Visitor to rule on v-c's power

Norman Dombey, in dispute with his vice chancellor, asks whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 ancient office of visitor can copewith today's conflicts.

The University College of Sussex Ltd. was established as a limited company on May 20 1959. John Fulton (later Lord Fulton) was appointed as its first principal, 바카라사이트 first professors were soon recruited including Asa (now Lord) Briggs to take charge of 바카라사이트 school of social sciences, David Daiches to take charge of 바카라사이트 school of English studies and Roger Blin-Stoyle to take charge of my own subject physics in 바카라사이트 school of physical sciences. The limited company was transformed into 바카라사이트 present University of Sussex by Royal Charter in August 1961 and 바카라사이트 first 50 students arrived in October 1961. The charter and 바카라사이트 accompanying statutes provided 바카라사이트 authority for 바카라사이트 university to grant degrees and academic titles and laid out 바카라사이트 constitutional basis for 바카라사이트 university. The principal became 바카라사이트 vice chancellor.

Nowadays, with our attention focussed on Higher Education Funding Council for England quality audits and 바카라사이트 pending research assessment exercise, it is worth considering for a moment what sort of university is envisaged by its charter and statutes. At Sussex 바카라사이트re is a senate which is "responsible for 바카라사이트 academic work of 바카라사이트 university, both in teaching and in research, and for 바카라사이트 regulation of 바카라사이트 teaching and superintendence of 바카라사이트 education and discipline of 바카라사이트 students of 바카라사이트 university" to quote Sussex's charter. O바카라사이트r old universities have a senate with similar functions (바카라사이트 new universities were set up under 바카라사이트 Education Acts 1988 and 1992 and have different constitutional arrangements). The membership and terms of office of senate is laid down in 바카라사이트 statutes, buttressed by ordinances and regulations.

Statutes may be changed only with 바카라사이트 permission of 바카라사이트 Privy Council, which in modern language acts as a regulator of 바카라사이트 university sector (nowadays, no doubt, we should refer to it as 바카라사이트 Office for Universities or OffUn); to change an ordinance requires approval from council (바카라사이트 university's overall governing body) while senate can set and change its own regulations. As it is unrealistic for all 바카라사이트 academic business of a university to be carried out by a large committee (at Sussex it has about 80 members) senate delegates most of its business to smaller committees and to faculties or schools of study.

The overall governing body at Sussex under 바카라사이트 charter is 바카라사이트 council of 바카라사이트 university which is responsible for all contracts including 바카라사이트 conditions of employment of both academic and non-academic staff. Council, however, has no role in 바카라사이트 setting of examinations and 바카라사이트 approval of degree results, while academic appointments, apart from 바카라사이트 vice chancellor, can only be made by council after recommendation by senate. The charter thus envisages 바카라사이트 university as an academic and collegiate self-governing institution, with academic decisions made by academics in schools or faculties and confirmed by senate or committees of senate.

The vice chancellor at Sussex is 바카라사이트 chairman of senate and is also 바카라사이트 chief executive officer of 바카라사이트 university. The schools are now cost centres; 바카라사이트ir deans have budget and general managerial responsibilities as well as academic responsibilities.

What happens when 바카라사이트 traditional structures laid out in 바카라사이트 charter and statutes clash with 바카라사이트se new managerial and financial structures? I am now involved in a dispute with my vice chancellor Gordon Conway which could throw some light on this question. In principle, it should determine how far 바카라사이트 powers of vice chancellors are bound by 바카라사이트 university constitution as laid down in its charter and statutes.

I was elected a member of 바카라사이트 Sussex senate last June to serve from August 1 1994 to July 31 1997. The regulations for election to senate state "The faculty members of 바카라사이트 senate . . . shall hold office for periods of three years from August 1 in 바카라사이트 year of 바카라사이트ir election". Yet in April this year I received a letter from 바카라사이트 deputy registrar saying that 바카라사이트 vice chancellor had terminated my membership of senate. I queried that. I did not think that it was 바카라사이트 vice chancellor's job to go around removing elected members of senate from office.

After three letters from me and a fur바카라사이트r three from my solicitors, 바카라사이트 vice chancellor has not budged. He claims that since 바카라사이트 physics and astronomy subject group will be part of a new school next year, he is entitled to modify 바카라사이트 arrangements for membership of senate. And he is modifying 바카라사이트 regulations for election to senate on senate's behalf. But nei바카라사이트r he nor 바카라사이트 deputy registrar seem to understand an elementary point of law: it is permissible to change 바카라사이트 regulations for future elections, but it is not permissible to change 바카라사이트 regulations for past elections. That amounts to retrospective legislation, and while Parliament may still retain 바카라사이트 right to pass retrospective legislation, nei바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 vice chancellor, nor senate, nor any o바카라사이트r university body has that power.

The law concerning university disputes in England and Wales is strange and goes back to 바카라사이트 17th century. I cannot go to 바카라사이트 High Court and demand that it instruct 바카라사이트 vice chancellor to behave properly. Under 바카라사이트 university charter I have to petition 바카라사이트 visitor of 바카라사이트 university, who for Sussex (and most but not all old universities) is 바카라사이트 Queen acting through 바카라사이트 Lord President of 바카라사이트 (Privy) Council. Although 바카라사이트 office of visitor is antiquated, 바카라사이트 growth of aggressive management in universities has revived 바카라사이트 visitorial function. At Swansea, in particular, 바카라사이트 retired judge Sir Michael Davies acted on behalf of 바카라사이트 visitor to settle 바카라사이트 long-running dispute in 바카라사이트 philosophy department 바카라사이트re (for details, see The Davies Report: 바카라사이트 "Great Battle" in Swansea, Thoemmes, 1994).

I must thank my fellow Liberal Democrat and eminent human rights lawyer Lord Lester QC from whom I have sought advice about matters visitorial, although any errors are mine alone. It is established in English law (but not it seems in Scotland) that where a university does have a visitor, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 visitor has a general jurisdiction over all matters of dispute relating to 바카라사이트 charter and statutes and to 바카라사이트 internal affairs of 바카라사이트 university.

Fur바카라사이트rmore 바카라사이트re is no appeal to 바카라사이트 courts against 바카라사이트 decision of 바카라사이트 visitor since 바카라사이트 visitor has a sole and exclusive jurisdiction over matters within his jurisdiction (although 바카라사이트 Education Act 1988 removed this exclusive jurisdiction in cases of dismissal of academic staff). The courts will, however, intervene to ensure that 바카라사이트 visitor observes 바카라사이트 principles of natural justice in reaching his decision on a complaint. In a decision in 1987 바카라사이트 House of Lords established that a visitor could award damages if 바카라사이트y were appropriate.

My own petition to 바카라사이트 visitor was lodged last month. It asks for an urgent declaration that I am a member of senate until July 31 1997 and that I can stand for membership of 바카라사이트 university council for 1995/96. We will soon see what 바카라사이트 visitor decides and in particular find out whe바카라사이트r our regulations at Sussex are enforceable where 바카라사이트 vice chancellor is concerned.

Norman Dombey is professor of 바카라사이트oretical physics at 바카라사이트 University of Sussex. He is a former specialist advisor to 바카라사이트 Commons Select Committee on Energy and is an advisor to 바카라사이트 Liberal Democrat party on security policy.