A senior academic at the University of Limerick has challenged a move to retrospectively terminate his contract as a professor and to reduce his pay.
Prof Nicholas Rees, dean of graduate studies at UL, took the university to the Labour Court after it told him his salary would be reduced when his term of office expired next September.
The court heard that Prof Rees joined the university as an assistant lecturer in 1988.
In 1994 he was appointed to the Jean Monnet chair as professor of European institutions and international studies, a post that was to last for at least seven years.
He was appointed dean of graduate studies in September 2000, and invited in 2003 to retain that post for a second three-year term.
Prof Rees told the court that when appointed to the Jean Monnet chair in 1994, he raised the question of what would happen to his salary after the seven-year period was up.
He said he was assured that "you never go back down" and that he would remain at professorial level.
However, last December he was informed that he would revert to his lecturer's salary from next September 1st, when his term as dean of graduate studies concluded.
At the same time, he was told that his appointment as professor was terminated retrospectively from September 2001, although he could continue to use the title "professor".
The university told the court there was no evidence that assurances were given to Prof Rees that he would be allowed to retain his professorial salary.
In a recommendation just published, the court said it did not see how the Jean Monnet chair could be voided retrospectively. It was of the view, therefore, that this decision by the university had "no effect".
As Prof Rees suffers no loss of earnings until next September, it deferred a recommendation regarding the decision to reduce his salary from that time.
