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A Sikh academic who failed to win a post at Ulster University has brought a racial discrimination case against the institution. But the industrial tribunal hearing has been delayed because officials did not have a Sikh holy book on which Saranjit Nijhar could swear the oath.

A tribunal spokeswoman said this week that no date had yet been set for the new hearing. Ms Nijhar, an associate lecturer in social policy for the Open University in Northern Ireland, who has been a research fellow in the institute of criminology and criminal justice at Queen's University, Belfast, wished to swear on the Granth, which the tribunal office did not have.

Race-relations legislation has only recently extended to Northern Ireland, and a spokesman for the Department of Higher and Further Education, Training and Employment, which oversees the tribunals, said there had been extensive consultations with mainland tribunals on which holy books should be available. "Unfortunately it was not one of the publications we were recommended."

Ms Nijhar alleges that she suffered racial discrimination when she failed to win a two-year research post at Ulster in evaluating alternative justice systems.

Ulster has confirmed that Ms Nijhar has alleged discrimination by the university and by Brice Dickson, professor in the school of public policy, economics and law. It has also confirmed that the job for which Ms Nijhar applied was awarded to a white, Catholic male, but denies any discrimination.

The university also denies that Ms Nijhar was told not to reapply when the post was re-advertised, and says she was explicitly told by letter that she should reapply.