Distinguishing Academic Freedom And Free Speech On Campus

Published date11 May 2021
Subject MatterEmployment and HR, Government, Public Sector, Discrimination, Disability & Sexual Harassment, Unfair/ Wrongful Dismissal, Employee Rights/ Labour Relations, Human Rights
Law FirmTaylor Vinters
AuthorMr James Murray

"Academic research is essentially aimed at the establishing of truths; and so should be protected from anything that reduces the likelihood of achieving that aim". Such was Professor Kathleen Stock's powerful justification for protecting academic freedom. Her remarks opened a forum hosted by Taylor Vinters and the University of Buckingham on "Academic Freedom Under Threat" in March 2021.

We were delighted to bring together a stellar list of speakers from academia, the law, politics and journalism to discuss the threats which academic freedom faces, and possible policy and legal changes to mitigate those threats. By considering a wide range of different issues from different perspectives, our hope was to generate debate on, and creative solutions for, the threats to academic freedom, both current and future, and in the UK and abroad.

What are the threats?

Following Professor Stock's opening lecture, in which she also relayed the attempts to 'cancel' and 'no platform' her for her gender critical views, Professor Eric Kaufmann presented the hard data on the threats to academic freedom.

Alongside his own detailed findings, he drew attention to a 2019 report by the University and College Union ("UCU"), based on survey data from 2000 UK academics, which stated: "The reality is that, in the overwhelming majority of instances, UK academics report statistically significantly higher levels of systematic abuse of their academic freedom, than their European counterparts in relation to the four constituent elements, and across a wide array of measures." By abuse, the report refers to bullying, psychological pressures and fear of loss of privileges and even physical harm.

This led to the UCU calling for further protections for academic freedom. Such research echoes the findings of Professor Kaufmann's own research, including his paper for the Policy Exchange, from which the Government took many of its policy proposals included in its recent white paper on academic freedom.

The Government's proposed solutions

Professor Kaufmann argued that external intervention is urgently required. The Government does seem convinced that there is a threat to academic freedom. The legislative solutions which it has proposed are set out in the recent white paper.

Our forum considered in detail the existing law which protects academic freedom and free speech on campus, and whether the Government's proposals would be sufficient to satisfy its own stated aims of mitigating the threats on...

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