A clutch of senior lawyers have been appointed to the newly-established National Anti-Doping Panel (NADP) to oversee doping cases brought against athletes.

One Essex Court's Peter Leaver QC has been appointed as president of the 16-strong panel, while Farrar's Building tenant Patrick Harrington QC will act as vice president.

The NADP, which will begin work next month, will take over responsibility for anti-doping cases once an athlete has been charged. It aims to ensure that athletes are given a fair hearing and a proportionate penalty in accordance with the World Anti-Doping Code.

Other legal members of the panel include: Blackstone Chambers duo Charles Flint and Robert Englehart QCs; Richard Davies QC of 39 Essex Street; Wilberforce Chambers' David Phillips QC; and Graeme Mew of Four New Square.

Field Fisher Waterhouse head of public and regulatory law Matthew Lohn and Harper Macleod senior partner and head of litigation Rod McKenzie will also sit on the panel.

Lohn commented: "The creation of the NAPD will ensure that the UK leads the way in the fight against drugs in sport. In January 2009 a new version of the World Anti-Doping Code comes into force, which gives tribunals more discretion over the sanctions they hand down. This new, centralised tribunal system will be important to ensure we achieve high-quality, consistent decisions."

The NADP was established by Sports Resolutions, an independent service provider contracted by sports body UK Sport.