Law firm 'inundated' with Irish students seeking Covid compensation from universities

A LAW FIRM has said it has been “inundated” with emails from Irish students querying whether they could be entitled to compensation after their college experience was significantly disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Phoenix Law, which is based in Belfast and operates both north and south of the border, has already launched a group action on behalf of students at Northern Irish universities, saying that they may be entitled to compensation for loss of educational experience. 

Megan Burns of Phoenix Law told The Journal that after news emerged that the law firm was pursuing an action against universities in Northern Ireland, its “inboxes were inundated” by students from the Republic of Ireland.

 ”I knew students were really interested, but I didn’t expect as much of a response,” Burns said.

Following the outbreak of Covid-19 in March 2020, many third-level institutions globally moved to remote or hybrid working.

University College London (UCL) recently settled a claim outside of court after a class action was taken by 6,000 students over education they claimed they paid for but did not receive.The BBC reported earlier this month that 36 other universities in the UK have received legal letters about potential legal action since the UCL case was settled. 

Burns said many students have been impacted and will not be able to get the years they spent at university back. “Now they are in debt for something they essentially didn’t receive,” she said.

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According to Burns, students and graduates have been awarded up to €5,000 in compensation from UK universities in some cases.

Burns said the Belfast firm is now considering extending the action south of the border as well.

The action would be different for students who attended universities in the Republic of Ireland due to the lower college fees. Rules governing class actions are also different in Ireland.

Burns believes universities are unlikely to provide blanket compensation to students. Instead, she thinks compensation is more likely to come from a breach of contract claim in court.

Phoenix Law is pursuing claims in Northern Ireland on the grounds that universities breached their contracts with students entitling them to in-person tuition, access to campus facilities and a comprehensive educational experience.

The firm also believes there were consumer rights violations under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, which outlines that services must be provided with reasonable care and skill and must match their description.

“Students have suffered significant losses, including reduced quality and quantity of teaching, missed networking and academic opportunities, loss of campus facilities, and mental and emotional distress due to the inability to fully engage in university life,” the firm said.

Burns said: “Students paid for a full university experience. When these promises were not kept, it was not just disappointing—it was a breach of trust and contract. We would like to see students properly compensated for what they lost and Phoenix Law is committed to helping them achieve that outcome.”

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