By CATHY ARONSON
An independent inquiry into the enrolment of an alleged neo-Nazi at Waikato University may not proceed.
The possibility has angered the Jewish community, which says there is a moral question of the enrolment of Hans-Joachim Kupka, at present under investigation in Germany.
Two months after the university council voted for an inquiry, against the advice of vice-chancellor Bryan Gould, the council has received a legal opinion that it acted beyond its power.
Tomorrow the council will consider the legal opinion, by public law specialists Chen & Palmer, that it should revoke the resolution to establish the inquiry and that only professor Gould can call for one.
It said that under the Education Act, it could not deal with implementation or management issues and could establish only a policy on an inquiry. It said the council should have also requested and considered the advice of the academic board.
Professor Gould has stated to the council that he will prepare terms of reference for an independent review of records.
Waikato Jewish Association spokeswoman Sarah Shieff said the Jewish community was outraged.
"There is a clear moral and academic issue at stake ... Attempting to stop the inquiry is another slap in the face."
University council member Dr Tom Ryan said Professor Gould's recommended inquiry would not be as "deep and broad."
Dr Ryan said the council members voted for an investigation into Mr Kupka's enrolment, supervision and permission to conduct research on the use of German language in New Zealand, which involved interviewing Jewish immigrants.
Law dean David Gendall said the legal opinion was by acknowledged public law experts but there would be other interpretations of the act, the council's role and inquiry references. He said the legal opinion could also have implications for Canterbury University's independent inquiry into why it accepted a thesis in 1993 which questioned the Holocaust.
Jewish anger over university's inquiry rethink
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.