LSE論文門英國法庭進度更新及回顧 (8/31日將有上訴庭線上聽證會)

倫敦大學的論文在上級法庭的爭議使《數據保護法》與《信息自由法》對立。

richardsonreports Posted on August 24.2022 <<== 看原文點這裡

LSE論文門英國法庭進度更新及回顧 (8/31日將有上訴庭線上聽證會)
(來源:信息委員會辦公室/國家檔案局)

當很少有人關注時,1983年台灣的一場博士論文爭議已經發展成為英國的一場完整的法律戰,上級法庭法官馬克-韋斯特下周將考慮《數據保護法》與《信息自由法》之間的論點。

涉及倫敦大學的爭議具有教科書式案件的所有要素。這個問題最早出現在2019年6月,當時中華民國流亡總統蔡英文向倫敦經濟學院圖書館提交了題為《不公平貿易行為和保障措施》的博士論文,遲到了35年。隨之而來的學術風暴的余燼在三年後繼續發著紅光,因為蔡總統頑固地拒絕公布UL授予這位前LSE學生學位的口試報告。

由於蔡總統的搪塞,以及兩所學校聲稱的數據保護法的保密性,公眾不得不懷疑論文審查員的身份和資格。關於蔡英文的論文審查,已經有三起訴訟,兩起在高級法庭,一起在信息審查法庭。此外,至少有三起針對學校的投訴有待信息專員辦公室處理。

在台灣,蔡英文總統要求中華民國檢察官以刑事誹謗罪監禁三名批評者,從而使此事變得更加尖銳。台北地區檢察官撤銷了對兩人的指控,但決定起訴呼聲最高的人,即廣受歡迎的 "台灣真聲音 "節目的新聞主播彭文正。為了避免被監禁,彭目前在加州自我流放,並繼續定期報道日益嚴重的爭議。蔡英文流亡的中國政府沒有引渡條約,所以她無法看到彭身陷囹圄。彭文正最近因捍衛言論自由而在加拿大獲得了人權獎--正義之星獎。

DPA和FOI法律之間的法律鬥爭是關於個人數據的。UL和ICO認為DPA對個人數據的保護是對FOI的透明度任務的絕對排斥。在訴訟過程中,人們提出了不同的理由。首先,關於蔡總統的論文考官的信息是她自己的個人信息。然後,保密的理由改變了,審查員的身份是審查員的個人信息。接下來,理由又發生了轉變,LSE最近的說法是,需要保密以防止對考官施加壓力改變分數。公眾被告知,如果考官的身份被曝光,蔡總統可能會有 "苦惱"。最近,公眾被告知,如果考官的名字被公開,他們可能面臨 "巨大的壓力"。

DPA規定,"專員必須考慮到確保個人數據得到適當保護的重要性,考慮到數據主體、控制者和其他人的利益以及一般公共利益的問題"。到目前為止,信息專員一直站在UL一邊,反對一般公共利益。

ICO采用的UL對考官身份的處理方式在英國學術界並不普遍。愛丁堡大學的《研究學位外部考試手冊》對考官采取了不同的做法。條例16.5規定。"根據大學的信息自由義務,外部考官的報告以及外部考官從事的與外部考官職責有關的任何通信都是可以披露的。"

LSE 法律團隊負責人 Kevin Haynes不同意UL關於考官身份披露的說法,他認為考官與其他履行公共職責的大學雇員一樣。為了兌現他的觀點,海恩斯在彭文正的案件中向中華民國的檢察官提供了兩個所謂的審查員的名字。然而,有一個小問題,根據他的下屬,LSE信息經理Rachael Maguire的說法,Haynes "很可能是不準確的",因為 "匆忙的看法"

審查員的信息自由排除的法律問題是一個第一印象的問題,這意味著韋斯特法官將沒有什麽先例來指導他理清哪條法律淩駕於其他法律之上。蔡總統案件的事實,以及其遲來的論文,很可能足以讓法院作出狹義的裁決,只涵蓋蔡總統的案件。然而,如果上級法庭認為資格驗證的必要性這一更大的問題存在爭議,蔡總統的論文案可能會對全英國的高級學位考試過程產生廣泛的影響。
Translated by DeepL 人工智慧翻譯

另外網友整理的 倫敦大學LSEICO 與判決間的矛盾說詞,都待理清。


矛盾百出的 LSE,到底還要說多少謊?

2022年6月20日英國行政資訊法院(First-tier Tribunal)法官Alison Mckenna對LSE下通牒,在判決主文中要求LSE在28天內就所保有的蔡英文口試委員資訊做出一個新的回應,就是揭露這個資訊,或是提出相關豁免揭露的請求。2022年8月1日LSE的Rachael Maguire通知Michael Richardson,不否認LSE持有蔡英文口試委員姓名,但強調一旦揭露口試委員,會產生「巨大的壓力」 :In deciding on the fairness of release, we considered whether there was a public interest reason for releasing the names, but on balance do not think there is. The examination was nearly forty years ago. Neither LSE or University of London believe there is any reason given by any third party that the examination did not come to a proper conclusion that Ing-wen Tsai had passed the viva. Considering the interest in the case, we believe that there would be immense pressure put on the individuals concerned if we released their names that they could not have expected almost forty years ago when they agreed to be the viva examiners and which we cannot lay on them or those associated with them now.”


Rachael Maguire卻沒有解釋,Kevin Haynes向台灣司法單位透露口試委員姓名時,為何就不會對當年的口試委員產生「巨大的壓力」?另外Rachael Maguire也不否認如判決書中所述,蔡英文學生檔案中的口試委員資訊「可能不正確」:


Its submission to the Tribunal dated 14 March 2022 it stated that “…the information we hold on file is only there accidentally…we cannot be certain that this information is accurate”.
LSE states that its review found that the information provided by LSE in that email was “likely inaccurate. This was based on a hurried view of a scanned file that cannot be key word searched. ”
We have not seen the reply to that email. We note that LSE has not disputed that the email of 16 December 2020 was sent, only that it now doubts the accuracyof its contents.


LSE的回應,會對繫屬中的Michael Richardson 上訴案,造成什麼影響?
在2021年9月13日法官Sophie Buckley駁回Michael Richardson對ICO提起的訴訟案,有提到:
We have read and taken account of an open and a small closed bundle of documents.
The tribunal records that the closed bundle is limited to a document containing the requested information i.e. the names of the examiners and the date the examiners signed approval of the thesis


另外2021年12月11日法官Hazel Oliver駁回徐永泰博士的判決書中,也有下面這段文字紀錄:
By way of evidence and submissions we had the following, all of which we have taken into account in making our decision:
b.A closed bundle of documents containing the withheld information (the examination records).”
The Tribunal has seen the withheld information. We are not able to provide details about this information as it is President Tsai’s personal data. However, we can confirm that this information is consistent with the public statements that have already been made by the University. There is no indication that the University has lied in its previous responses, and no evidence of academic fraud. There is nothing in the withheld information that causes us concern in relation to these matters. In the absence of any evidence of fraud or other inappropriate behaviour, the limited interests in disclosure are clearly outweighed by President Tsai’s privacy rights.”


不論倫敦大學提供給法院的密封文件為何,法官Sophie Buckley和法官Hazel Oliver看到的口試委員資訊,應該不至於和LSE不同,但LSE持有278頁蔡英文的學生檔案中,多出來的第三位口試委員,根本就和倫敦大學聲明的二位口試委員不一致。


法官Sophie Buckley認為對於蔡英文論文真假的關切,可藉由倫敦大學有一份書面檔案記錄了姓名與日期而得到滿足。這對相關人士隱私的侵擾,也比把姓名與日期提供給外界要小。

We find that the legitimate interest can be achieved by the University’s confirmation that there is a written record of the names of the examiners and of the date that they signed approval of the thesis, and we find that this interferes less with the privacy of the data subjects than releasing the specific date or the names of the examiner. Accordingly, it is not reasonably necessary for the names or the date to be released.

法官如果要真相,需要理出以下前後不一的矛盾

2019年10月8日LSE在官網上的聲明中說,
The Senate House Library records confirm that a copy was received and sent by them to the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (IALS). ”,
但是倫敦大學在2022年1月11日WDTK上卻說,
The University of London has not published this thesis as no physical copy of the thesis was received into the University from the examiners.”。


2019年10月8日LSE在官網上的聲明中說,
“Dr Tsai Ing-wen, who is now the President of Taiwan, was awarded a PhD in February 1984 following the submission and examination of her thesis by two examiners. ”,
但是2011年7月13日LSE電郵卻說,
“I have Ing-Wen Tsai's paper file from our archives. According to that she was registered at LSE, on the PhD in Law, from October 1980 until June 1982. She submitted her thesis, entitled “unfair trade practice and safeguard actions” to the UoL for examinations, and was awarded the PhD on 14 March 1984.”。


倫敦大學和LSE的官方聲明中,都有互相矛盾的的地方,現在LSE自承可能不正確的口試委員,如何達成法官Sophie Buckley所稱的“legitimate interest can be achieved”?
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