Education

A substantial part of Annabel's practice centres on education law, with a particular emphasis on further and higher education. Her experience includes:

• R (Agarwal) v University of Nottingham (2012) (appearing unled for the student in the High Court in a challenge to the University's decision to refuse to readmit him onto the medical course following a change of circumstances, permission granted on all grounds after a contested oral hearing).
   
• R (Sandhar) v Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education [2011] EWCA Civ 1614 (at first instance) and R (Budd) v. The Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education [2010] EWHC 1056 (Admin) (test cases on the scope of the OIA's powers and duties).
  
• Maria Lavell v Winchester University Assisted Nicholas Green QC of Brick Court Chambers and Gregory Jones QC of FTB in drafting a High Court contract claim against a university for damages and an injunction for withholding a student's degree on the basis of an unrelated accommodation debt (significant out of court settlement). Press coverage: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/rent-arrears-student-wins-right-to-graduate-1806887.html. Annabel was subsequently instructed alone in a similar case (Hawa Hersi v Kingston University), which also settled out of court on very favourable terms to the student.
  
• Drafted judicial review proceedings against a university for breach of the Disciplinary Discrimination Act 1995 in respect of a student suffering from a metal impairment. The claim was withdrawn following the university's agreement to acceptable conditions of return for the student concerned.
  
• Regular advisory work for students in disputes with universities.
  
• Regular appearance before University Disciplinary Committees including successfully arguing that a student be allowed to re-sit his final-year dissertation, despite accepting he was guilty of serious academic misconduct in plagarising his earlier attempt.