Under WADA's prohibited list of substances, some are specified and can mean an automatic two-year ban reduction.

This is because certain substances can be found in an athlete's system inadvertently, and the specified substance list, therefore, gives disciplinary tribunals more flexibility when making rulings.

The specified substance list was also raised by UK Anti-Doping chief executive Andy Parkinson here yesterday, when he called for further flexibility to ensure that punishments for those who do not intentionally cheat aren't treated too harshly by the system.

WADA is currently reviewing its code and Benz said that he hoped they would carry out a wide ranging consultation.

"I've been through this process before as the chief legal officer for the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), and I used to attend a lot of meetings," Benz told insidethegames.

"I think that this will be a very inclusive process and it should be.

"I think we have heard good words from WADA representatives here."

He suggested though that "it might be useful for WADA to have someone undertake a review some of the CAS cases where panellists have identified a gap, inconsistencies or ambiguities in the specified substances rule and what it really means.

"The list is the list and the code says here is how you deal with different parts of the list and different substances on the last," said Benz.

"In the course of making a decision sometimes...you have to fill in the gaps."

Benz is a member of a number of arbitration panels and previously served as a member of the USOC's Special Bid Oversight Commission investigating allegations of wrongdoing during the bid process for the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics.

The scandal surrounding the bidding process for those Games led to the resignation of four International Olympic Committee (IOC) members, whilst six others were expelled for accepting a range of gifts.

"There have been a couple of cases where this has been an issue, where these kind of issues come up," Benz added.

"It's great to sit in a room and think about wow this sounds great, I'm going to write it and here's how I'm going to do it and all of that.

"But when it gets applied there is learning to take from that...I think WADA is sensitive to that."

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