Index welcomes call for better protection of free expression on campus

STATEMENT

19 Oct 2017

BY INDEX ON CENSORSHIP

Index on Censorship welcomes the call by Minister Jo Johnson for freedom of expression to be better protected in universities. However, we would remind the minister universities already have a statutory duty under the 1986 Education Act to protect freedom of speech for university members, employees and visiting speakers.

While we applaud Johnson’s renewed commitment to ensure universities protect free expression we question whether it is possible to do so and also comply with other duties imposed on universities by the government, such as monitoring students under the Prevent anti-terror programme.

Don't lose your voice. Stay informed.

Index on Censorship is a nonprofit that campaigns for and defends free expression worldwide. We publish work by censored writers and artists, promote debate, and monitor threats to free speech. We believe that everyone should be free to express themselves without fear of harm or persecution – no matter what their views.

Join our mailing list (or follow us on Twitter or Facebook) and we’ll send you our weekly newsletter about our activities defending free speech. We won’t share your personal information with anyone outside Index.

Cases against Academics for Peace have become emblematic of the attacks on freedom of expression in Turkey

On 26 July 2019, Turkey’s highest court brought new hope to Turkish academics when it ruled that ten educators who had signed the petition “We will not be a Party to This Crime!” (Bu Suça Ortak Olmayacağız) had been tried unfairly and in violation of their rights.

China seeks to influence academic freedom on foreign campuses

“Students in the United States must be free to express their views, without feeling pressured to censor their speech...We can and will push back hard against the Chinese government’s efforts to chill free speech on American campuses.” This is what Marie Royce, US assistant secretary of state for educational and cultural affairs, said in her [...]

Ex-IRA man takes academic freedom case to the UK’s Supreme Court

Former IRA member Anthony McIntyre has been granted a UK Supreme Court hearing in an attempt to stop the PSNI getting hold recordings of interviews he gave about his role during the so-called “Troubles” in Northern Ireland.

Teng Biao on human rights in China: ‘I cannot be silent, and I cannot give up’

“I realised that I had been cheated by the Chinese government,” legal scholar Teng Biao said describing his drive to pursue a career in human rights law.

Comments are closed.

< PREVIOUS POST

NEXT POST >