Heathcote v University of Sydney

In *Heathcote v University of Sydney*, the applicant, Ms. Heathcote, brought proceedings against the respondent, the University of Sydney, alleging discrimination on the grounds of her disability. The dispute concerned the University's refusal to grant Ms. Heathcote an extension for her PhD thesis submission, which she contended was a discriminatory act under the *Disability Discrimination Act 1992* (Cth). The matter was heard by Judge Driver in the Federal Court of Australia.

The central legal issue before the Court was whether the University's decision not to grant Ms. Heathcote an extension constituted unlawful discrimination by reason of her disability. This required the Court to consider whether the University had failed to make reasonable adjustments for Ms. Heathcote's disability, and whether the refusal to grant the extension was a less favourable treatment because of her disability, without a lawful justification.

Judge Driver found that the University had not unlawfully discriminated against Ms. Heathcote. The Court reasoned that the University had considered Ms. Heathcote's request for an extension and had a policy in place for such requests, which involved a medical certificate. While Ms. Heathcote had provided medical documentation, the Court found that the University had acted reasonably in assessing her request against its established policies and academic standards. The Court concluded that the University's decision was based on legitimate academic considerations rather than discriminatory intent, and that the University had not failed to make reasonable adjustments.