Free speech complaints
Who can complain
To make a complaint under the free speech complaints scheme you must be an eligible person.
Who is eligible
You can make a complaint if you are or were:
- a member or member of staff of the registered higher education provider or constituent institution
- someone who has applied to become a member of academic staff of the registered higher education provider or constituent institution, or
- someone who was, or was invited to be, a visiting speaker at the registered higher education provider or constituent institution.
You should only raise a complaint through this scheme if:
- you have already completed any relevant complaints, appeals, disciplinary or grievance process within the institution and you are not satisfied with the outcome, or
- 90 days have passed since you began the relevant process.
Full eligibility details can be found in the scheme rules.
Complaints that are not eligible
Students cannot raise a complaint under this scheme. Students should first raise any complaint, including about free speech, with their university or college.
Where this does not resolve the matter, students can take the complaint to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator.
Find out more about complaining about a university or college as a student
If you are a student but also an eligible person as above, you may be able to complain if the matters you are complaining about relate to that eligible role.
We cannot review anonymous complaints because we need to understand the adverse consequences you have suffered to review the complaint.
If you think you need us to protect your identity from the institution you are complaining about, please get in touch with [email protected].
Group complaints
We might treat related complaints as a group complaint where appropriate.
If you are aware that other people will be submitting a complaint on the same matter, you can express an interest in these being treated as a group complaint in your own submission.
Appointing a representative
You can choose to appoint a representative to correspond with us about a complaint. We will then normally correspond with your representative, rather than you. This could include a union representative, another member of staff, or a lawyer.
You should ensure that your representative is able to manage complaints on your behalf, including understanding the complaint, acting in your best interests and keeping you informed as the complaint progresses.
At any point, you can tell us that you would no longer like your representative to correspond on your behalf.
Is the scheme right for you?
When deciding to bring a free speech complaint, you should be conscious of how it could interact with other avenues of redress. In most circumstances it will be for you to choose whether, for example, an employment tribunal or our scheme is the best option for you. You should carefully consider your approach and may wish to take legal advice to ensure you operate in your best interests.
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