Today marks the launch of Banned Books Week: a nationwide campaign celebrating the freedom to read and challenging censorship. Read the full article

50 years since the end of theatre censorship: how the Lord Chamberlain was given the boot (The Stage, 18 September 2018)
Half a century on from the end of official British theatre censorship, Nick Smurthwaite looks at writers and critics who campaigned for freedom of expression and works that were given the chop by the Lord Chamberlain. Read the full article

“Reckless” counter-terror bill a threat to academic research
Index on Censorship explores the impact of Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Bill on academic freedom with Dr Lawrence McNamara
Govt rejects national ‘buffer zones’ around abortion centres (Christian Institute, 14 September 2018)
Nationwide ‘buffer zones’ will not be introduced around abortion centres by the Government, in a move welcomed by advocates for the unborn. Read the full article

Forecasting the Implications of the U.S. CLOUD Act Around the World
Join us on September 18th for a discussion featuring several prominent GNI civil society, academic, and company members presenting their perspectives on the potential global implications of the U.S. CLOUD Act.

This week at Index: Who are your free speech heroes?
You have just until 24 September to tell us about your free speech champions.
Mothers welcome home office abortion ‘buffer zone’ decision (The Catholic Universe, 13 September 2018)
A group of mothers who were offered help outside abortion clinics by pro-life vigils have welcomed the Home Secretary decision to reject pressure from abortion lobby groups to introduce nationwide ‘buffer zones’ around abortion clinics. Read the...
Government rejects calls for ‘buffer zones’ outside abortion clinics (The Tablet, 13 September 2018)
The Home Secretary has rejected calls for "buffer zones" to be introduced around abortion clinics nationwide. Sajid Javid made his decision based on the fact that there is already a wide range of powers available to local authorities and the police...
It’s an outrage that Turkey is ditching Darwin from science textbooks (New Statesman, 12 September 2018)
Evolution is being dropped from school biology texts in Turkey. In Hungary, academic freedoms are increasingly threatened. Time to worry, says Rachael Jolley. Read the full article.

“Scattergun” approach to addressing online content risks damaging freedom of expression
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Parliament needs to stop creating piecemeal laws to address content online - or which make new forms of speech illegal. Index is very concerned about the plethora of law-making initiatives related to online...
Bookmarks attackers sent books to help ‘broaden their minds’ (Bookseller, 10 August 2018)
Index on Censorship is sending political party UKIP a bundle of books, including The Handmaid's Tale and a copy of the Quran, in the hope it will forward them on to those of its members involved in Saturday's attack on Bookmarks bookshop. Read the...

Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Bill not fit for purpose
Index on Censorship believes that the UK’s Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Bill should go back to the drawing board.