Universities in England Could Face Fines for Freedom of Speech Failures
20 April 2026 | The Guardian
Universities in England that fail to protect free speech could face fines of £500,000 or 2% of their income, and in some cases risk losing public funding, under a new complaints system, the government has said. The Office for Students (OfS) would run a “first-of-its-kind” scheme from the new academic year allowing university staff, external speakers, and non-student members to raise concerns about providers, the Department for Education (DfE) said.
The higher education regulator will investigate complaints and can recommend that universities review decisions, pay compensation or improve their processes…