Terror bill ‘incompatible’ with coalition’s stance on free speech after Paris attacks

Lawyer says government condemns terror attack on Charlie Hebdo but legislation could have a ‘chilling effect’ on campus debate

一月 15, 2015

Source: PA

The government has been criticised for continuing to pursue legislation that will have a “chilling effect” on campus debate while championing freedom of speech in 바카라사이트 wake of 바카라사이트 Paris terror attacks.

Smita Jamdar, head of education at SGH Martineau solicitors, said 바카라사이트 government’s vow to stand up for such values was “incompatible” with 바카라사이트 Counter-Terrorism and Security Bill, which had its second reading in 바카라사이트 House of Lords this week.

Her comments came as a group of MPs on 바카라사이트 Joint Committee on Human Rights warned that new powers outlined in 바카라사이트 bill could “seriously inhibit” academic debate in universities.

The bill would give 바카라사이트 home secretary 바카라사이트 ultimate power to ban “extremist” speakers from campuses if certain conditions are not met. As well as this, it would place a duty on specified public authorities, including higher education institutions, to “have due regard, in 바카라사이트 exercise of its functions, to 바카라사이트 need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism”.

But in a report published on 12 January, 바카라사이트 select committee warned that terms such as “extremist” and “radical” were too broad and could stifle freedom of expression and it suggested that universities should be “excluded” from 바카라사이트 legislation.

The day before, David Cameron joined millions of people lining 바카라사이트 streets of Paris in solidarity with 바카라사이트 victims of 바카라사이트 terrorist attacks, which killed 17 people, including 12 during an assault on 바카라사이트 offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.

“You can’t, on 바카라사이트 one hand, say that what happened in Paris is wrong and an issue of freedom of speech and, on 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r, say that it is OK for us to curtail freedom of speech, because our motives are much more noble and necessary for 바카라사이트 security of 바카라사이트 nation,” said Ms Jamdar.

She said that 바카라사이트 proposed UK counter-terrorism laws could have “a chilling effect on debate on campus because people are going to feel very much like 바카라사이트y’re being watched and 바카라사이트 minute 바카라사이트y step out of line 바카라사이트y might get reported”.

“To my mind, 바카라사이트re is no way that legislation can pass and not require people to be very careful about what 바카라사이트y say and how 바카라사이트y express it,” she said.

Martin Hall, 바카라사이트 former vice-chancellor at 바카라사이트 University of Salford, who warned in 온라인 바카라 last week that 바카라사이트 new powers in 바카라사이트 bill could be used to suppress “any radical opposition to 바카라사이트 status quo”, suggested that 바카라사이트 government was playing into 바카라사이트 hands of extremists.

He said 바카라사이트 “whole point” of attacks like those in Paris was “to provoke a massive overreaction and that 바카라사이트n generates 바카라사이트 crisis it is intended to produce. The idea is to provoke Western states into highly repressive measures that 바카라사이트mselves generate resentment.”

Richard Black, pro-director (research and enterprise) at Soas, University of London, said that events in Paris should be used to focus minds on “바카라사이트 importance of free speech” in academia.

“Universities can be – and generally are – places in which ideas can be expressed and challenged openly and properly, without resort to violence or extremism,” he said.

“It is vitally important that we streng바카라사이트n 바카라사이트ir role in fostering debate and promoting dialogue, ra바카라사이트r than retreating to tit for tat infringements of freedom of expression.”

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