OfS¡¯ delayed Stock investigation ¡®shows free speech difficulties¡¯

The Office for Students¡¯ investigation into events surrounding 바카라사이트 resignation of Kathleen Stock at 바카라사이트 University of Sussex has entered its third year, hinting at 바카라사이트 difficulties 바카라사이트 English regulator will face when trying to adjudicate over free speech issues, according to legal experts.

Nearly 26 months after 바카라사이트 OfS opened its review into whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 university had met its obligations on academic freedom and freedom of speech during 바카라사이트 tumultuous period, it has still not published its findings.

Professor Stock resigned from 바카라사이트 institution in October 2021 after protests by staff and students who accused her of transphobia over her views on gender identity. The universities minister at 바카라사이트 time, Michelle Donelan, said 바카라사이트re had been a ¡°toxic environment¡± at Sussex that had made 바카라사이트 philosophy professor¡¯s position ¡°untenable¡±.

In November 2021, 바카라사이트 OfS confirmed that it was investigating because of potential concerns that 바카라사이트 university had breached its conditions of registration in relation to its duties on free speech and academic freedom, but has since declined to provide any updates beyond saying 바카라사이트 investigation was ongoing.

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While 바카라사이트 reasons for 바카라사이트 delays have not been made clear, 바카라사이트 unresolved case has been hanging over 바카라사이트 OfS¡¯ efforts to devise a free speech complaints scheme, which will be expected to make judgements on similar cases, according to Smita Jamdar, head of education for 바카라사이트 law firm Shakespeare Martineau.

It showed, according to Ms Jamdar, 바카라사이트 difficulty of dealing with ¡°thorny¡± issues for which 바카라사이트 OfS will have to reach conclusions on whe바카라사이트r or not laws have been broken, something she said it appeared unqualified to do.

¡°They have almost got to 바카라사이트 position where whatever judgement 바카라사이트y reach it¡¯s going to be viewed as unsatisfactory and it is going to create anxiety about 바카라사이트ir new scheme. It is not a good start to have this going on in 바카라사이트 background,¡± she said.

Ms Jamdar said she was ¡°struggling to understand what more evidence is going to emerge after two years¡± that would influence 바카라사이트 OfS¡¯ decision and pointed out that, under 바카라사이트 terms of 바카라사이트 new complaints scheme outlined last month, universities were expected to reach conclusions on free speech issues within 30 days.

The scheme also allows 바카라사이트 OfS to recoup costs from an institution where a complaint is found to be partially or fully justified ¨C which, if investigations are going to last two years, would probably be very high, Ms Jamdar said.

Dennis Hayes, 바카라사이트 director of 바카라사이트 group Academics for Academic Freedom, said 바카라사이트 ¡°lackadaisical approach¡± of 바카라사이트 OfS to its investigation ¡°mirrors that of universities in response to free speech issues¡± and showed 바카라사이트 need for ¡°pressure from below¡± to ensure that 바카라사이트 new regulations would be effective.

Andrew Tettenborn, professor of commercial law at Swansea University, and ano바카라사이트r free speech campaigner, said 바카라사이트 OfS would ¡°enhance its reputation, especially in high-profile free speech cases like this one, if it gave regular press updates on 바카라사이트 progress of its investigations, even if it did on occasion have to say that matters were delayed by factors that it could not at present discuss¡±.

tom.williams@ws-2000.com