The Westminster government has dug its heels in over its plans to grant students and academics the right to sue English universities over free speech violations, after the House of Lords voted to scrap it.
Speaking at an Office for Students (OfS) event on the planned powers, Claire Coutinho, a junior minister in the Department for Education whose brief includes freedom of speech, said the government was “resolute” that provisions for the controversial “statutory tort” would be included in the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill.
“We remain resolute that people will have the right to go to court if their complaint cannot be resolved through other routes,” said Ms Coutinho, adding that the government expected the bill to receive royal assent “early in the new year”. The scrapped provisions allow people to sue universities and students’ unions for compensation if they can show a loss from an institution not protecting free speech on campus.
