(1) Attendance
Law teaching variously involves lectures, tutorials and seminar groups.
In-person attendance at tutorials and seminar groups is compulsory and your attendance is recorded.
Should you be unable to attend any particular tutorial / seminar class, you should provide an explanation in writing to the teacher, preferably in advance.
If your absence is on medical grounds, you must submit a medical certificate.
If you are absent without explanation from tutorial or seminar in a particular course on two or more occasions, you may receive a letter from the Faculty requesting an explanation and warning you of the consequences of continuing non-attendance.
In particular, failure to attend 70% of classes for any compulsory tutorial or seminar may be regarded as failure to follow instruction in the relevant course(s), and may result in you not being allowed to undertake the final examination or submit assessment(s) in the relevant course(s), you not being permitted re-assessment without repeating the relevant course(s), or, in appropriate cases, in the Faculty late-dropping your enrolment in the relevant course.
(2) Plagiarism and the Misuse of Generative and other AI tools in assessment
Plagiarism is academic theft and is severely penalized in academic institutions, including the University of Hong Kong.
You are reminded to read the booklet What is plagiarism? to learn what is plagiarism and what is proper acknowledgement when preparing a written assignments/research paper.
For the avoidance of doubt, it is plagiarism to copy your own work or re-submit part or all of your own work for another assignment, and to reproduce substantial parts of another’s work without putting them in quotation, even if you have made editing changes and cited the source.
AI tools can provide students with valuable assistance in their studies, and students are encouraged to use such tools, but must do so responsibly and in an ethical manner.
In particular, AI tools can be misused in the preparation of assignments, presentations and other assessable work. As with plagiarism, students must ensure that all work submitted for assessment is their own work, and not the product of the impermissible use of AI tools.
All written work must be submitted under cover of the Faculty’s standard Assignment Cover Page (form >> assignment cover sheet). Before submitting written assignments/research papers, you must read the Assignment Cover Page carefully and ensure that you have acknowledged other’s academic work properly. In addition, the Faculty’s assignment cover sheet requires students to declare their use of AI tools, where this is permitted by a teacher for the purposes of an assignment. Failure to do so constitutes academic misconduct akin to plagiarism, and will be treated in the same manner.
When a teacher is satisfied that submitted work contains plagiarism or involves the misuse of generative and other AI tools, and that an educative response (usually involving re-writing and re-submission with a penalty) is not appropriate, then an academic response will be adopted, pursuant to which the plagiarized work may be given a mark of zero or a reduced mark.
In addition, the matter may be treated as a disciplinary offence (just like the case of cheating during an examination) and referred to the University’s Disciplinary Committee under Statute XXXI of the University’s Statutes and the Disciplinary Committee Regulations. In this regard, your attention is drawn to section 4 of Statute XXXI, which provides that a student found guilty by the Disciplinary Committee of a disciplinary offence may be subject to several kinds of sanctions, including a published reprimand, suspension from classes or expulsion from the University.
To deter plagiarism and the misuse of AI tools, teaching staff have been instructed to take an active role in spotting plagiarism and the misuse of AI tools, and to refer the matter for disciplinary action in appropriate cases. For further information, please do not hesitate to consult your course teacher or the Faculty Anti-Plagiarism Coordinator.
Other useful links:
HKU Policy on Student Plagiarism in Undergraduate and Taught Postgraduate Curricula
What is plagiarism?
Plagiarism and How To Avoid It, by David Gardner
Important policy on copyright and plagiarism, Postgraduate Handbook for Coursework Programmes
HKU Policy on Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence for Teaching and Learning
(3) Late Penalty (research papers/take-home assessments only)
Unless otherwise indicated by the course teacher, if a candidate submits an item of assessable coursework (such as a research paper or take-home examination) after the required completion date/time, the examiner(s) shall award a grade for such coursework but subject to the imposition of a penalty (unless late submission was due to illness or other acceptable reason).
(4) Examinations
In-hall examination timetables are released each year in early November (for first semester exams) and mid-March (for second semester exams). The examination timetable (in-hall examinations only) and university’s examination procedures can be found from the website of the University’s Exams Section: http://www.exam.hku.hk/
For LLMs / MCL students
Before making your course selection: READ THIS - Coming soon
(1) FAQs on Visa-related Matters (by Admissions Office, Registry, HKU)
(2) Non-local students who wish to take up curriculum-related internship in Hong Kong during their semester break, reading week, or after their final exams should approach the General Office (in-person at 10/F Cheng Yu Tung Tower, or by email at llmmcl@hku.hk) for eligibility checking and necessary document(s) before they accept internship offers.
(3) Final year students intending to apply for a new Hong Kong student, work or IANG visa after completing their programmes should note that all applications to the Immigration Department must include appropriate proof of completion, for example, a final transcript or certificate of graduation issued by the HKU Registry. Course grades for 2nd semester are normally available each year in late June or early July; grades for June semester courses will be available only after September. The Immigration Department typically takes 8 weeks to process visa applications, and it is recommended that non–local students complete ALL of their programme requirements (including submitting a final dissertation if necessary) by the end of the 2nd semester to avoid a delay in the issue of a new visa.
(4) A student visa will expire on the date as shown on the landing slip, or four weeks after termination of studies, whichever is earlier. Non-local students who expect that their student visa will expire before the approval of their next visa in Hong Kong should apply for “Extension of Stay” directly at the Immigration Department. Click here for details and application.
