You must abide by highest moral code, graduates told in wake of plagiarism
Students of the University of Hong Kong's Postgraduate Certificate of Laws (PCLL) course yesterday had the principles of honour and integrity hammered into them by academic and professional leaders.
In the wake of several cases of plagiarism identified for the first time in the programme this year, the students heard speeches by PCLL head Michael Wilkinson, law faculty dean Johannes Chan Man-mun and Law Society president Michael Lintern-Smith on the importance of honesty in the profession.
The event at which they spoke was an awards ceremony for graduating students, as well as an induction ceremony for new students.
Professor Wilkinson urged the students not to put him in the difficult position of having to prosecute anyone for plagiarism, as he had to several months ago.
Sixteen students were investigated and four faced hearings before the University Disciplinary Committee for copying up to 98 per cent of each other's work on a paper worth five per cent of one course. One student is reported to have faked an interview with a magistrate for the paper.
Of the four, two were expelled and barred from re-sitting the PCLL course, one was suspended for a year and the other suspended for several months.