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Avvägningen mellan antidopingkontroll och idrottares integritet - Whereabouts i ljuset av artikel 8 i EKMR

Linderoth, Amanda LU (2024) LAGF03 20242
Department of Law
Faculty of Law
Abstract
WADA is responsible for the anti-doping work within the world of sports. The work mainly consists of creating harmonized anti-doping policies that span multiple sports and countries. More specifically the organization of WADA maintains a list of prohibited substances that the athletes must not be caught using. Additionally, they developed a doping testing system and invented a surveillance system whereby athletes need to provide information on where they live, perform trainings and other daily activities, as well as where they will be sleeping every night for the next quarter of the year. Furthermore, athletes must report a time slot of 60 minutes daily where they must be fully available at a pre-defined location to be tested. This is... (More)
WADA is responsible for the anti-doping work within the world of sports. The work mainly consists of creating harmonized anti-doping policies that span multiple sports and countries. More specifically the organization of WADA maintains a list of prohibited substances that the athletes must not be caught using. Additionally, they developed a doping testing system and invented a surveillance system whereby athletes need to provide information on where they live, perform trainings and other daily activities, as well as where they will be sleeping every night for the next quarter of the year. Furthermore, athletes must report a time slot of 60 minutes daily where they must be fully available at a pre-defined location to be tested. This is called the whereabouts system.

A part of being a top athlete means being fully prepared for a visit from a doping control officer during the time slot or during practice and competition. However, based on the information provided on the athlete, WADA also conducts unannounced testing, so called out of competition testing, and can therefore show up at any time of the day without notifying the athlete beforehand. If an athlete fails to report its whereabouts or if the athlete cannot be found at the specified location, he or she may be suspended from the sport.

This invasion of the athlete’s privacy has sparked significant concerns about its alignment with human rights. This paper aims to examine whether the whereabouts system is compatible with the right to privacy in article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights. There is a case from the European Court of Human Rights on the matter where the court, with only a brief statement of reasons, assisted WADA and accepted whereabouts. This case will be reviewed and analyzed. The findings of the essay are that whereabouts infringes on athletes right to privacy, but that there are legitimate purposes that justify the measure. Despite this, it seems difficult to fully say that whereabouts is compatible with the exception in article 8.2 of the ECHR. Moreover, developments at WADA seem to indicate that whereabouts, and where the system is heading, should not be seen as compatible with article 8 ECHR. (Less)
Abstract (Swedish)
WADA ansvarar för antidopingarbetet inom idrottsvärlden. Arbetet består främst av att utveckla harmoniserade antidopingregler som sträcker sig över flera sporter och länder. Mer specifikt upprätthåller organisationen en lista över förbjudna preparat som idrottarna inte får ertappas bruka. Dessutom har de utvecklat ett system för dopingtestning och ett övervakningssystem som går ut på att idrottare måste uppge information om var de bor, tränar och utför andra dagliga aktiviteter, så väl som var de kommer sova varje natt under det kommande kvartalet. Därutöver måste idrottare rapportera ett 60 minuter långt tidsintervall då de ska vara fullt tillgängliga för att dopingtestas, på en på förhand bestämd plats. Det kallas för... (More)
WADA ansvarar för antidopingarbetet inom idrottsvärlden. Arbetet består främst av att utveckla harmoniserade antidopingregler som sträcker sig över flera sporter och länder. Mer specifikt upprätthåller organisationen en lista över förbjudna preparat som idrottarna inte får ertappas bruka. Dessutom har de utvecklat ett system för dopingtestning och ett övervakningssystem som går ut på att idrottare måste uppge information om var de bor, tränar och utför andra dagliga aktiviteter, så väl som var de kommer sova varje natt under det kommande kvartalet. Därutöver måste idrottare rapportera ett 60 minuter långt tidsintervall då de ska vara fullt tillgängliga för att dopingtestas, på en på förhand bestämd plats. Det kallas för whereaboutssystemet.

Att vara elitidrottare innebär att vara förbered på ett besök från en dopingkontrollant under dessa 60 minuter och under träningar samt tävlingar. WADA utför dessutom oannonserade dopingtester under resterande del av dagen, som möjliggörs genom att idrottare lämnar precis information om var de befinner sig. Om en idrottare underlåter att rapportera platsinformation, eller om idrottare inte befinner sig på platsen de uppgett att de ska befinna sig på under det bestämda tidsintervallet, riskerar han eller hon avstängning.

Att whereabouts kan utgöra ett intrång i idrottarnas rätt till privatliv har diskuterats. Denna uppsats syftar till att undersöka huruvida whereabouts är förenligt med rätten till privatliv som garanteras i Europakonventionens artikel 8. Frågan har varit uppe för prövning hos Europadomstolen, som efter en kort motivering bistod WADA och därmed godkände systemet. Fallet kommer vidare undersökas i uppsatsen.

Slutsatsen av arbetet är att whereabouts inkräktar på idrottarnas rätt till privatliv, men att det finns legitima ändamål som rättfärdigar åtgärden. Trots detta verkar det ändå vara svårt att bestämt hävda att whereabouts är förenligt med undantaget som medges i artikel 8.2 i EKMR. Vidare tyder utvecklingen inom WADA på att whereabouts, och den riktning som systemet verkar ta, inte kan anses vara förenliga med artikel 8 i Europakonventionen. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Linderoth, Amanda LU
supervisor
organization
course
LAGF03 20242
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
Folkrätt, Idrottsjuridik
language
Swedish
id
9179338
date added to LUP
2025-03-20 14:12:50
date last changed
2025-03-20 14:12:50
@misc{9179338,
  abstract     = {{WADA is responsible for the anti-doping work within the world of sports. The work mainly consists of creating harmonized anti-doping policies that span multiple sports and countries. More specifically the organization of WADA maintains a list of prohibited substances that the athletes must not be caught using. Additionally, they developed a doping testing system and invented a surveillance system whereby athletes need to provide information on where they live, perform trainings and other daily activities, as well as where they will be sleeping every night for the next quarter of the year. Furthermore, athletes must report a time slot of 60 minutes daily where they must be fully available at a pre-defined location to be tested. This is called the whereabouts system.

A part of being a top athlete means being fully prepared for a visit from a doping control officer during the time slot or during practice and competition. However, based on the information provided on the athlete, WADA also conducts unannounced testing, so called out of competition testing, and can therefore show up at any time of the day without notifying the athlete beforehand. If an athlete fails to report its whereabouts or if the athlete cannot be found at the specified location, he or she may be suspended from the sport.

This invasion of the athlete’s privacy has sparked significant concerns about its alignment with human rights. This paper aims to examine whether the whereabouts system is compatible with the right to privacy in article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights. There is a case from the European Court of Human Rights on the matter where the court, with only a brief statement of reasons, assisted WADA and accepted whereabouts. This case will be reviewed and analyzed. The findings of the essay are that whereabouts infringes on athletes right to privacy, but that there are legitimate purposes that justify the measure. Despite this, it seems difficult to fully say that whereabouts is compatible with the exception in article 8.2 of the ECHR. Moreover, developments at WADA seem to indicate that whereabouts, and where the system is heading, should not be seen as compatible with article 8 ECHR.}},
  author       = {{Linderoth, Amanda}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Avvägningen mellan antidopingkontroll och idrottares integritet - Whereabouts i ljuset av artikel 8 i EKMR}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}