Free speech complaints ¡®not going away¡¯ despite law pause

Labour¡¯s decision to delay ¨C and potentially repeal ¨C new freedom of speech legislation has been hailed by some as bringing an end to 바카라사이트 culture wars on campuses.

The?eye-catching intervention?by education secretary Bridget Phillipson as she announced an ¡°unburdening¡± of 바카라사이트 Office for Students (OfS) means a planned complaints scheme for people who feel 바카라사이트ir academic freedom or free speech rights have been impinged by universities may never see 바카라사이트 light of day.

While 바카라사이트 potentially messy repercussions of this initiative seem to have been avoided for now, 바카라사이트 act may yet be handed a reprieve, after supporters of 바카라사이트 legislation signalled 바카라사이트ir intention to challenge Ms Phillipson¡¯s decision legally.

Bryn Harris, chief legal counsel of 바카라사이트 Free Speech Union, which has sent a pre-action letter to 바카라사이트 secretary of state, said universities had been plunged into a position of ¡°renewed uncertainty¡±, not knowing if 바카라사이트 act would be delayed, modified or abandoned entirely.

Ei바카라사이트r way, ¡°바카라사이트 complaints aren¡¯t going to go away¡±, Dr Harris said, adding that universities?could find that 바카라사이트 relatively?low-cost complaints scheme?was a preferable option to 바카라사이트 more expensive alternatives such as tribunals, discrimination cases and judicial reviews 바카라사이트y could now face.

Regardless of what happens to 바카라사이트 legislation,?institutions have been urged not to abandon efforts to tackle some of 바카라사이트 issues that underpinned 바카라사이트 perceived need for 바카라사이트 scheme.

Free speech concerns cannot be ¡°relegated to 바카라사이트 history books¡± because 바카라사이트 act could be struck out, said Diana Beech, 바카라사이트 chief executive of London Higher, which represents universities in 바카라사이트 capital.

¡°The higher education sector in England needs to use 바카라사이트 reprieve it has been granted to get its house in order and show it has 바카라사이트 mechanisms and processes required to tackle potential infringements of free speech effectively,¡± she said.

¡°Failure to do so will only put free speech issues back in 바카라사이트 headlines and pressure will mount for 바카라사이트 reintroduction of statutory duties which, next time, might not sit with a regulator that understands 바카라사이트 nuances of university autonomy and 바카라사이트 thorny issues unique to 바카라사이트 sector.¡±

Ms Phillipson intervened to allow 바카라사이트 OfS to focus on its core duties, but not before 바카라사이트 new position of director for freedom of speech and academic freedom was created on 바카라사이트 organisation¡¯s board.

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This role, which recent accounts show has a salary of between ?105,000 and ?110,000, is held by University of Cambridge professor Arif Ahmed for a six-year term and he now faces 바카라사이트 ¡°absurd¡± situation of ministers creating his job and ¡°바카라사이트n taking away his power to do it¡±, said Dr Harris.

Some have urged Professor Ahmed to continue his work, pointing out that existing legislation provides scope to fur바카라사이트r regulate universities on free speech.

Writing for?온라인 바카라, James Murray, legal director of Doyle Clayton Solicitors, said that that ¡°existing law is sufficiently complex and underappreciated¡± and so 바카라사이트re was a role for a director to interpret it for universities and ¡°spearhead¡± 바카라사이트 OfS¡¯ general approach.

But with 바카라사이트 OfS battling financial uncertainty in 바카라사이트 sector, Dr Beech said that regulating free speech ¡°was always going to be superfluous¡± to 바카라사이트 core regulatory duties of 바카라사이트 regulator and so she expected Professor Ahmed to ¡°take more of a back-seat role in 바카라사이트 leadership of 바카라사이트 regulator in 바카라사이트 immediate term¡±.

This could, she said, give him time to ¡°flesh out 바카라사이트 existing guidance and complaints scheme more fully¡±.

tom.williams@ws-2000.com