Law is not a science. Its practice involves the dark art of answering vexed questions: just as it is a compelling proposition that the AFL must bear its formidable teeth at Essendon for its alleged role in marking this year as the sport's annus horribilis lest the integrity of the competition be tarnished; in equal measure it seems premature and unusual to seek to sanction James Hird, or anyone else, absent finalising the very investigation that serves as the evidentiary bedrock for the charges laid.

Playing devil's advocate, and taking up unpopular or absurd arguments, do however have their limits. In an effective reversal of its 1993 decriminalisation of homosexuality, Russian President Vladimir Putin gave his final assent earlier this year to a raft of new national laws including establishing unfettered powers for police to arrest and detain tourists and foreign nationals suspected of being homosexual or ''pro-gay''; introducing a deliberately imprecise prohibition against the distribution of ''propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations'' to minors (thus federalising the laws already enacted in parts of Russia as early as 2006); and placing a blanket ban on the adoption of orphans by Russian gay couples or any person from any country in which marriage equality exists.

Illustration: Edd Aragon Credit:Illustration: Edd Aragon

The Russian government has in recent weeks most helpfully clarified that it will apply these new regulations during the 2014 Winter Olympics, and hence will not hesitate to arrest anybody suspected of violating the laws.

Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko has, perhaps in his own inimitable way, sought to temper any fears in saying ''an athlete of non-traditional sexual orientation isn't banned from coming to Sochi''.