England’s new free speech law comes into force – what it means for universities
Eric Heinze wrote for The Conversation about the Higher Education Act 2023, which could change the way universities approach free speech.
The Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 comes into effect throughout England on 1 August 2025. It is designed to stop universities from censoring controversial or unpopular ideas and will require many universities to change the way they approach free speech.
In his article, Eric Heinze, Professor of Law and Humanities at Queen Mary University of London, said: "The effect of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act will be to shift universities from the communitarian to the legalist model. Campus members wishing to stage events will still have to comply with routine guidelines on reserving campus venues, ticketing participants, ensuring security controls, and the like. However, under the act, universities may no longer impede the communication of otherwise legal messages solely on the grounds of their provocative content."
Read Professor Heinze's full article in The Conversation.