The Office for Students (OfS) has responded to the judgment in the judicial review between the OfS and the University of Sussex.
Josh Fleming, interim chief executive of the OfS, said:
‘We are disappointed, of course, by this ruling. We will carefully consider the consequences of the judgment before deciding on next steps. We will reflect on the Judge’s findings and use them to help inform our future approach.
‘Our focus remains on students and the sector, and we are pleased that following our investigation a dozen institutions, including the University of Sussex, have amended policies which restricted freedom of speech. As a result, students and academics should feel greater confidence in their ability to engage in the free and frank exploration of thought that characterises English higher education.
‘It’s important to stress that this case – and the OfS’s investigation – is not about the substance of ongoing debates around sex and gender. Freedom of speech extends to all sides of this and other subjects; we work to protect lawful speech irrespective of its content.
‘Ensuring free and robust debate is fundamental to the continuing success of higher education in England, and the OfS’s new complaints scheme will help make sure we can take swift action where free speech rights are restricted.’