The High Court is expected to rule on whether universities owe a duty of care to students.
Lawyers acting for the parents of 20-year-old Natasha Abrahart, who took her own life while studying at the University of Bristol (UoB), told a hearing there should be.
But UoB said no such duty existed.
A judge was asked whether “reasonable steps” should be taken to stop students coming to harm and if universities had a duty to not cause harm.
A ruling is expected to be handed down later, following a three-day hearing in Bristol in December.
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The judge was asked to provide clarity on where universities’ limitations lie, and how responsible they ought to be for their students – the majority of whom are young adults living away from their family homes for the first time.
Ms Abrahart, from Nottinghamshire, had social anxiety and had been due to give a presentation in a large lecture theatre on the day she died in 2018.
In 2022, Judge Alex Ralton ruled UoB had failed to make reasonable adjustments for Ms Abrahart – a decision against which the university is appealing.
The judge also said it was not clear the university owed Ms Abrahart a duty of care.
He said there was “no statute or precedent which establishes the existence of such a duty of care owed by a university to a student”.
Her parents appealed against that decision.
UoB said it was “deeply sorry” for the Abraharts’ loss and stressed Ms Abrahart was offered alternative options to giving a presentation.
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