LONDON

Universities and colleges in England could be fined if they fail to uphold free speech, as new legal protections for academic freedom come into force on Friday.

The Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act places a legal duty on higher education providers to promote academic freedom, ensuring staff, students, and guest speakers can express lawful views without fear of censorship.

The legislation also bans the use of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) in cases of bullying, harassment, and sexual misconduct within universities.

Skills Minister Jacqui Smith said in a statement: "Academic freedom is non-negotiable in our world-leading institutions, and we will not tolerate the silencing of academics or students who voice legitimate views."

“These strengthened protections make this explicitly clear in law, and the record fine already handed down by the OfS has put universities on notice that they must comply or face the consequences," she added.

Under the Act, a new complaints scheme led by the Office for Students (OfS) will allow academics, staff, and external speakers to trigger investigations into free speech breaches. This could lead to financial penalties for universities that fail to comply.

Students will be able to take their concerns to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator.

Student unions will also be subject to new rules under the legislation, with universities held accountable for their activities regarding freedom of speech.

Meanwhile, overseas transparency rules included in the legislation remain under review, as the government evaluates the impact of the recently launched foreign influence registration scheme.