Fenella Morris QC comments on The Times' Essay mills row: how to treat a student cheat

Fenella Morris QC has commented on The Times' article on the "Essay mills row: how to treat a student cheat", which was published on the 4th October 2018.

"OK, I'll come clean. You've got me bang to rights, I admit it. In the article that you are about to read I've copied from reliable sources words, clauses and maybe, in some cases, even whole sentences. Admittedly I have mostly given attributions. But maybe not quite every time — especially on the juicier points that I should like to present as my own. What happens next?

Well, if I were a university student or junior researcher, I could be in deep trouble. The row about "essay mills" that surfaced last week, and calls from universities to ban such companies, exposed just how insidious and invasive the plagiarism issue has become in higher education. "Enacting and enforcing such a ban presents a host of legal and practical problems," says Fenella Morris, QC, of 39 Essex Chambers. "Regulators have been asked to consider other options for reducing the access students have to essay-writing services. Universities, in turn, are being asked to ensure that they are taking all appropriate steps to discipline those who use them."" 

To read the full article, from The Times, please click here.