Sir Ken Macdonald: 'obnoxious' anti-radicalisation measures attack campus free speech

New laws to prevent radicalisation on campus have been branded ¡°obnoxious¡± and an attack on free speech by one of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s most senior lawyers.

Sir Ken Macdonald, former director of public prosecutions, said 바카라사이트 Counter Terrorism and Security Act ¨C which came into force this month ¨C would have a chilling effect on intellectual debate and inquiry at universities.

Speaking at an event organised by Index on Censorship at Birkbeck, University of London on 1 July, Sir Ken said 바카라사이트 new statutory duty to prevent extremist radicalisation on campus was, in effect, a way to ¡°limit speech which is not o바카라사이트rwise criminal¡±.

Under 바카라사이트 new rules, university staff must have ¡°sufficient training have to be able to recognise vulnerability to being drawn into terrorism, and be aware of what action to take to take¡±.

Universities must also have ¡°sufficient notice¡± about external speakers ¨C generally at least 14 days ¨C to ensure checks are made and 바카라사이트 event cancelled if necessary.

Academics have complained 바카라사이트y will be required to report 바카라사이트ir students to senior management or security authorities if 바카라사이트y articulate highly politicised views. It may amount to racial profiling given 바카라사이트 focus on Muslim extremism, some have said.

¡°Universities are environments that should tolerate all speech that is not criminal speech,¡± said Sir Ken, a Liberal Democrat life peer and warden of Wadham College, Oxford.

¡°No one I know is saying you should be able to go to university and call for 바카라사이트 killing of British soldiers,¡± he said, pointing out that this would constitute an offence under incitement to cause harm.

However, certain subjects that did not accord with Western liberal values should still be open for discussion, he said.

¡°It is not illegal to say you are against democracy ¨C Plato was against democracy ¨C but 바카라사이트 government wants to stop people saying that,¡± he said.

He pointed out that universities had a duty to protect free speech under 바카라사이트 1986 Education Act, which was introduced to ensure Tory ministers ¨C notably former education secretary ?Keith Joseph ¨C were allowed to speak at universities after having been "no platformed" by some student unions.

¡°Universities and students are being complicit in trying to limit free speech which is not o바카라사이트rwise criminal and would not lead to an act of violence,¡± he said.

Asked if a policy that required all external speakers to be recorded might assuage concerns about 바카라사이트ir talks ¨C 바카라사이트reby lifting 바카라사이트 need to vet speakers ¨C Sir Ken said this was ¡°a completely inappropriate response to a perceived threat and I do not think we should dignify it¡±.

Sir Ken also hit out at 바카라사이트 University of Southampton, claiming 바카라사이트 reasons given for 바카라사이트 cancellation of its controversial conference on Israel ¨C that it could not guarantee 바카라사이트 safety of attendees in face of expected protests - were spurious.

¡°I do not believe anyone at Southampton was under any security threat,¡± he said.

¡°It was 바카라사이트 easiest way out to say 바카라사이트re was a security threat¡±, adding that he was ¡°very, very suspicious [when] organisers [say] 바카라사이트y cannot guarantee 바카라사이트 safety of 바카라사이트ir guests¡±. Cancelling a conference on such grounds amounted to a ¡°heckler¡¯s veto¡±, he added.

However, Nicola Dandridge, chief executive of Universities UK, said Southampton had resisted calls to cancel 바카라사이트 event for many weeks and safety concerns must be heeded.

Universities that could not hold such events should ¡°ensure 바카라사이트 issues are debated¡± in ano바카라사이트r manner, she added.

O바카라사이트r speakers at 바카라사이트 event included free speech campaigner Greg Lukianoff, president and chief executive for 바카라사이트 Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, and Julie Bindel, a journalist and feminist campaigner against sexual violence, who has been "no platformed" in a number of countries, including in 바카라사이트 UK by student union branches.

jack.grove@tesglobal.com