New terror laws seriously threaten academic freedom
YORK UNIVERSITY IS making representations to the Houses of Commons and Lords to raise objections to the government’s Terrorism Bill.
The Association of University Teachers is lobbying MPs, warning that new legislation could not only curtail academic freedom, but criminalise working practices at universities across the country.
Concerns are centred on clause 1 of the bill, which makes it an offence to indirectly encourage terrorism, without requiring proof of intent. Work on subjects of varying degrees of controversy could be obstructed.
These include subjects like violence in the Middle East, the animal rights movement, and in recent history, the tactics of the African National Congress in Apartheid South Africa.
Chemistry experiments involving noxious substances also risk legal infringement.
Those who work in such fields could potentially be accused of promoting terrorism, even if that were not their intent.
The Bill could also stifle debates and speechs on campus, if they were deemed to encourage terrorism. Societies, such as the York Union, would therefore be restiricted in the issues they are able to discuss.
Elizabeth Heaps, York University Librarian, states: “We have concerns about freedom of speech, publications and a number of areas of teaching.
“The University of York Library and Archives has supported the University as well as the national libraries’ bodies in seeking changes to the terrorism bill.”
But Bill Rammell, the higher education minister, says: “The intention of this terrorism bill is not to stifle academic freedom and, in reality, I do not believe that it will.” The AUT is optimistic that its concerns will be dealt with.
John Prebble
