Human Rights Committee publishes report on freedom of speech in universities

Scope of the inquiry

The Committee has launched this inquiry to find out:

• Whether Government policy on free speech in universities is coherent
• Taken together, do the Prevent duty and the statutory duty to ensure free speech appropriately balance Convention rights and public interest considerations?
• The role of the Office for Students in ensuring freedom of speech
• University authorities have a statutory duty to secure freedom of speech, including on student union premises. Student unions say they are private bodies and have a right to refuse speakers. Should university authorities have responsibility for the activities of their student unions? If so, to what extent? 
• Is there concrete evidence that free speech is being suppressed in universities? Who should be responsible for monitoring this?
• If there is a problem, in what ways is free speech being suppressed? By whom? What are the causes? Is any problem increasing?