GUYANESE Karim Khan was recently appointed by the International Rugby League (IRL) as their first-ever Head of Judiciary and will serve as the most senior judiciary officer in the international rugby league, spanning elite and grassroots activities.

Khan, a Barrister-at-Law and Chairperson of the Metropolitan Police Misconduct Panels in London, is a former Director of Legal Affairs at the Commonwealth Secretariat and will bring to the IRL a significant experience of working internationally for the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the United Nations and the Commonwealth.

In December, Khan’s four-year term as the 7th Secretary General of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association ended.

According to the IRL, Khan will be responsible for managing the revision of the IRL on- and off-field misconduct rules and procedures and will lead on cases covered by those rules. To assist in the role, Khan will be recruiting and managing a pool of qualified co-panellists.

The IRL global operations manager Danny Kazandjian said Khan’s “career achievements and depth of experience speak for themselves. He brings a valuable international dimension to the role, particularly in the Commonwealth, where rugby league is well-positioned. He also brings perspectives from outside the sport, specialisation in international legal affairs as well as quasi-judicial experience in dealing with highly complex matters relating to the investigation and enforcement of professional standards.”

Khan, commenting on his appointment, said that he’s “delighted to be appointed as the first Head of Judiciary and look forward to working closely with the IRL governing body to further strengthen the good governance of the sport of rugby league football.

This appointment will contribute to ensuring that the IRL keeps pace with best practice in the regulatory field for the benefit of all concerned.”