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Safeguarding Tribunal 

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About the Safeguarding Tribunal

The Safeguarding Tribunal was created in January 2021 as a new division of the Dispute Resolution Secretariat of the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada (SDRCC).

The procedural rules of the Safeguarding Tribunal are adapted to take into account the distinctive and sensitive nature of the complaints, including provisions to protect and accommodate vulnerable parties and witnesses. Under the 2025 Canadian Sport Dispute Resolution Code, it still plays this role where the policies of a sport organization allow safe sport decisions rendered by independent third parties to be appealed to the SDRCC.

All cases before the Safeguarding Tribunal are heard by an independent panel, selected from a specialized roster. Above and beyond the qualifications and experience required to join the SDRCC’s roster, members of the Safeguarding Tribunal will possess experience in relevant fields, which may include child protection, human rights, criminal law, employment law and family law.

Role under the Abuse-Free Sport Program

In matters that were investigated under the authority of the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner (OSIC), the Safeguarding Tribunal can offer arbitration services where decisions of the Director of Sanctions and Outcomes (DSO) on violations or on sanctions are challenged before the SDRCC. Its services remain available for all matters that were investigated by the OSIC that are not yet resolved, in which cases the 2023 Canadian Sport Dispute Resolution Code applies.

Under that regime, the Safeguarding Tribunal can hear challenges of:

  • provisional measures imposed by the Director of Sanctions and Outcomes;
  • findings of a violation by the Director of Sanctions and Outcomes; or
  • sanctions imposed by the Director of Sanctions and Outcomes.

 

Safeguarding Tribunal decisions on violations are final and binding. Decisions on sanctions are appealable to the Appeal Tribunal, in the form of a judicial review.

Role Under the New Canadian Safe Sport Program (CSSP)

The Safeguarding Tribunal will continue to operate in a similar fashion, as an independent body where decisions rendered by the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) in the enforcement of its CSSP can be reviewed by Safeguarding Tribunal arbitrators. The CSSP sets out the criteria for who can seek a review and of what decisions.

Safeguarding Tribunal decisions on violations are final and binding. Decisions on sanctions are appealable to the Appeal Tribunal, in the form of a judicial review.

The complete rules of the Safeguarding Tribunal are found in Article 8 of the 2025 Canadian Sport Dispute Resolution Code.

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