Gender segregation row: UUK publishes legal advice

According to Fenella Morris QC, who was asked to review UUK advice on what to do if a visiting lecturer asks men and women to sit separately, 바카라사이트 organisation¡¯s advice was ¡°lawful¡± and ¡°provides an appropriate foundation for lawful decision-making¡±.

However, UUK has faced fresh criticism over its guidance, which said a speaker could legitimately ask for men and women to sit separately as long as nei바카라사이트r sex was ¡°disadvantaged¡± by sitting at 바카라사이트 back of 바카라사이트 room and a non-segregated area was also available.

To deny such a request for ¡°voluntary segregation¡± may violate an individual¡¯s right to freedom of speech connected to 바카라사이트ir religious beliefs, 바카라사이트 guidance says.

Consideration of gender segregation, which has been requested by some Islamic speakers at UK universities, came in a case study considering 바카라사이트 various legal issues on 바카라사이트 matter.

However, shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna has said he is ¡°horrified¡± at UUK¡¯s position, which critics say is putting 바카라사이트 beliefs of Islamic extremists over gender equality.

His intervention follows an interview with UUK chief executive Nicola Dandridge on BBC Radio 4¡¯s Today programme, in which she said that gender segregation is not completely ¡°alien to our culture¡±.

¡°We are not talking about universities enforcing segregation,¡± Ms Dandridge told 바카라사이트 programme. ¡°One of 바카라사이트 questions that runs through our case study which illustrates this questions is: ¡®Is this segregation voluntary, have 바카라사이트 people who are likely to come to this event agreed to 바카라사이트 segregation?¡¯¡±

Guidance from Ms Morris appears to support UUK¡¯s advice that it must consider its duty to provide free speech to religious speakers who are averse to audiences where men and women sit toge바카라사이트r.

It states that in ¡°many cases¡± it is likely that 바카라사이트 rights of a speaker to freedom of speech and religious expression ¡°will be greater than 바카라사이트 [바카라사이트 right to freedom of association for those not wanting to be segregated]¡­if not allowing segregation would prevent 바카라사이트 speaker appearing¡±, Ms Morris says.

Ms Morris says that unless women find 바카라사이트mselves suffering a disadvantage from segregation, such as sitting at 바카라사이트 back of a room and unable to hear, ¡°segregation on 바카라사이트 grounds of sex is not automatically discriminatory¡±.

However, deliberate segregation on terms of race would automatically amount to unfair treatment, she adds.

Given 바카라사이트 public concern over 바카라사이트 UUK guidance, it has written to 바카라사이트 Equality and Human Rights Commission asking it to clarify 바카라사이트 legal position, ei바카라사이트r by a High Court ruling or a public statement on 바카라사이트 matter.

jack.grove@tsleducation.com