Richard Whittam KC appointed as RFU's Independent Head of Judiciary
Richard Whittam KC has been appointed as the Rugby Football Union’s new Independent Head of Judiciary. He will assume the role vacated by Philip Evans KC, who is stepping down at the end of his second term after six years in the role.
This post was created in 2013 to ensure independence of the judicial function. Richard will be responsible for leading the independent judiciary which decides the outcome of on- and off-field disciplinary cases throughout the game in England.
Richard has been a member of the RFU’s independent judiciary since 2014, and has chaired panels in numerous high profile rugby matters, and acts as Judicial Officer for World Rugby and EPCR.
Richard, at Matrix Chambers in London, is a specialist regulatory and criminal barrister with extensive experience in the most complex and high-profile cases. He is consistently recognised as one of the leading advocates in England, receiving both the Chambers and Partners and Legal 500 Crime Silk of the Year awards. Richard was appointed as Queen’s Counsel in 2008 and was First Senior Treasury Counsel for the Crown at the Central Criminal Court 2013-2015. His judicial roles have included sitting as a Deputy High Court judge for six years and he is a Recorder of the Crown Court, a Justice of Appeal of the Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the Sandwich Islands and a legal member of the Proscribed Organisations Appeal Commission. He is also an arbitrator for Sport Resolutions, and chairs Safeguarding Panels at first instance and on appeal. Richard is an enthusiastic rugby fan, having played himself when younger, and followed his now adult son who played at school and university. His adult daughter continues to play non-contact rugby after the birth of her son.
He has been appointed for an initial term of three years until the end of the 2025/26 season. He will continue to practice from Matrix Chambers during that time.
Angus Bujalski, Executive Director of Legal and Governance said: “We look forward to welcoming Richard to this role and continuing his work within the rugby judiciary. The RFU’s disciplinary system has set standards in sport, and the game benefits from a large number of exceptional people who give up their time to hear cases from the very top of the professional game down to the grass roots. The breadth of Richard’s experience will be very important in building on the foundations laid by Philip Evans and Sir James Dingemans as the previous Independent Heads of Judiciary. It is important that we do not stand still and ensure that the process is fit for the future, and Richard will play a vital role in continuing to develop and improve the disciplinary system in England.”
Richard Whittam KC said: “I am delighted to have been appointed as the next Head of the Independent Rugby Judiciary at the RFU. Discipline is an essential element in the regulation of all sports. In rugby it helps to protect players’ physical and mental well-being from physical injury and verbal insult, and to maintain rugby’s core values. It is important that the process is transparent and the decisions reached are well understood. I look forward to working even more closely with the dedicated RFU discipline team to further those objectives.”
The RFU continues to evolve its disciplinary function and last year appointed an Inclusion and Diversity panel with 11 new independent members to hear all disciplinary cases relating to both on and off-field rugby matters which involve an allegation of discriminatory behaviour. The panellists come both from inside and outside of the game as well as legal and non-legal backgrounds and have either a professional or personal sporting background. Their biographies can be read here.
