The applicant soccer club brought an urgent application for judicial review of a decision by the respondent sports governing body's Protest Committee, which had reversed the applicant's semi-final victory due to an alleged ineligible player.
The Divisional Court found it had jurisdiction to review the decision because the governing body exercises compulsory power over a broad segment of the public, giving its decisions a significant public dimension.
The court set aside the Protest Committee's decision, finding it unreasonable and procedurally unfair, as the player's ineligibility was caused by an administrative error by the association itself and the applicant was not given a fair opportunity to respond.
The applicant's victory was restored.
