Study on national sports legislation in Europe (1999)

The cover of this book is based on a photograph, kindly provided by the Icelandic Ministry of Culture and Education, of Europe’s oldest known sports law, passed by the Althing in 1281, and contained in an old Icelandic codex known as Jónsbók. The part of the text which is illustrated translates into English as follows: “If a man participates in a game, wrestling match or a tug-of-war of his own free will, he shall be liable for himself in all respects, even if he suffers injury or harm”. Many member countries of the Committee for the Development of Sport (CDDS) of the Council of Europe have legislation covering sport. These laws are often the result of social, political or economical considerations. It was thought that it would be interesting to commission a study summarising and analysing the information from countries national reports and to assess their impact on sport in general. This is a useful comparative study and could help other countries develop their own legislation.