Individuals will be able to sue UK universities and students’ unions under new free speech legislation only if they have exhausted all other options, under amendments being made to the bill in the House of Lords.
After coming under pressure from peers and sector leaders over concerns about “endless litigation”, the government’s spokesman, Lord Howe, has sought to amend the legislation to ensure that grievances can be taken to the courts only as a last resort.
His amendment states that a person may begin civil proceedings only if they have “brought a complaint relating to the same subject matter as the proceedings under a relevant complaints scheme” and “a decision has been made under that scheme as to the extent to which the complaint was justified”.
