Title: The courts' jurisdiction over student/university disputes in Australia

Authors: Megumi Ogawa

Addresses: Waseda University, 1-6-1 Nishiwaseda, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 169-8050, Japan

Abstract: The issue of courts' jurisdiction when overseeing disputes between students and their universities is a complex one. Sometimes the court which apparently has jurisdiction to hear most student complaints cannot entertain a particular complaint. Even if the court exercises jurisdiction, it might not have power to grant the most appropriate remedies for the dispute between the student and their university. Furthermore, it is not always possible for students to bring an action against their university in what appears to be the most obvious jurisdiction. In this article, the choice of forum by a student when making a complaint against their university will be analysed in detail.

Keywords: choice; legal forums; jurisdiction; student litigation; higher education; universities; dispute resolution; civil procedure; civil practice; Australia; student complaints; appropriate remedies; legal actions; law students; University of Melbourne; law schools; federal courts; judicial review; civil claims; public law; public policy.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPLAP.2012.045225

International Journal of Public Law and Policy, 2012 Vol.2 No.1, pp.96 - 103

Published online: 20 Sep 2014 *

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