplinary committee for British American Football for the last 5 years.
Ian Brownhill is a barrister who specialises in public law, human rights and regulatory law. Ian practices from 39 Essex Chambers in their London office. Ian sits as HM Assistant Coroner for Kent, is a Chair and Member of the Football Association’s Safeguarding Review Panel and is a Legally Qualified Chair and Hearing Body Panel Member for British Equestrian. Ian is ranked as a “band 1” leading junior for Court of Protection (Health and Welfare) by Chambers & Partners and ranked for Court of Protection and Community Care by The Legal 500. Ian is particularly sought for safeguarding cases in a sporting, commercial, education and faith context.
Nicola Haywood is a solicitor with 20 years’ post qualification experience within Criminal law. She has held a variety of posts during that period, all of which have involved conduct of litigation and handling of complex legal casework. Currently Nicola is the Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor (Deputy Director Level) leading a national team conducting the most serious, complex and sensitive child sexual abuse cases. She is also the CPS national lead on Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation. Prior to her current role Nicola was seconded to CPS Headquarters as operational legal lead identifying potential improvements and developing assurance processes for Rape and Serious Sexual offence handling within the organisation.
Barnaby Hone is a barrister with 12 years’ experience of sports and other professional disciplinary matters. He is also a Fee Paid Tribunal Judge sitting in the Immigration and Asylum Chamber, and an Assistant Coroner. Barnaby has appeared in front of anti-doping panels as an advocate and regularly advises athletes, sporting bodies and clubs on disciplinary and anti-doping matters. He has extensive experience as a legal member of sports disciplinary committees (both first instance and appeals), dealing with disciplinary matters, selection matters and anti-doping matters.
Kathryn Hovington is a barrister practicing media and communications regulation, having previously specialised in criminal, extradition and international criminal law from 2009 - 2020. She holds appointments as Chair and Panel Member for the England Boxing National Disciplinary Panel and as Independent Safeguarding Panel Member for UK Athletics.
Jeremy Phillips KC has four decades of experience as a lawyer, initially as a solicitor and then, from 2004 as a barrister. A particular field of expertise is in gambling law, but he has also been involved as King’s Counsel in a range of sports related & professional disciplinary matters. He is a member of the Lawn Tennis Association’s disciplinary panel, the Teaching Regulation Agency’s Professional Conduct Panel, Sports Resolutions Panels and, more recently was appointed to Chair Police Misconduct Hearings for South Wales, Dyfed Powys, Gwent and North Wales.