University of Newcastle professor's dismissal upheld by Fair Work

The Fair Work Commission has rejected an unfair dismissal claim by former University of Newcastle professor Pradeep Tanwar. The commission ruled that his termination was ‘not harsh, unjust or unreasonable’ following an investigation into research misconduct.

Dr. Tanwar’s dismissal was linked to a research partnership between the university and cannabis company Ecofibre regarding the use of CBD to treat endometrial and ovarian cancers. The investigation found that Dr. Tanwar committed eight serious and two minor breaches of the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research.

Key ethical breaches included failures in the informed consent process for the collection and use of human tissue biopsies. An investigation by Hunter New England Health revealed that more than 140 patients did not receive information sheets, over 100 patients did not sign consent forms, and more than 30 patients were asked to sign forms retrospectively.