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.