Watchdog ruling against Sussex University ‘unlawful’, court told

A ruling by an education watchdog that led to the University of Sussex being hit with a record £585,000 fine should be quashed as “unlawful”, “unreasonable” and “procedurally unfair”, a court has heard.

- Sally Weale Education correspondent

In a judicial review hearing before the high court in London yesterday, the university claimed it had suffered “severe” consequences as a result of the landmark decision in March by England’s higher education regulator, the Office for Students (OfS).

The fine and the ruling’s impact on the university’s reputation also “threaten to have a significant financial impact”, said Chris Buttler KC, for the university. “This case is of public importance,” he added. “It concerns the scope of the OfS’s powers [and] the ... autonomy of universities to foster civility and tolerance on campus.”