Universities ‘bar free speech’

UNIVERSITIES cannot be “safe spaces”, MPS have said, as they warn of the “chilling effect” on free speech of attempts by students to declare some views unacceptable.

A report by the Joint Committee on Human Rights argues that “minority views should not be barred from student union premises”.

Many student unions have “safe space” policies that restrict views or expressions that can make others feel unsafe. Safe space policies have been blamed for stopping certain speakers from attending university events.

The report concludes that there is general support for the idea of free speech among students and that most student union officers believe restriction of free speech is not a problem at their institution. But it warns that interference with free speech “could be having a chilling effect on the exercise of freedom of speech more widely”.

A spokesman for the NUS said the report showed “that there is no crisis of student censorship on campuses.”