The freedom of speech act may be gone, but existing law is strong

Yes! Yes! Yes! The.unholy alliance of the cancelling-minded UCU and the feeble-minded UUK might think it has scored a victory but as the article says the OfS, if its Board decides to follow the urging of the Behan Review for it to display greater independence of Government, can proceed pretty much as its Consultation proposed but on the basis of s43 of the 86 Act rather than the 23 Act…

I agree with the article and the first comment, but note that there is nothing in the Council of Europe’s lengthy 2022 guide to ECHR jurisprudence on Article 10 about freedom of speech by students. Academics sometimes get their day in court in e.g. Turkey. I think if the 2023 Act is not to be resurrected in full, proper enforcement of the 1986 Act - as noted by the High Court in the recent repossession case brought by the University of Nottingham - plus extending it to SUs is enough. I write as a former university administrator who welcomed the 1986 Act to protect the right to freedom of speech, having had to deal with more than one nasty protest in the early 80’s.