Freedom of Speech
500 academics call for free speech act to be reinstated
More than 500 academics have strongly criticised the government's decision to scrap a new law which aimed at protecting free speech on university campuses'.
The group, which includes Richard Dawkins say the law was 'vitally important' because of university staff and students being censured, silenced or sacked for expressing their views.
The government said the law could put minority groups at risk by protecting 'hate speech'.
But in an open letter to Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, the academics urged her to enforce the outstanding provisions of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act.
They were due to come into force at the stary of August and included the introduction of power for the Office of Students watchdog to fine institutions or student unions if they failed to uphold free speech.
In the letter, the group said:
The decision to halt HEFOSA appears to reflect the view, widespread among opponents of the Act, that there is no 'free speech problem' in UK universities, that the very idea of such a problem is a fiction put about to divert attention from bigger issues. Nothing could be more false. Hundreds of academics and students have been hounded, censured, silenced or even sacked over the last 20 years for the expression of legal opinions.' It says that documented cases are 'only the tip of the iceberg' and the 'widespread silencing of viewpoints is incalculable'.
The government told The Times 'we make no apology for pausing the Tories hate speech charter, which would have allowed antisemites and Holocaust deniers free reign on campuses.'
Helen Joyce, director of advocacy at human-rights charity Sex Matters said: "It is astonishing to see a government source characterise protections for free speech on campus as a 'Tory hate speech law'.
"Free speech is a fundamental human right that should be above party politics.
"The planned law would have protected staff and students with a wide range of lawful belief and it's simply false to say that it would given shelter to hate speech such as Holocaust denial."
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