Would-be journo fails again after court rejects 'hopeless' appeal bid
An aspiring journalist who took Monash University to court for failing an assignment about dogs has again failed in his legal attempt to get the grade reversed.
The Court of Appeal on Thursday rejected Chinmay Naik's case, noting that his initial legal bid was "hopeless and doomed".
The 23-year-old student failed a video assignment about negative stereotypes around certain dog breeds in 2017 and failed again when it was re-marked.
The result meant he did not pass the entire video journalism subject and he instead wanted the outcome wiped from his academic record.
He argued his anxiety disorder hindered his ability to complete the assignment on time.
Even though he was granted an extension, he found the process "unsympathetic and stressful" and still remains upset by it.
Stung by the situation, Mr Naik took his case to the Supreme Court but it was dismissed in October when a judge told him to "move on" because the mark couldn't be undone.
But he refused to do that, instead taking the matter to the Court of Appeal.
In Thursday's judgment, Mr Naik was ruled to have "no arguable case".
The international student was more than 10 months late lodging proceedings in the Supreme Court, the judges noted.
Mr Naik thought he should have been granted an extension, but the judgment disagreed.
"A proceeding that is hopeless and doomed to fail would rarely, if ever, attract an extension of time," the judgment read.
Mr Naik had also taken his case to the Victorian Equal Opportunities and Human Rights Commission and the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal which deferred any action pending the appeal outcome.
The assignment in question has already been removed by Mr Naik from the university assessment portal.
AAP