Ex-NUS law professor Tey seeks reinstatement of academic position

Ex-NUS law professor Tey seeks reinstatement of academic position

High Court order filed to reverse former NUS law professor Tey Tsun Hang's ‘wrongful’ dismissal following his subsequently-overturned corruption conviction.

Ex-NUS Professor Tey Tsun Hang (Photo: TODAY)

SINGAPORE: Former National University of Singapore (NUS) law professor Tey Tsun Hang has applied to the High Court to have his dismissal from duty quashed and to be reinstated.

Mr Tey is alleging that NUS did not carry out any disciplinary proceedings against him and had based the decision to dismiss him on the trial court conviction.

In his affidavit tendered to the court last week, Mr Tey said NUS had “jumped the gun” in its decision.

“The NUS cannot dismiss a tenured law professor based on conviction declared by the High Court to be misconceived and mistake, a conviction based on evidence misconstrued and its significance misunderstood,” he said.

In response to this, NUS said on Wednesday (June 11) that under the terms and conditions of Mr Tey's appointment, termination may be effected without prior notice and without any payment of compensation should he be convicted by a court of law of any crime that is likely to bring the university into disrepute.

The university can also exercise its rights of summary dismissal should Mr Tey be guilty of misconduct or impropriety, a spokesman added. "NUS takes a very strong stand against faculty who behave in a grossly inappropriate manner in their interactions with our students. Under our Code of Conduct, University staff are expected to conduct themselves with honesty and propriety, and perform their duties in a professional and conscientious manner."

Mr Tey was suspended from his post on July 27, 2012 after he was charged for alleged misconduct with his then-student Darinne Ko.

He was officially dismissed on May 28, 2013 upon the oral delivery judgment of his conviction which was later overturned in February this year.

Mr Tey is currently unemployed and is living in Malaysia, with his lawyer M Ravi adding that Tey feels “aggrieved” about the situation.

-TODAY/ek

- wong chee tat :)