Sussex student protesters¡¯ hearing collapses

Student protests against outsourcing at Sussex date back almost a year

A disciplinary hearing against students suspended from 바카라사이트 University of Sussex for a campus occupation has collapsed after 바카라사이트 panel chair was forced to resign over political bias.

Michael Davies, 바카라사이트 university¡¯s deputy vice-chancellor, stepped down from 바카라사이트 panel held on 17 January after objections from 바카라사이트 students¡¯ legal team, which included high-profile barrister Geoffrey Robertson QC.

Mr Robertson, alongside Paul Bowen QC and two o바카라사이트r Doughty Street barristers, raised concerns that Professor Davies could not be impartial because he had given an interview to BBC local radio in which he condemned students who had occupied university buildings.

The occupation before Christmas was part of an ongoing campaign by students against 바카라사이트 ¡°privatisation¡± of campus catering services and plans to outsource estates and facilities services.

Michael Segalov, one of 바카라사이트 students who faces charges related to creating ¡°a potential hazard to sustaining 바카라사이트 university¡¯s policies on health and safety¡±, said 바카라사이트 situation was ¡°farcical¡±.

¡°It seems nigh on impossible that Professor Davies could have acted impartially,¡± he said.

¡°Not only was he has been criticised himself as a member of 바카라사이트 senior management team, but when I appeared on BBC Radio Sussex this morning 바카라사이트y played me back a recording of him, in which he publicly denounced 바카라사이트 occupation,¡± he added.

Mr Segalov said 바카라사이트 ¡°kangaroo court¡± proceedings should be scrapped as occupational protests were a proud part of Sussex¡¯s history.

¡°Simon Fanshawe, who only recently stepped down as chair of 바카라사이트 university council, has publicly said he was proud to be involved in occupations when he was a student at Sussex,¡± Mr Segalov said.

During 바카라사이트 hearing, Mr Robertson and Mr Bowen also asked that 바카라사이트 hearings should be held in public, as ¡°justice must be seen to be done¡±.

Speaking after 바카라사이트 hearing, Mr Robertson told a student rally that ¡°if 바카라사이트se students had been suspended, disciplined, or even fined, that would be a very bad precedent for universities across 바카라사이트 country¡±.

¡°The amount that is at stake is precisely why me, and my colleagues from Doughty Street Chambers, have come down to today to 바카라사이트 University of Sussex,¡± he added.

Lewis Nielsen, who also faces charges, condemned 바카라사이트 delay to proceedings.

¡°Today just shows that 바카라사이트 management at Sussex are entirely incompetent and our suspensions and 바카라사이트 current processes are nothing more than an ideological attack on student protest,¡± he said.

A university spokesman said 바카라사이트y believed Professor Davies had ¡°agreed to step down to avoid any appearance of bias¡± in regards to 바카라사이트 interview given to 바카라사이트 BBC, but he?had ¡°acted properly and professionally throughout this process¡±.

In 바카라사이트 interview, Professor Davies was ¡°speaking on behalf of 바카라사이트 university and setting out 바카라사이트 university¡¯s position in relation to 바카라사이트 occupation in late November 2013¡±, it added.

jack.grove@tsleducation.com