Court of Final Appeal Rules in CUHK's Favour
Senate Discretion on Language of Instruction Re-affirmed
Previously, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) had successfully defended its long-standing policy of bilingualism before the Court of First Instance and the Court of Appeal. The Appellant had asked those Courts to overturn the Senate's acceptance of the recommendations of the Committee on Bilingualism which encourage the academic departments to adopt for each course and for each teaching activity the most appropriate teaching language based on educational grounds and having regard to the nature of the subject concerned and other considerations. After the Court of Appeal's dismissal of the Appellant's case in July 2010, the Appellant had filed an appeal to the Court of Final Appeal.
Today, the Appellant withdrew his appeal which was dismissed by the Court of Final Appeal with costs. The Senate's decision therefore stands.
The University is pleased that the issues have been finally resolved. Ever since its foundation, the University has upheld the policy of bilingualism (liangwen sanyu) which has enabled it to develop into an internationally renowned centre of excellence. Today's ruling is of great importance for the University, its students and teachers, and for Hong Kong and beyond. It re-affirms the future enjoyment of the right to academic freedom, and the University's ability to continue to provide a public service as an international centre of academic excellence.