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ARTICLE · 22 MARCH 2019

Charities, Free Speech & Hosting Speakers

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In February the Equality and Human Rights Commission (‘EHRC') published significant new guidance on freedom of expression issues for universities and student unions hosting students.

United KingdomGovernment, Public Sector
John Huxley
John Huxley
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In February the Equality and Human Rights Commission (‘EHRC’) published significant new guidance on freedom of expression issues for universities and student unions hosting students.

This new publication is a helpful reminder for all charity trustees, not simply for trustees of student unions or educational institutions, that they should carry out careful due diligence when hosting speakers and ensure that they are acting within their powers and their purposes to host, or to refuse, a particular individual.

Background

In early 2018 we saw the Minister for Science and Universities, Sam Gyimah, fire an aggressive opening shot in a debate over the Charity Commission’s regulation of student unions in 2018, when he declared it was ‘in his sights’ for its approach to hosting controversial speakers.

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