The government is expected to reintroduce a piece of legislation aimed at protecting free speech on university campuses.
The Higher Education Freedom of Speech Act, which could have seen universities fined for failing to uphold freedom of speech, was passed under the previous, Conservative government in 2023.
But its implementation was stopped shortly after Labour’s election win last summer over concerns the law was potentially damaging to student welfare.
A government source has said the legislation is now being revived to make it workable.
The act said universities had a duty to “secure” and “promote the importance” of freedom of speech and academic expression.
It included controversial new powers in which the regulator, the Office for Students (OfS), would have been able to fine or sanction higher education providers and student unions in England.
A new complaints scheme for students, staff and visiting speakers was also included. They could seek compensation if they suffered from a breach of a university’s free-speech obligations.