Thu, 21 Sep 2017
Mark Heywood QC, of No5 Barristers’ Chambers, has been appointed as a chairman of the Motor Sports Council National Court, the highest judicial authority in UK motorsport.
The National Court has several areas of jurisdiction including appeals, disciplinary, investigatory, eligibility and arbitration. It can issue penalties ranging from fines to periods of suspension of somebody’s MSA Competition Licence. National Court Reports are published in the quarterly MSA Magazine and on the msauk.org website.
Heywood is a highly-experienced lawyer who practises in criminal and regulatory law. He was called to the Bar in 1986 and was appointed a QC in 2012. Heywood is also a lifelong motorsport enthusiast, who has competed in MSA karting and circuit racing. He is currently a Race National A Competition Licence holder competing with the 750 Motor Club and the Classic Sports Car Club.
Heywood said: “Having been a competitor for many years, from karting into cars, it is an honour to have been appointed as a Chairman of the National Court. I know how important the Court’s proceedings and decisions are to competitors, officials and all interested parties, so I hope to be able to put my legal and motorsport experience to good effect. I am really looking forward to it.”
The National Court is not part of the MSA and is independent of the governing body. Instead it is a function of the rule-making body of UK motorsport, the Motor Sports Council, which consists predominantly of the volunteers who chair the specialist committees representing the sport’s various disciplines.
