Supporting Sussex in Supporting Academic Freedom

Dr Mahon O’Brien
Head of Department
Department of Philosophy
University of Sussex
Professor Kate O’Riordan
Dean
School of Media, Arts and Humanities
University of Sussex
Dear Dr O’Brien and Professor O’Riordan,
Open Letter from Legal Academics in Support of Sussex’s University’s Defence of Academic Freedom
We are writing as legal academics in the UK to express our support for the University of Sussex in its defence of academic freedom following the harassment campaign targeting your colleague, Professor Kathleen Stock, for her academic work and public interventions on the questions surrounding the legal recognition of sex and gender identity. We note the open letter written to you by our colleagues in academic philosophy and we wish to offer our support in similar terms to theirs.
While not all of us agree with Professor Stock’s views, we are convinced of the importance of making space within universities and within public life for respectful debate and discussion, particularly in relation to pressing issues of public policy. As legal scholars it is essential to our practice that we teach students how to criticise arguments. We also teach them that one way to respect and take seriously ideas and arguments is to challenge them where they may seem weak, so that if people ultimately come to agree with these positions they do so on the basis of the strongest grounding.
Professor Stock is engaged with the question of whether sex should be replaced with self-identified gender in all legal, political, and social contexts, as is currently being advocated for in the UK. She may be correct that there remain important contexts where it is sex rather than gender identity that matters, or she may be mistaken. We recognise that these matters are deeply, personally important for many people who disagree with her, as they are for many of those who agree with her. The views and concerns of all those with an interest in this question need to be treated seriously and respectfully. However, unless she and others involved in this debate are permitted to raise their concerns on this matter, and to offer reasoned argument without fear of harassment, the danger remains that public policy in respect of gender identification will be made without adequate reflection and scrutiny. We believe such reflection and scrutiny to be among the most important purposes of the mission of a university.
We are therefore heartened to hear Sussex’s Vice-Chancellor speaking out in support of Professor Stock’s academic freedom and in favour of keeping open debate and discussion of this important, though sensitive, issue. We are aware that, in a climate where universities are dependent on their students for fee income, there can be a cost to individual institutions in defending the rights of colleagues to express unpopular opinions or raise difficult questions challenging popular orthodoxies. With that in mind we are writing to express our solidarity with Sussex University and our hope that the university will maintain a robust defence of Professor Stock’s right to express her opinions and publish her arguments in her current position as a member of its professorial staff.
Yours sincerely,
[To add your name to the list below, please email lawopenlettertosussexuni@gmail.com with your name and affiliation. All academic staff, including emeritus and retired, and graduate students in UK Law Departments are welcome to sign.]
Dr Sinéad Agnew, Catherine Seville Assistant Professor in Law, University of Cambridge | |||
Professor Anneli Albi, Professor of Comparative Constitutional Law, University of Kent | |||
Professor Peter Alldridge, Drapers’ Professor of Law, Queen Mary University of London | |||
Professor Merris Amos, Professor of Human Rights Law, Queen Mary University of London | |||
Dr Rob Amos, Assistant Professor in Environmental Law, University of Nottingham | |||
Dr Thamil Venthan Ananthavinayagan, Teaching Associate in International Human Rights Law, University of Nottingham | |||
Dr Arianna Andreangeli, Senior Lecturer in European Law, University of Edinburgh Law School | |||
Diane Astin, Senior Lecturer in Legal Practice, Brunel University London | |||
Professor Rosemary Auchmuty, Department of Law, University of Reading | |||
Dr Cressida Auckland, Assistant Professor, LSE Law School | |||
Professor Nick Barber, Professor of Constitutional Law and Theory, University of Oxford | |||
Eduardo Baistrocchi, Associate Professor of Tax Law, LSE Law School | |||
Professor Andrea Biondi, Professor of European Union Law, Dickson Poon School of Law, King’s College London | |||
Professor Robert Black QC FRSE, Professor Emeritus of Scots Law, University of Edinburgh Law School | |||
Dr Michael Blackwell, Associate Professor of Law, LSE Law School | |||
Professor Alan Bogg, Professor of Labour Law, University of Bristol Law School | |||
Dr Jacco Bomhoff, Associate Professor, LSE Law School | |||
Professor Margaret Brazier, Professor Emerita in Law University of Manchester | |||
Professor Rodney Brazier, Emeritus Professor of Constitutional Law, University of Manchester | |||
Dr Catherine Briddick, Departmental Lecturer in Gender and International Human Rights and Refugee Law, Refugee Studies Centre, University of Oxford | |||
Professor Susan Bright, Professor of Land Law, University of Oxford | |||
Professor Douglas Brodie, Professor of Employment Law, University of Strathclyde | |||
Dr Anna Bryson, School of Law, Queen’s University Belfast | |||
Professor Ian Cram, Professor of Comparative Constitutional Law, School of Law, University of Leeds | |||
Dr Qiang Cai, Lecturer, Law School, University of Aberdeen | |||
Professor John W Cairns, University of Edinburgh Law School | |||
Dr Darren Calley, Senior Lecturer in Law, University of Essex | |||
Dr David Campbell, Law Lecturer, Lady Margaret Hall, University of Oxford | |||
Dr Peter Candy, Early Career Fellow in Legal History, University of Edinburgh Law School | |||
Catherine Carpenter, Retired Senior Lecturer in Law, University of Kent | |||
Dr Conor Casey, Lecturer in Law, University of Liverpool | |||
Professor Ruth Chang, Professor of Jurisprudence, University of Oxford | |||
Professor Mindy Chen-Wishart, Dean, Professor of the Law of Contract, University of Oxford | |||
Professor Shazia Choudhry, Faculty of Law, University of Oxford | |||
Anna Christie, Lecturer in Banking, Corporate & Financial Law, University of Edinburgh Law School | |||
Professor Hugh Collins, LSE Law School | |||
Professor Rachel Condry, Faculty of Law, University of Oxford | |||
Professor Roger Cotterrell, Anniversary Professor of Legal Theory, Queen Mary University of London | |||
Robert Craig, Lecturer in Law, University of Bristol Law School | |||
Lucy Davies, Law Clinic Supervisor and Lecturer, School of Law, University of Essex | |||
Dr Howard Davis, Reader in Public Law, Humanities and Law Department, Bournemouth University | |||
Professor Richard de Friend, Emeritus Professor of Legal Education, University of Law | |||
Dr Manoj Dias-Abey, School of Law, University of Bristol | |||
Professor Andrew Dickinson, Faculty of Law, University of Oxford | |||
Professor Alan Dignam, School of Law, Queen Mary University of London | |||
Professor Martin Dixon, Professor of the Law of Real Property, University of Cambridge | |||
Professor Jonathan Doak, Nottingham Law School, Nottingham Trent University | |||
Maeve Doggett, Assistant Professor in Law, University of Nottingham | |||
Professor Michael Doherty, Professor of Law, Lancaster University | |||
Professor Gillian Douglas, Professor Emerita of Law, Dickson Poon School of Law, King’s College London | |||
Professor Sionaidh Douglas-Scott, Anniversary Chair in Law, Queen Mary University of London | |||
Dr Peter Duff FRSE, Professor of Criminal Justice, Law School, University of Aberdeen | |||
Professor Lilian Edwards, Professor of Law, Innovation and Society, University of Newcastle | |||
Professor Piet Eeckhout, Dean, Faculty of Laws, UCL | |||
Professor Richard Ekins, Professor of Law and Constitutional Government, University of Oxford | |||
Professor Mark Elliott, Professor of Public Law, University of Cambridge | |||
Dr Charlotte Elves, Singer Fellow in Medical Law and Ethics, Exeter College, University of Oxford | |||
Dr David Erdos, Associate Professor in Law and the Open Society, University of Cambridge | |||
Dr John Fanning, Senior Lecturer in Law, University of Liverpool | |||
Kim Fawcett, Teaching Fellow in Criminal Law and PhD Cand, University of Durham | |||
Professor Pamela R Ferguson, Professor of Scots Law and Director of the Healthcare law and Ethics, University of Dundee | |||
Professor Liz Fisher, Professor of Environmental Law, Faculty of Law, University of Oxford | |||
Professor John Fitzpatrick, Professor Emeritus of Law, University of Kent | |||
Dr Tatiana Flessas, Associate Professor of Law, LSE Law | |||
Dr Michael Foran, Lecturer in Public Law, University of Strathclyde | |||
Dr Iain Frame, Lecturer in Law, Kent Law School, University of Kent | |||
Professor David Fraser, Professor of Law and Social Theory, University of Nottingham | |||
Professor Rosa Freedman, Professor of Law, Conflict and Global Development, University of Reading | |||
Dr Sandra Frisby, Associate Professor and Reader in Company and Commercial Law, University of Nottingham | |||
Almut Gadow, Associate Lecturer, School of Law, Open University | |||
Professor Dev Saif Gangjee, Professor of Intellectual Property Law, University of Oxford | |||
Dr Jodi Gardner, University Lecturer, Faculty of Law, University of Cambridge | |||
Professor Conor Gearty FBA, Professor of Human Rights Law, LSE Law School | |||
Professor Martin George, Professor of Land Law, City, University of London | |||
Dr Giulia Gentile, Fellow in Law, LSE Law School | |||
Dr Nicholas Gervassis, Assistant Professor in Law, University of Nottingham | |||
Dr Chris Gill, Senior Lecturer in Public Law, University of Glasgow | |||
Dr Imogen Goold, Associate Professor of Law, University of Oxford | |||
Professor Stephen Greer, Professor of Human Rights, University of Bristol | |||
Professor Nick Grief, Emeritus Professor of Law, University of Kent | |||
Dr Julius Grower, Yates Glazebook Fellow in Law, Jesus College, University of Cambridge | |||
Professor Stephen Guest, Professor of Legal Philosophy, Faculty of Laws, UCL | |||
Professor Roger Halson, Professor of Contract and Commercial Law, University of Leeds | |||
Ashley Hannay, Lecturer in Property Law, University of Manchester | |||
Professor Carol Harlow, Emeritus Professor of Law, LSE Law School | |||
Professor James Harrison, School of Law, University of Warwick | |||
Dr Barbara Havelková, Associate Professor of Law, University of Oxford | |||
Kristin Heimark, Associate Lecturer, Public & Criminal law, Open University | |||
Professor Eric Heinze, Professor of Law and Humanities, Queen Mary University of London | |||
Professor Veerle Heyvaert, LSE Law School | |||
Dr Hayley J Hooper, Associate Professor of Law, University of Oxford | |||
Alexander Horne, Visiting Professor of Law, University of Durham | |||
Professor Bill Howarth, Emeritus Professor of Environmental Law, University of Kent | |||
Dr Adrian Hunt, Senior Lecturer in Law, Birmingham Law School | |||
Dr Martin Husovec, Assistant Professor, LSE Law School | |||
Professor David Ibbetson, Regius Professor of Civil Law, University of Cambridge | |||
Dr Brian Christopher Jones, Lecturer in Law, University of Sheffield | |||
Professor Anthony Julius, Chair of Law and the Arts, Faculty of Laws, UCL | |||
Professor Felicity Kaganas, Professor of Law, Brunel University London | |||
Dr Argyro Karanasiou, Associate Professor of Law, Univerity of Greenwich | |||
Perry Keller, Reader in Media and Information Law, King’s College London | |||
Dr Vicky Kemp, Principal Research Fellow, School of Law, University of Nottingham | |||
Professor Jeff Kenner, Chair of European Law, University of Nottingham | |||
Professor David Kershaw, LSE Law School | |||
Professor Tarunabh Khaitan, Professor of Public Law and Legal Theory, University of Oxford | |||
Professor Celia Kitzinger, Honorary Professor, School of Law and Politics, Cardiff University | |||
Dr Kyriakos N Kotsoglou, Senior Lecturer in Law, Northumbria University | |||
Peter Kunzlík, Emeritus Professor of Law, University of East Anglia | |||
Dr Ming-Sung Kuo, Associate Professor of Law, University of Warwick | |||
Professor Nicola Lacey, LSE Law School | |||
Per Laleng, Senior Lecturer in Law, University of Kent | |||
Sian Lewis-Anthony, Senior Lecturer in Law, University of Kent | |||
Dr Jaime Lindsey, Lecturer in Law, University of Essex | |||
Professor Michael Lobban, Professor of Legal History, LSE Law School | |||
Professor Eva Lomnicka, Dickson Poon School of Law, King’s College London | |||
Professor Martin Loughlin, Professor of Public Law, LSE Law School | |||
Professor Joan Loughrey, School of Law, University of Leeds | |||
Dr John MacLeod, Senior Lecturer in Private Law, University of Edinburgh Law School | |||
Dr Paul MacMahon, Assistant Professor, LSE Law School | |||
Professor Wade Mansell, Emeritus Professor of Law, University of Kent | |||
Mr Nicholas J McBride, College Lecturer in Law, Pembroke College, Cambridge | |||
Aileen McColgan QC, Visting Professor, School of Law, University of Leeds | |||
Dr Christopher McCorkindale, Senior Lecturer in Law, University of Strathclyde | |||
Professor Kieran McEvoy, Professor of Law and Transitional Justice, Queen’s University Belfast | |||
Dr Alan Mckenna, Lecturer, Kent Law School, University of Kent | |||
Professor Ronan McCrea, Professor of Constitutional and European Law, Faculty of Laws, UCL | |||
Dr David McGrogan, Associate Professor of Law, Northumbria Law School | |||
Professor Aileen McHarg, Professor of Public Law and Human Rights, Durham Law School | |||
Professor Gráinne McKeever, Professor of Law and Social Justice, Ulster University | |||
Professor David Mead, Professor of UK Human Rights Law, UEA Law School | |||
James Mendelsohn, Senior Lecturer in Law, UWE Bristol | |||
Dr Mario Mendez, Reader in Law, Queen Mary University of London | |||
Robert Merkin QC, Professor of Law, Universities of Exeter and Reading | |||
Dr Lucinda Miller, Associate Professor, Faculty of Laws, UCL | |||
Dr Emma Milne, Assistant Professor in Criminal Law and Criminal Justice, Durham Law School | |||
Maeve Malone, Lecturer and Researcher in Intellectual Property Law and Healthcare Law and Ethics, University of Dundee | |||
Professor Niamh Moloney, LSE Law School | |||
Laura Menachemson, Criminal Law teacher, LSE Law School | |||
Dr William Merrin, Lecturer in Media Law, Swansea University | |||
Professor Marko Milanovic, Professor of Public International Law, University of Nottingham | |||
Professor Alex Mills, Professor of Public and Private International Law, Faculty of Laws, UCL | |||
Professor Mike Molan, Emeritus Professor of Legal Education, London South Bank University | |||
Professor Kai Möller, LSE Law School | |||
Professor Richard Moorhead, Professor of Law and Professional Ethics, University of Exeter | |||
Rebecca Moosavian, Associate Professor, School of Law, University of Leeds | |||
Dr Kirsty Moreton, Lecturer in Law and Ethics, Keele Law School, University of Keele | |||
Dr Jonathan Morgan, Reader in English Law, University of Cambridge | |||
Dr Caroline Morris, Reader in Public Law, Queen Mary University of London | |||
Lisa Mountford, Lecturer, Law Department, Keele University | |||
Dr Jo Murkens, Associate Professor, LSE Law School | |||
Professor Andrew Murray, LSE Law School | |||
Dr Aruna Nair, Associate Professor of Law, University of Oxford | |||
Dr Annika Newnham, Associate Professor of Law, University of Reading | |||
Danny Nicol, Retired Professor of Public Law, University of Westminster | |||
Professor Donald Nicolson OBE, Department of Law, University of Essex | |||
Professor Alan Norrie FBA, Warwick Law School | |||
Dr Kyriaki Noussia, Associate Professor in Commercial Law, University of Reading | |||
Professor Colm O’Cinneide, Faculty of Laws, UCL | |||
Maureen O’Hara, Senior Lecturer in Law, University of Coventry | |||
Professor Catherine O’Regan, Professor of Human Rights Law and Director, Bonavero Institute of Human Rights, University of Oxford | |||
Dr Janet O’Sullivan, Associate Professor, University of Cambridge | |||
Professor Phoebe Okowa, Professor of Public International Law, Queen Mary, University of London | |||
Dr Philipp Paech, Associate Professor of Financial Law and Regulation, LSE Law School | |||
Professor Dennis Patterson, Professor of Legal Philosophy, University of Surrey | |||
Dr Mathilde Pavis, Senior Lecturer in Law, University of Exeter | |||
Dr Alasdair Peterson, Lecturer in Private Law, University of Glasgow, School of Law | |||
Dr Dionysios Pelekis, Teaching Associate in Law, University of Nottingham | |||
Professor Richard Percival, Professor of Criminal Law and Practice, University of Sheffield | |||
Professor Gavin Phillipson, University of Bristol Law School | |||
Professor Eva Pils, Dickson Poon School of Law, King’s College London | |||
Professor Aurora Plomer, Professor of Intellectual Property & Human Rights, University of Bristol Law School | |||
Professor Thomas Poole, LSE Law School | |||
Professor Julie Price, Head of Pro Bono and Clinical Legal Education, Cardiff University School of Law and Politics | |||
Tony Pullen, Lecturer in Law, University of Kent | |||
Dr Stephanie Pywell, Senior Lecturer in Law, The Open University | |||
Dr Hannah Quirk, Reader in Criminal Law, Dickson Poon School of Law, King’s College London | |||
William Ralston, Senior Lecturer in Law, Northumbria Law School | |||
Professor Peter Ramsay, LSE Law School | |||
Professor Richard Rawlings, Professor of Public Law, UCL | |||
Katherine Reece Thomas, Associate Professor of Law, City, University of London | |||
Dr Adam Reilly, Lecturer in Private Law, University of Glasgow | |||
Professor Christine Riefa, Department of Law, University of Reading | |||
Professor Paul Roberts, Professor of Criminal Jurisprudence, University of Nottingham | |||
Professor Pippa Rogerson, Master, Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge | |||
Dr Ian Roxan, Associate Professor of Law, LSE Law School | |||
Professor Bernard Ryan, School of Law, University of Leicester | |||
Dr Nicholas Sage, Assistant Professor, LSE Law School | |||
Professor Irit Samet, Dickson Poon School of Law, King’s College London | |||
Professor Geoffrey Samuel, Professor Emeritus, University of Kent Law School | |||
Dr Candida Saunders, Assistant Professor of Law, University of Nottingham | |||
Edmund Schuster, Associate Professor of Corporate Law, LSE Law School | |||
Professor Eloise Scotford, Professor of Environmental Law, University College London | |||
Dr Andrew Scott, Associate Professor, LSE Law School | |||
Professor Helen Scott, Professor of Private Law, Faculty of Law, University of Oxford | |||
Sangeeta Shah, Associate Professor in Law, University of Nottingham | |||
Dr Liron Shmilovits, Fellow, College Teaching Officer in Law, Wolfson College, University of Cambridge | |||
Dr Adam Snow, Senior Lecturer in Law, Liverpool John Moores University | |||
Professor Andrew Steven, Professor of Property Law, University of Edinburgh Law School | |||
Dr Umberto Igor Stramignoni, Post Major Review Assistant Professor, LSE Law School | |||
Professor John Strawson, Department of Law, University of East London | |||
Professor Lorraine Talbot, Chair of Company Law in Context, Birmingham Law School, University of Birmingham | |||
Rachel Taylor, Associate Professor of Law, University of Oxford | |||
Professor Andrew Tettenborn, Professor of Commercial Law, University of Swansea | |||
Professor Gareth Thomas, Professor Emeritus of Employment and Discrimination Law, University of East Anglia | |||
Dr Sean Thomas, Reader, The York Law School, University of York | |||
Dr Matt Thomason, Assistant Professor in Law, University of Nottingham | |||
Professor Adam Tomkins, John Millar Professor of Public Law, University of Glasgow | |||
Professor Kimberley Trapp, Professor of Public International Law, Faculty of Laws, UCL | |||
Dr Ilias Trispiotis, Associate Professor in Human Rights Law, University of Leeds | |||
Dr Sarah Trotter, Assistant Professor, LSE Law School | |||
Professor Alexander Türk, Dickson Poon School of Law, King’s College London | |||
Professor Guglielmo Verdirame QC, Professor of International Law, King’s College London | |||
Dr Sophie Vigneron, Kent Law School | |||
Professor Emmanuel Voyiakis, LSE Law School | |||
Professor Steve Uglow, Emeritus, University of Kent | |||
Dr Marianne Wade, Reader in Criminal Justice, Birmingham Law School | |||
Dr Amanda Wilson, Research Fellow, Warwick Law School | |||
Dr Derek Whayman, Lecturer in Law, University of Newcastle | |||
Professor William Wilson, Emeritus Professor of Criminal Law, Queen Mary University of London | |||
Professor Robert Wintemute, Professor of Human Rights Law, King’s College London | |||
Scott Wortley, Lecturer in Commercial Law, University of Edinburgh | |||
Dr Ben Yong, Associate Professor of Public Law and Human Rights, Durham Law School, University of Durham | |||
Sheona York, Clinic solicitor and Reader in Law, University of Kent Law School | |||
Paul Yowell, Associate Professor of Law, University of Oxford | |||
Professor Michael Zander QC (Hon), Professor Emeritus, LSE Law School |
[To add your name to the list above, please email lawopenlettertosussexuni@gmail.com with your name and affiliation. All academic staff, including emeritus and retired, and graduate students in UK Law Departments are welcome to sign.]
Please pass on the letter to academic lawyers you think would like to sign.