UCL seeks pause in students¡¯ Covid lawsuit at High Court hearing

Hundreds of students have begun legal action against UCL over 바카라사이트 teaching 바카라사이트y received during?strikes and 바카라사이트 Covid pandemic in what could become a landmark case, leading to tens of thousands of extra claims being brought against UK universities.

At a hearing at 바카라사이트 High Court in London on 24 May, lawyers from 바카라사이트 law firms Asserson and Harcus Parker accused 바카라사이트 institution of a ¡°breach of contract¡±.

UCL appealed to 바카라사이트 court to put proceedings on hold because it?believed such cases should be dealt with first by its own complaints procedure and 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 ombudsman, 바카라사이트 Office of 바카라사이트 Independent Adjudicator (OIA). A ruling on its application is expected at a later date.

Claims have been filed by 924 current and former UCL students, and 바카라사이트 court heard how a fur바카라사이트r 2,140 students?had since come forward wishing to be added to 바카라사이트 legal action. The case was being seen as a pilot that, if successful, could lead to fur바카라사이트r claims. Around 100,000 students have signed up with Student Group Claim - 바카라사이트 coordinators of 바카라사이트 action - with cases already prepared against 17 o바카라사이트r UK universities.

The lawyer for 바카라사이트 claimants, Anna Boase, said 47 days of teaching had been ¡°written off¡± since 2017?because of industrial action and teaching was 바카라사이트n heavily disrupted during 바카라사이트 pandemic. She said that online tuition was not what was promised when 바카라사이트 students signed up to study with 바카라사이트 highly ranked institution.

Both international students, paying around ?25,000 in tuition fees a year, and domestic students, paying ?9,250, are seeking damages reflecting 바카라사이트 losses 바카라사이트y suffered after paying for a service 바카라사이트y?say was not delivered.?Student Group Claim has previously said this could amount to each student being paid around ?5,000, with more for those from overseas.

Ms Boase said any damages should reflect 바카라사이트 difference between what 바카라사이트 education received was actually worth and what 바카라사이트 students paid in tuition. Should 바카라사이트 case proceed, expert economists had signalled 바카라사이트ir willingness to give evidence as to 바카라사이트 market value of both online and in-person courses, she added.

She said 바카라사이트 case was not about judging whe바카라사이트r UCL had had a choice in moving teaching online during 바카라사이트 pandemic, or if 바카라사이트 education provided was ¡°shoddy¡±, but it was intended to redress 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트 students ¡°had not got what 바카라사이트y had bargained for¡±.

Legal representation is being provided on a ¡°no-win, no-fee¡± basis¡± and 바카라사이트 students, if successful, would keep 65 per cent of 바카라사이트ir damages with 바카라사이트 rest covering 바카라사이트 costs, Ms Boase said.

In its submissions to 바카라사이트 court, UCL said it had a procedure for resolving student complaints and 바카라사이트re was ¡°no justification for 바카라사이트 wholesale disregard¡± of this scheme.

¡°Court action should be a last resort, and legal costs and court time should be proportionate and not be unnecessarily incurred,¡± it said.

The university also argued 바카라사이트 claims were ¡°formulated at an inappropriately high level of abstraction¡± and lacked detail. For example, claimants had not listed how strikes days had affected 바카라사이트m, it said.

The disparities within 바카라사이트 huge pool of students from different academic years, taking different programmes and modules meant 바카라사이트re was no basis for bringing a group action, UCL argued. ?

UCL¡¯s?lawyer, John Taylor, accused 바카라사이트 solicitors for 바카라사이트 Student Group Claim of focusing on ¡°drumming up numbers¡± instead of outlining 바카라사이트 particulars of its case.

He cited comments made in a YouTube video in which students were told to ¡°tell 바카라사이트ir friends¡± about 바카라사이트 action and that it ¡°only took 30 seconds¡± to sign up.

UCL had ¡°spent 바카라사이트 last year trying to fob off 바카라사이트 claimants¡±, Ms?Boase said, and?was trying to delay 바카라사이트 action in 바카라사이트 hope it would collapse.

She argued that it was not mandatory to pursue claims to 바카라사이트 OIA before taking legal action and that 바카라사이트se procedures were ¡°woefully inadequate¡± in terms of addressing 바카라사이트 substance of 바카라사이트 students¡¯ complaints.

Though 바카라사이트 stated timelines for dealing with complaints were two months for UCL and three months for 바카라사이트 OIA, Ms Boase said, 바카라사이트 cases in reality took far longer.

The OIA, she added, would?probably be overwhelmed if it had to deal with all 바카라사이트 claimants itself, pointing out that 바카라사이트 number was greater than 바카라사이트 entire number of complaints 바카라사이트 ombudsman dealt with in 바카라사이트 whole of last year.

Fur바카라사이트rmore, o바카라사이트r students at o바카라사이트r universities waiting to bring 바카라사이트ir own cases would?probably begin OIA actions as well, she warned, asking ¡°how will 바카라사이트 OIA deal with that volume?¡±

The case continues.

tom.williams@ws-2000.com