A Belfast graduate who took his university to court in an attempt to have his degree raised from a 2:2 to a 2:1 is to have his degree classification reviewed.

Andrew Croskery, from County Down, Northern Ireland, graduated from Queens University Belfast last summer with a 2:2 in electrical engineering.

However, Croskery argued that he would have obtained the extra 0.5 per cent required to receive a 2:1 had he received better supervision.

According to his barrister, the University refused his right to appeal on the basis that he had already graduated, and Croskery decided to challenge the result of his degree in the High Court.

Last Tuesday, however, the judge decided to first seek a resolution outside of court.

Mr Justice Treacy granted a three-week adjournment in order to allow Queens University to undertake a review process.

It is anticipated that the review will examine Croskery’s degree classification on the alleged grounds of ‘inadequate supervision’ and ‘procedural irregularities’.

A further challenge may also be brought to a Central Students Appeal Committee.

Croskery, who attended court for the hearing, left without making any comment.

The decision to take legal action against a university after a student has performed poorly is unusual but not without precedent.

In 2009, Amanda McKoy, a midwifery student at Oxford Brookes, took her case to the High Court after she was thrown off her course for sub-standard performance.

The court returned a verdict in McKoy’s favour, overruling the university’s decision and awarding her lawyers £16,000 in costs.

Not all such cases have been successful however.

In 2006, PhD student George Van Mellaert attempted to sue Oxford University for £3m after they failed his thesis.

Van Mellaert claimed that the staff at his oral examination were "out to get him" and argued that they were inadequate and ignorant.

The court rejected his claim on the basis that the mark awarded to the thesis was, "a matter of academic judgment with which it would be inappropriate for the court to interfere".

Afua Hirsch, legal affairs correspondent for the Guardian, commented, "I wouldn’t be surprised if there are more of these claims to come. There has arguably never been a more dangerous time to do badly at university".