united-kingdom contract-law travel academia
Banning person from a city
<p>Suppose a UK university allows students to intermit for a year, and then return to continue their studies on the basis that they do not enter the city in which the university is based during that time.  If the student is found to have been within the city, the university will not allow them to continue their studies.</p>

<p>This applies to British citizens who would not usually be prevented from travel within the UK.  </p>

<p>Is this policy in breach of any UK legislation.  If so, what?</p>

<p>As a general principle, people are free to contract to do or refrain from doing whatever they like. Such an undertaking by the student (i.e. to give up a right to do something they would otherwise be able to do), is not on the face of it fatal to the contract.</p>

<p>However, if the student breaches the contract then the university's remedy: to terminate the contract <em>seems</em> disproportionate. It may even be <em><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unconscionability_in_English_law" rel="nofollow noreferrer">unconscionably</a></em> disproportionate, particularly if the student has no right of appeal or consideration of mitigating circumstances.</p>
