Cheats were handled fairly, says HKU
Hong Kong University's law faculty has defended its handling of plagiarism cases in its professional legal education department.
Sources told the South China Morning Post that two students punished by a university disciplinary committee on Monday received more lenient sentences than two earlier cases, who were expelled and permanently barred from retaking the Postgraduate Certificate in Laws at HKU.
The students punished on Monday were reportedly suspended for several months to a year.
But the dean of the faculty, Johannes Chan Man-mun, said the cases were 'not as serious'.
He declined to reveal details, saying the matter was confidential and subject to appeal.
Sixteen students who sat this year's exam were investigated for plagiarism, varying in extent from slight to up to 98 per cent of the paper, sources told the Post.
One student is believed to have lied in his paper about having interviewed a magistrate for the assignment.
Professor Chan defended the faculty's handling of the matter, saying the faculty had done nothing to conceal the matter but had to protect students' privacy.
'I don't think it is in the interests of education to publicise - we are not a court, after all, and these are students, not criminals.
'We have the future of the students to be concerned about as well.'
