University wins record freedom of speech fine challenge

University wins record freedom of speech fine challenge10 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleBranwen JeffreysEducation EditorGetty ImagesThe University of Sussex has won its legal challenge of a record £585,000 fine over freedom of speech.The fine was issued by the Office for Students (OfS), the regulator of England's universities, over the university's trans and non-binary inclusion policy which it said had a "chilling" effect on free speech.On most of the issues raised by the university, the High Court found in its favour, including concerns about bias in how the decision was made.The Vice Chancellor of Sussex said it raised serious questions about the regulator, while the OfS described the ruling as disappointing. The High Court case did not consider what happened to Kathleen Stock, who left her job as professor of philosophy at Sussex after protests and threats over her view that gender was not more important than biological sex.High Court judge Mrs Justice Lieven ruled on Wednesday whether a proper process was followed in issuing the fine, the size of which sent shockwaves through universities across England.The fine was issued on the basis of Sussex's trans and non-binary policy, which included a requirement to "positively represent trans people" and warned against "transphobic propaganda".In court, the University of Sussex had argued the trans and non-binary policy was not what is called a "governing document" and did not have the importance attached to it by regulator the OfS.This concern was upheld by today's judgement, along with several other aspects of the process. Perhaps most damaging for the regulator meant to oversee freedom of speech, the accusation of bias in the process was also upheld. Mrs Justice Lieven said the OfS had "closed its mind" to anything that would lead to not finding failure to uphold freedom of speech and therefore fine the university. The regulator wa...