Hundreds of students have begun legal action against UCL over the teaching they received during strikes and the 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 the High Court in London on 24 May, lawyers from the law firms Asserson and Harcus Parker accused the institution of a “breach of contract”.
UCL appealed to the court to put proceedings on hold because it believed such cases should be dealt with first by its own complaints procedure and then the ombudsman, the Office of the 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 the court heard how a further 2,140 students had since come forward wishing to be added to the legal action. The case was being seen as a pilot that, if successful, could lead to 100,000 students filing claims against 17 other UK universities.
