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Friday, July 25, 2025
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The state of free speech in Northern Ireland

  • BY Frederick Attenborough
  • January 23, 2024
The state of free speech in Northern Ireland

It was great to hear our Education and Events Director, Dr Jan Macvarish, on Andrew Doyle’s Free Speech Nation show at the weekend, discussing the state of free speech in Northern Ireland, and why our Belfast Speakeasy this Friday (26th Jan) is so important.

‘The slogan "no debate" has had an incredible chilling effect.’

Education and Events Director of the Free Speech Union, Dr Jan Macvarish and Solicitor Advocate and Litigation Specialist, Simon Chambers, give their view on free speech in Northern Ireland. @andrewdoyle_com pic.twitter.com/eoRI7hNWey

— GB News (@GBNEWS) January 21, 2024

As Jan says, we’ve already sold 150 tickets for this event, but there are still some left and we’d love to see you there — click here to book your tickets.

Expert panel includes: FSU General Secretary Toby Young, the author and psychotherapist Stella O’Malley, journalists David Quinn and Ella Whelan, and the former Ulster Unionist Party politician and gay rights campaigner Jeffrey Dudgeon MBE.

Safe to say, the panel won’t be short of things to talk about.

Northern Ireland now boasts one of the most draconian proposed hate crime laws in the UK, which has serious potential implications for free speech.

Queen’s University Belfast recently ordered every single person who sets foot on campus to comply with using a person’s preferred pronouns or face punishment under its newly revised code of conduct.

And since September, the newly enacted Northern Ireland Justice (Sexual Offences and Trafficking Victims) Act has clipped the wings of the free press, handing the judiciary power to decide what bits of modern history or recent news regarding reports of serious sexual misconduct it is in the public interest in the public interest for ordinary citizens to read about.

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  • Become a Member
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  • Home
  • About Us
    • About Us
      • Company Staff
      • Founders & Board
      • Advisory Council
      • Legal Advisory Council
      • Writer’s Advisory Council
      • Scottish Advisory Council
      • Northern Ireland Advisory Council
    • The Freedoms We Defend​
      • Freedom of Speech
      • Freedom of Expression
      • Academic Freedom
      • Freedom of the Press
      • Freedom of Religion
    • Scotland
    • Northern Ireland
  • Latest News
  • FAQs
  • Resources
    • Informative Guides
      • Online Offences Related to Civil Disorder FAQs
      • FAQs About Scotland’s Hate Crime Act
      • FAQs About What to do if You’re Contacted by Police Scotland About a Speech-Related Complaint
      • Freedom of Speech Online FAQs
      • Freedom of Expression on Campus FAQs
      • How to Make a Freedom of Information Request
      • Gender Pronouns in the Workplace
      • How to Remove Non Crime Hate Incident from your Police Record
      • Navigating Social Media and the Workplace
      • What to do if You’ve Been De-Banked
      • Anti-Racism and Unconscious Bias Training
      • The Governments Consultation on Reforming the Human Rights Act
    • Briefing Documents
    • Press Releases
    • Media
    • Letters
    • Teaching Materials
  • Videos
  • Podcast
    • Weekly News Podcast
    • Guest Interviews & Debates
  • Events
  • Campaigns
    • Labour’s War on Free Speech
    • Higher Education Act
    • Conversion Therapy Ban
    • Say No to Banter Bouncers
    • Time to Scrap Non-Crime Hate Incidents
  • Apply For a Grant
  • Member Login
  • Shop

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