Appendix III: Horse Racing Appeal Panel

Established through the Horse Racing Licence Act, 2015, the Horse Racing Appeal Panel (HRAP) 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 AGCO Board of Directors. The HRAP is also provided operational and administrative support by the HRAP Secretariat, which is a unit within the Corporate Affairs, Strategic Policy and Planning Division of the AGCO. The HRAP Secretariat is operated as a standalone unit and is separate 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 of Directors, 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

HRAP members are appointed by the AGCO Board of Directors based on experience and qualifications and through a competitive, merit-based process. There is broad representation from the various sectors of the industry on the Panel, with various members possessing a background or experience in law, veterinary medicine and pharmacology, governance and administrative justice.

Year in review  

Throughout 2023-24, hearings continued to be offered primarily through a virtual format. All “A” level hearings are automatically scheduled as virtual, while “B” hearing parties have the option to have the matter in-person or virtual. Out of 67 hearings held in the fiscal year only two (2) were in-person. These hearings are accessible through a secure Zoom platform and facilitated by the HRAP Secretariat. Virtual training is available through the Secretariat to all participants in the electronic hearing process.

The HRAP received seventy-one (71) Notices of Appeal and held sixty-seven (67) hearings, plus 15 additional matters, totaling eighty-two (82) electronic hearings for the fiscal year. This number does not include contested Motions or pre-hearing conferences. In doing so, the HRAP continued to operate without any backlog of cases. In the “A” hearings stream, which are usually complex cases with significant consequences, regular pre-hearing conferences have helped shorten the hearing process.   

Statistical report for 2023–24 

Motions

Hearings