Saturday, June 05, 2004

Tell It to the Judge

Then there's this:
A student who admits plagiarising throughout his three-year degree, plans to sue his university for negligence after his activities were exposed the day before the final exam....

[The student said:] "I can see there is evidence that I have gone against the rules, but they've taken my money for three years and pulled me up the day before I finished. If they had pulled me up with my first essay, and warned me of the problems, it would be fair enough. But all my essays were handed back with good marks and no one spotted it."

[A university official] said: "The university has robust and well-established procedures in place to combat plagiarism and our students are given clear guidance on this issue... in the faculty and department's handbooks."
The former student is thinking of suing the university, of course.

If he wins, think of the useful precedent it will set. For example: I know there are speed limits, but I habitually exceed the speed limits. I finally get caught. Then I tell the judge that because I wasn't caught the first time I sped it wouldn't be fair to fine me now. Do you think the judge would buy it?