A landmark bill will require universities to promote freedom of speech on campus and within students’ unions or face sanctions. Michael Robinson, SPUC Director of Communications, said: “This bill is a victory for common sense and free speech. For years university students who identify as pro-life have struggled to have their voices heard. SPUC hopes that this bill will ensure that pro-life students can speak freely about pro-life issues.”
The Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill was introduced in Parliament on May 12th. The Bill will aim to strengthen the legal duties placed on higher education providers in England to protect freedom of speech on campuses up and down the country for students, academics and visiting speakers.
The Bill will also introduce new measures that will require universities and colleges registered with the Office for Students to defend free speech and help stamp out unlawful ‘silencing’.These new legal duties will also be extended to students’ unions which will have to take reasonably practicable steps to ensure lawful freedom of speech.
The new Bill delivers on a manifesto commitment, made by the Conservative Party, to strengthen academic freedom and free speech in higher education and help protect British universities' reputation as centres of academic freedom. Universities, colleges and students’ unions that breach these duties may face sanctions, including fines.
Michelle Donelan, Universities Minister, said: “This bill will ensure universities not only protect free speech but promote it too. After all, how can we expect society to progress or for opinions to modernise unless we can challenge the status quo?”
Protecting pro-life views
SPUC has been reporting on the growing hostility towards pro-life views and students on UK campuses. During 2019, students at Strathclyde University were left feeling “powerless and bullied” after being confronted by student body representatives who ordered the students to remove their stall and materials from a freshers’ fayre. Similarly, earlier this year, students at Queen’s University Belfast were censored and placed under investigation by their student’s union for sharing pro-life social media content.
A 2021 survey revealed that one in four students are “threatened, abused, alarmed or distressed” for being pro-life at university. The shocking survey conducted by the Alliance of Pro-life Students (APS) found that:
- Over 70% of students faced situations in lectures or seminars where they felt “unable to speak” about their views.
- Nearly a quarter have been “threatened, abused, alarmed or distressed – by actions or words – by another student or academic” because of their membership in a pro-life society.
- One in three have seen events cancelled due to the “de-platforming” of pro-life speakers.
- 65% of students witnessed another student being discriminated against or harassed for holding pro-life views.
Michael Robinson, SPUC Director of Communications, said: “Freedom of speech is one of the rights we cherish in this country and it is chilling when certain voices are silenced because they are unpalatable to others. Pro-life university students have been routinely subject to censorship and unfair treatment.
"The right to speak up for the most defenceless members of the human race, unborn babies and mothers is one that many pro-life students are passionate about. SPUC is relieved that the Government is finally taking pro-active steps to uphold free speech on campus.”