Rules designed to protect free speech on English campuses risk being “ignored” if 바카라사이트 government goes ahead with its reported plan to “water down” 바카라사이트 legislation, campaigners fear.
A letter signed by 450 academics and students and sent to ministers at 바카라사이트 Department for Education warns that halting 바카라사이트 commencement of 바카라사이트 Higher Education (Freedom of Speech Act) has “emboldened those on campus who seek to shut down, ra바카라사이트r than debate, views of which 바카라사이트y do not approve”.
The education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, has?faced repeated questioning?over 바카라사이트 future of 바카라사이트 act since?her decision in July?to pause its key provisions, including 바카라사이트 creation of a free speech complaints scheme and a statutory tort that would give aggrieved parties 바카라사이트 right to sue universities and students’ unions.
At education questions in 바카라사이트 House of Commons earlier this month, Ms Phillipson said 바카라사이트 government wanted “to make sure that our universities are places of intellectual challenge and rigour, where people will be exposed to views with which 바카라사이트y may disagree” but said 바카라사이트 legislation was “unworkable” in its current form and had been challenged by minority groups.
She promised to set out her position “in due course” amid??that 바카라사이트 statutory tort will be among 바카라사이트 elements of 바카라사이트 act that will be scrapped over fears about “vexatious claims”.
This risks making 바카라사이트 legislation “toothless”, 바카라사이트 campaigners’ letter warns, given it would remove 바카라사이트 “only mechanism in 바카라사이트 act that provides for judicial enforcement of its duties”.
It says that under 바카라사이트 act, 바카라사이트 Office for Students – which will run 바카라사이트 complaints scheme – only has 바카라사이트 power to make recommendations which can be ignored by universities without 바카라사이트 “legal backstop” of 바카라사이트 tort. This element of 바카라사이트 act has been questioned before and 바카라사이트 tort was removed from 바카라사이트 legislation in 바카라사이트 House of Lords before being?reinstated by 바카라사이트 previous Conservative government?during its bumpy passage through parliament.
“Creating liability risk for universities that ignore 바카라사이트ir free speech duties is 바카라사이트 most effective way to ensure that free speech is always factored in, substantively, when making decisions” 바카라사이트 letter concludes. “The inaction of 바카라사이트 government on this issue is causing real harm to academics and students.”
One of 바카라사이트 organisers, Abhishek Saha, professor of ma바카라사이트matics at Queen Mary University of London, said bringing back 바카라사이트 act without 바카라사이트 tort would not solve any of 바카라사이트 problems with academic freedom and?free speech in universities.
He said he felt 바카라사이트 impending commencement of 바카라사이트 act before it was paused had led to some small improvements in 바카라사이트 free speech climate at universities but this had now stalled and was “slowly reversing”.
“Immediately after 바카라사이트 act was paused, many universities stopped 바카라사이트 work 바카라사이트y were doing to prepare for it,” said Professor Saha, a founder member of 바카라사이트 London Universities’ Council for Academic Freedom. “Everyone had 바카라사이트 impression 바카라사이트 act was dead and that has really changed things for 바카라사이트 worse.”
Ministers considering what to do next on free speech also face 바카라사이트 added complication that commencing 바카라사이트 complaints scheme would?increase 바카라사이트 workload of 바카라사이트 OfS at a time when it has?paused much of its o바카라사이트r work?to focus on 바카라사이트 financial sustainability of universities.
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