Free speech law ‘must let cancelled academics sue woke universities’

Members of the House of Lords, including some of the party’s peers, voted in December to scrap the statutory tort in the Bill that would allow academics to seek compensation in the courts. “I’ve spoken to many leading academics who share my belief that the tort is necessary to secure the cultural change needed on campus.” 'Insidious repression of free speech' The prestigious Russell Group of universities has renewed its calls for the tort to be removed. “If returned to the Bill, the tort would add significant complexity for complainants, universities and students’ unions,” the Russell Group said in a briefing note. “Managing the potential for litigation would also likely create significant administrative and resource burdens without adding to the enhanced protections for free speech introduced by the new Office for Students complaints process.” It is understood that Tory MPs will be whipped to reject the Lords' amendment to scrap the tort on Tuesday. The success of the Bill depends on academics being able to take swift action when their free speech is restricted and the tort is crucial to this.” Prof Nigel Biggar, an Oxford University don who has faced cancellation for defending the British Empire, said: “So far, university leaders have doggedly refused to recognise the scale of the insidious repression of free speech on campus.