Without this permission, the University of Bristol is at risk of legal action. This follows the recent apparent cancellation of a planned talk by Professor Alice Sullivan, a prominent academic who recently led a government review into the collection of sex and gender data. This latest incident raises some very important questions about freedom of speech, especially in today’s academic climate. This issue is compounded by an unusual law that came into force in August, further entrenching English universities’ legal duty to safeguard this most basic of rights.
An anthropologist at the University of Bristol, Dr. Ayo Wahlberg, had invited Professor Sullivan to Bristol to present her work. The event remains tentatively planned for October 22, 2025. Her review, released in March, assertedly recommended. It recommended that biological sex and gender identity be documented in distinct categories. This subject has gotten very controversial, especially against the backdrop of today’s culture wars playing out around trans rights.
As Professor Sullivan left the event, she was met by a mob of angry demonstrators. As one, they cried, “Shame on you! Shame on you! She compared the tableau to a “zombie apocalypse,” explaining how various protesters stormed at glass doors brandishing signs and megaphones.
Our own Professor Sullivan has recently written to the Office for Students (OfS), regarding this persistent disruption. The OfS is responsible for ensuring that universities comply with laws around freedom of speech. Last month, the OfS took the unprecedented step of fining the University of Sussex £585,000 for similar failures. This punishment is due to upholding practices that supposedly produced a “chilling effect” on free speech.
The University of Bristol, which had withdrawn a similar policy that would have forced staff to seek out and remove “transphobic and anti-trans material” from campus. The new policy was widely criticized for attacking academic freedom and free speech.
This is in itself, as Professor Sullivan has already intimated, a reflection of how “gender ideology” affected the university’s response to her planned talk. She feels the university failed to provide her adequate security for her right to express herself. This is an important issue to be cavalier about.
“Everyone has a right to peaceful protest, but that must never amount to a heckler’s veto, which means shutting down other people’s right to speak,” – Prof Sullivan.
She claims that this is more than a violation of her rights as a temporary guest speaker. Most importantly, it infringes on the greater rights of the university community to have a lively exchange of ideas, and welcome speakers from different points of view.
The university speech bill gives academic institutions new legal responsibilities. These obligations require institutions to take concrete steps to protect speakers’ rights and avert any potential disruptions. Whether legislation like this actually works is still a question to be proven, particularly in instances like the aforementioned where protests have turned violent.
Going forward, Professor Sullivan intends to pursue judicial review proceedings against the University of Bristol. She claims that the university was in the wrong for not protecting her freedom of speech that night.
“This isn’t just about my rights as a visiting speaker, this is about the rights of the university community to hold discussions and to have people come and listen,” – Prof Sullivan.
The university was given 15 months to search for the absolute best spot for Professor Sullivan’s lecture. Unfortunately, they were unable to get a venue lined up quickly enough. This failure raises further questions about the institution’s commitment to fostering an environment where diverse viewpoints can be expressed and debated.
As these developments play out, their impact on academic freedom at universities throughout England will be watched intently. Colleges and universities need to tread a fine line between protecting campus free speech and the right to demonstrate. They must take on this challenge with caution and thoughtfulness.
