Today Trenton Oldfield, the Australian academic and protester who interrupted the 2012 Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race, won his appeal to stay in the UK. He received support from 265 Oxbridge members who registered their opposition to the Home Secretary, Theresa May, in her attempt to have Oldfield deported for his role in disrupting the race. The Home Office said that Oldfield’s presence in the UK was not “conducive to the public good”.

Immigration tribunal judge Kevin Moore, who heard Oldfield’s appeal case against deportation in London earlier today, ruled to overturn the Home Office’s deportation order, adding that "[t]here is no doubt as to your character and commitment and the value you are to UK society generally.”

The tribunal heard of the online petition signed by Oxbridge staff, students and alumni, who called the attempt to have Oldfield deported “draconian”. The petition was featured on the website donsspeakout.wordpress.com – which aims to represent the views of Oxbridge members. In the petition signatories stated that they did not want such a harsh penalty “to be applied in the name of an event representing our institutions.”

Oldfield’s appeal case portrayed the government’s deportation order as a contravention of Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which defends “[t]he right to respect for private and family life, home and correspondence”. According to Oldfield, deportation would result in separation from his wife and young child.

A Home Office spokesperson defended the decision to pursue deportation on the basis that "[t]hose who come to the UK must abide by our laws." However, the government has come under fire from the campaign group Defend the Right to Protest, who claim that "[t]he authorities are cracking down harder and harder against anyone who raises a voice." There is a growing concern amongst some campaign groups that Oldfield’s has become a test case for the criminalisation of protests.

Despite having no criminal history Oldfield was given a six-month prison sentence following his disruption of the Boat Race last year. He called it “a very vindictive decision, very political and very much an overreaction.” Oldfield stresses that his protest was peaceful and served to highlight the elitism of British society: "People tell me that on the day of the race, 500,000 people looked up the word 'elitism' on Google. It sparked a debate."