Venetia Bennett has a broad commercial litigation and arbitration practice – but it is her skill, experience and passion for sports law that has put her on the world stage.
Ms Bennett was appointed earlier this year as the new independent World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Executive Committee (ExCo) member, and has just returned from the ExCo’s first meeting for 2023, held in Montreal. She is the second Australian on the 16-strong Committee, joining the Federal Minister for Sport, Anika Wells, who represents the Oceania region.
“The appointment is a great honour and comes at an exciting time for WADA as it completes the implementation of wide-ranging governance reforms and prepares for a review of the World Anti-Doping Code and a new strategic plan,” said Ms Bennett.
“Becoming part of such a significant international sports organisation, whose aims of clean sport and the protection of clean athletes I so strongly support, was a great opportunity – and I’m looking forward to the challenge of the next three years.”
The Montreal ExCo meeting took Venetia back to the country where her passion for sports law was first ignited almost 20 years ago.
“I was on a semester exchange to the Univeristy of British Columbia and remember being in my first sports law class thinking ‘I love this – I need to be involved in this area,’” she recalls.
Since then, Ms Bennett has built an impressive career in sports law including her appointment as an inaugural Member of the National Sports Tribunal and earning life membership of the Australian and New Zealand Sports Law Association in 2019, after becoming the first female (and youngest) ANZSLA President, serving from 2012-18 in that role and as a Board member for a decade.
Venetia Bennett is one of a growing number of Francis Burt Chambers members with particular expertise and interests in sports law, with many of them serving as members of sport disciplinary tribunals and boards around the country.
“Sports law has become an increasingly significant practice area in this country, and internationally, and I consider myself lucky to have been able to enjoy its growing exposure,” said Ms Bennett. “It’s interesting to reflect how sport has transformed in recognition of legal and integrity issues in a short space of time – the progress has been tremendous.
“There is heightened recognition, even at the grassroots level, of the legal dimensions to sport, and an increasing awareness of the need to adopt a more professional approach to sports administration.
“I have found sports law to be a challenging, fascinating and rewarding area of practice. Unique issues arise regularly, in an industry culture where there is a high degree of creativity and pragmatism from clubs and individuals who simply don’t have the time or funds for protracted litigation.
“It’s an expanding area of the law I find thoroughly enjoyable to practise in – and I know that’s a view shared by a number of my colleagues at Francis Burt Chambers.”