The Sunday Times [Perth, WA]
20 September 1992

SENATE LETTERS BLOCKED BY CHIEF
By Joe Poprzeczny

    The University of UWA's chancellor, Mr Justice Kennedy,
blocked delivery of student letters of complaint to the
members of the university senate.

    The letters referred to a continuing row involving
Professor Sandra Bowdler, head of the now suspended
Department of Archaeology, and several former students and
staff in the defunct department.

    According to senate minutes, the chancellor decided to
block the letters, which were individually addressed to
senators care of the senate, because "he decided it would
be inappropriate to distribute them to senate members."

    The issue reached a secret session of the senate in
which Mr Justice Kennedy responded to an earlier senate
request that vice-chancellor Professor Faye Gale report on
the sequence of events relating to the archaeology row. 

    Commenting on his decision, the chancellor said "I
explained to senators the nature of the letters that I
proposed not to circulate them because they were
potentially defamatory."