Free Speech Union vs the Secretary of State for Education, Bridget Phillipson
FSU initiates judicial review of decision to 'pause' implementation of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act
In July, the Secretary of State for Education, Bridget Phillipson, issued a statement to the House of Commons saying she intended to stop commencement of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act (HEFSA) “in order to consider options, including its repeal”. Phillipson has subsequently revised her position and promised to implement portions of the HEFSA and consider the remaining portions.
The Freedom of Speech Act was extensively debated in Parliament, designed to address the free speech crisis in universities. It would have strengthened the legal duty on English universities to uphold and promote freedom of speech and created two new enforcement mechanisms.
The Act received cross-party support during the previous Parliament and the most important parts were due to be commenced on 1st August 2024. Phillipson decided to cancel the commencement of the Act in a way that the Free Speech Union (FSU) believes is an abuse of executive power and unlawful.
The FSU had announced that it would challenge the original decision via judicial review. The judicial review has been adjourned to July 2025 to see how Phillipson implements the HEFSA.
Statement of Facts and Grounds from FSU
Current Status
The judicial review is scheduled for the High Court on 23 January 2025.
Live Tweet Threads
Abbreviations
Press Coverage
This post includes links to a selection of recent and relevant press coverage about the recent case. These links are included without comment and are not endorsed by Tribunal Tweets. This is a sample of coverage only - it is not comprehensive. Please DM our main Twitter account to submit coverage from an established news outlet. Any paywalled article must be archived.
4 November 2024
Conservative Post - Labour’s Education Secretary Faces Legal Battle Over Free Speech Laws Amidst Backlash from Academics