Bath student to pursue case in the High Court

A postgraduate student's eight-year battle with the University of Bath could now go to the High Court following a decision by the University's visitor to close the case. Neil McDougal has been locked in conflict with the university over its grievance procedures since 1992, when he was de-registered from a masters course following an unsuccessful attempt to transfer to a PhD course. Although his complaints of poor supervision were partly upheld, Mr McDougal never completed his degree. This week the lord chancellor Lord Irvine (pictured), representing the university's visitor, the Queen, has rejected a petition by Mr McDougal to reopen an investigation into the university's handling of the affair. Mr McDougal claims he has been denied access to information he is entitled to, and is to complain that the visitor has denied him natural justice by failing to give reasons for his decisions. He is also to complain under the lord chancellor's departments' complaints procedure about the delay in addressing the petition, which was lodged in 1996. This week Mr McDougal said he was "exploring the possibility of pursuing judicial review of (his) case in the High Court".