Jacob Meagher, a PhD candidate at Sidney Sussex College, is seeking “substantial damages” from the University after failing his PhD.

The High Court was told Meagher believes he failed his viva voce (viva), an oral exam which accompanies the submission of a PhD thesis, following disability discrimination by the University in the assessment process. He contends that he suffered a significant loss of earnings, as Meagher, a barrister, was unable to take up a tenancy in a particular set of chambers.

The court heard that Meagher feels he was placed at a substantial disadvantage by the thesis and viva regulations. Meagher contends that, among other reasons, he “is less able than other candidates of the same ability to produce a singular lengthy and multifaceted piece of work such as a PhD thesis.”

Meagher argued that the University had a duty to remove such disadvantages, for example by allowing Meagher “to have his suitability for award of a PhD to be assessed other than by way of a thesis.”

The barrister also claims that his health was damaged by the viva process. Last July he obtained an injunction against the University which stated: “no steps shall be taken in relation to [Meagher’s] PhD course or examination” until the litigation is resolved.

He also stated that although a committee recommended he should be permitted to re-submit his thesis, it subsequently reversed that decision.

Meagher has been qualified as a barrister in England and Wales since 2018. According to his profile at 1EC Barristers, he “maintains a specialist disability discrimination, Education, University, and Equality Act practice.”

He is also director of Reasonable Adjustment, a company which provides consulting and legal work to help companies and employees navigate the reasonable disability adjustment process. Describing his own case, he said: “This case is not about particular adjustments; it concerns the conduct of an institution which is well known for its poor record when it comes to disability, dispute resolution, and student mental health support.”

He added: “Cambridge Faculty of Law, and the university should be world-leading when it comes to disability and dispute resolution … this is not the case.”

The High Court judgement is not the only legal disappointment Meagher has faced recently. Last year he also failed in an employment tribunal case he brought against the Judicial Appointments Commission. He had alleged that the commission failed to make reasonable adjustments to several appointments processes when he asked for them.

That case was dismissed after the Judge established that Meagher was not eligible for the roles he had applied for, as he did not have sufficient years of post qualification experience as a barrister in England and Wales.

According to The Telegraph, Meagher’s case against the University will continue in county court.