Prof Irene Tracey, Oxford’s vice-chancellor, has said that freedom of speech is “the lifeblood” of the university and that she is taking steps to ensure the institution was not full of “same-thinking tribes” (GB News, Telegraph).
In her annual oration to staff and students, the university chief unveiled Oxford’s new Sheldonian Series of debates. Starting in November, the termly exchanges at Oxford’s Sheldonian Theatre will, she said, allow students “to hear from scholars and voices from a range of fields on some of the big questions of our age”.
“The spirit of these events will be one of examination and exploration, of curiosity and challenge,” she explained, adding: “It is clear we need to reaffirm the importance of free and inclusive speech, diversity of thought and vibrant exchange of ideas.”
The inaugural debate will discuss the theme of democracy, and will take place shortly after the US election on November 5th. The guest speakers are yet to be announced.
Speaking on Tuesday, Prof Tracey, who became vice-chancellor two years ago, said: “Freedom of speech is the lifeblood of our university, and we uphold the right for everyone to openly express their views and opinions with respect and courtesy, within the limits of the law.
“We are going through one of those times in human history when difference – of origin, of religion, of political orientation, of sexual orientation, or simply of ideas or ways of expressing them – is increasingly seen as a threat,” she added.
“Let us all dare to be different, to do things differently, and to bring forward the day that the world remembers the beauty of the kaleidoscope of humanity.
“As a university, we must nurture and celebrate our differences, confident that those who try to divide us into same-looking and same-thinking tribes, whether by selfish design or accidental algorithm, will ultimately fail. Let us all dare to be different, to do things differently.
The new Oxford debating series, and the reaction it provokes amongst activist staff and students, could be the first major test of current free speech laws, after the Labour government stopped commencement of new protections for academics.
During her oration, the vice-chancellor said that the debating series had been designed with help from three academics, one of whom was Julis Grower, an associate law professor at Oxford University who has openly criticised the Government’s decision to shelve the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act
Prof Grower was one of the first ten signatories to an open letter calling on the Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, to reinstate this vital piece of legislation, which is designed to tackle cancel culture at English universities.
The Act would have imposed a legal duty on universities in England to uphold and promote free speech and it would have extended that duty to student unions. It would also have secured the freedom of academic staff to question and test received wisdom and put forward new ideas and controversial opinions.
Having received cross-party support during the last Parliament, its most important clauses were due to come into force on 1st August.
However, because Rishi Sunak called an election before the Act had been fully implemented, the newly elected Labour government seized its chance to derail it.
Earlier this month, the Times reported that seven Nobel laureates along with 650 other academics had signed the open letter to the Education Secretary asking her to reconsider her decision to torpedo the Act. You can read that story here.
The Times quotes Lord Sumption, former Justice of the United Kingdom Supreme Court:
The distinguished academics who have endorsed the campaign have widely differing views on many current controversies but are united in their defence of the right to speak out without undermining their careers.
The last decade has seen too many cases of academics hounded, marginalised, threatened with disciplinary proceedings, forced into self-censorship and even sacked because of their refusal to accept standard tropes about issues which are matters of legitimate debate, like gender identity, imperialism, slavery, racial discrimination and many others. These wars against those who step out of line mark the narrowing of our intellectual world and a betrayal of the vocation of our universities.
At the FSU we wholeheartedly agree. That’s why we’ve formally commenced legal proceedings against the government following its decision to stop the Act from coming into force.
Thanks to the generous support of our members and supporters we filed a claim against the Education Secretary on 5th September. Our lawyers have put a powerful legal argument before the High Court. You can read our ‘Statement of Facts and Grounds’ here.
Make no mistake: these proceedings are extremely important. As Akua Reindorf KC, the UK’s leading equality barrister, puts it, “this is not about petty ‘culture wars’; it’s about people’s lives, livelihoods and fundamental human rights”.
