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Oxford student sues university for cheating him out of high-flying legal career due to 'inadequate teaching'

Mr Siddiqui attended Branenose College at Oxford University: PA
Mr Siddiqui attended Branenose College at Oxford University: PA

An Oxford graduate who failed to get a top degree is suing the University for £1 million after accusing it of cheating him out of a high flying legal career.

Faiz Siddiqui has alleged that Oxford University provided him with “inadequate teaching” on the Indian special subject part of his modern history course.

He claims that this particular part of his course cost him his degree and resulted in him receiving a low upper second as opposed to a first or a high 2:1.

Mr Siddiqui blames his lower score on staff being absent on sabbatical leave during his studies.

The 39 year old claims that had he received adequate teaching and achieved his higher grade, he would have gone on to become an international commercial lawyer.

Mr Siddiqui who attended Brasenose College told the court that his clinical depression and insomnia had been exacerbated by his “inexplicable failure”.

His counsel Roger Mallalieu told the Mr Justice Foskett that in the year 2000, the time that Mr Siddiqui undertook his studies, the student was a “driven young man" who planned on attending an Ivy League university to obtain a postgraduate degree before going on to become a lawyer.

“Whilst a 2:1 degree from Oxford might rightly seem like a tremendous achievement to most, it fell significantly short of Mr Siddiqui's expectations and was, to him, a huge disappointment." Mr Mallalieu said.

He went on to claim that Mr Sidduqui was not fulfilled with the employment roles that he gained upon leaving Oxford and that he was currently unemployed.

Mr Mallieu said that Mr Siddiqui had been “badly let down" by Oxford and that “"He - and others - became the victim of poor teaching provision by the University in what was anticipated to be his favoured special subject.”

He alleged that Mr Siddiqui was “further disadvantaged by his personal tutor not conveying his knowledge of his illnesses to those responsible for making reasonable adjustments and for moderating his [Mr Siddiqui's] examinations."

Oxford University denied the allegations of negligence and causation and said that the case was filed “massively” outside the legal time limit.

The seven day hearing will assess issues of liability with damages to be assessed later if Mr Siddiqui is successful.