Horse Racing Appeal Panel

Horse Racing Appeal Panel

Established through the Horse Racing Licence Act, 2015, the Horse Racing Appeal Panel (HRAP or Panel) is an adjudicative body that is mandated to consider appeals of decisions made under the Rules of Racing.

The HRAP was established as an institutionally-independent and impartial adjudicative body that operates at arm’s length from the AGCO. Members are appointed to the HRAP by the Board of the AGCO. The HRAP is also provided operational and administrative support by the HRAP Secretariat, which is a unit within the Communications and Corporate Affairs Division of the AGCO. The HRAP Secretariat is operated as a standalone unit and is segregated from other parts of the AGCO organization to support the institutional independence of the HRAP. Although the HRAP Chair and Panel members are appointed by the AGCO Board, the AGCO has no oversight role or involvement in adjudicative matters overseen by the Panel and has no authority or jurisdiction to intervene in individual cases.

Panel Members

All HRAP appointments are made through a competitive, merit-based process, with the intent to employ a broad cross-section of individuals with horse racing experience and ideally with one or more of the following qualifications: legal experience; scientific or medical/pharmacology expertise; governance background; experience in sport disputes; and knowledge of administrative justice principles.

The appointments process helps to ensure that the HRAP operates and conducts appeals with integrity, and that the parties before it have confidence that they will be treated fairly and by an impartial panel.

Stanley Sadinsky

CHAIR

First Appointed: April 1, 2016

Term Expires: March 21, 2022

Brian Newton

MEMBER

First Appointed: April 1, 2016

Term Expires: March 31, 2020

Sandra Meyrick

VICE-CHAIR

First Appointed: April 1, 2016

Term Expires: March 31, 2020

Bruce Murray

MEMBER

First Appointed: April 1, 2016

Term Expires: March 31, 2020

John Charalambous

MEMBER

First Appointed: April 1, 2016

Term Expires: March 31, 2020

Dr. Bernd Kretzschmar

MEMBER

First Appointed: March 6, 2017

Resignation Effective: March 5, 2019

Dr. John Hayes

MEMBER

First Appointed: April 1, 2016

Term Expires: March 31, 2020

Julie Jamieson

Bilingual MEMBER

First Appointed: March 6, 2017

Term Expires: March 5, 2021

 

Dale Downey

MEMBER

First Appointed: March 6, 2017

Term Expired: March 5, 2019

 

Year in Review - HRAP

This report marks the end of three years in operation for the HRAP. The focus of the Panel continues to be to ensure a fair and accessible adjudicative process for all participants, and ensuring that it has procedural rules in place to support an efficient and responsive appeal process.

Education and training for Panel members continued to be a high priority during the past year. Recurring meetings of the Panel were held to discuss emerging issues and support information sharing and professional development among the Panel members. The HRAP Secretariat also refreshed its hearing process guidelines to include techniques used in the examination of witnesses and to support better understanding of the rules by self-represented appellants.

The HRAP also made efforts to enhance its stakeholder outreach and education. In June 2018, Secretariat staff reached out to key industry associations and parties/representatives who appear frequently before the tribunal to offer one-on-one information sessions, in the interest of helping parties better understand and comply with the HRAP’s adjudicative framework. The HRAP also began posting educational material at the Panel’s hearing space at 10 Carlson Court for reference by parties before and after their hearings.

As part of its ongoing work to enhance accountability and monitor effectiveness, key performance indicators (KPIs) were established and implemented by the HRAP to help monitor quality service objectives. Other continuous improvements were made to streamline and simplify key Panel documents, such as its notice of hearing and the template used for stay decisions.

The expiry of appointment terms over the year led to a focus on Panel member performance and clarification of roles and responsibilities. Job descriptions were developed to clarify expectations, and formal performance assessments of the Panel members were led by the Chair. A Panel profile was also developed to identify the skill sets required for the ongoing operation of the tribunal and to assist with long-term succession planning.

The Rules of Procedure will be a key focus and priority area for the Panel in the coming year. For the first time, the Panel will be formally consulting with stakeholders on its procedural rules, the idea being that there are a number of parties and individuals who have developed extensive experience appearing before the Panel, and who might therefore have some feedback on how the process can be improved. The objective of this consultation will be to leverage the insights of these parties to ensure that the HRAP’s process remains efficient and effective and continues to meet the needs of the horse racing industry.

HRAP Statistical Report for 2018-2019

Appeals

Number of Notices of Appeal filed with HRAP in 2017-2018

Number of Notices of Appeal filed with HRAP in 2018-2019

54

41

Appeals, by type of infraction

Interference

13

Human Alcohol or Drug

0

Equine Drug or Medication

9

Urging

4

Other Racing Violation

15

Hearings

Number of in-person hearings

Total hearing days

50

43

Appeal hearings

Motion hearings

43

7

Motions

Number of motions

54

Stay Motions

Other Types of Motions

31

23