One week before facing a judicial review of the decision of the Education Secretary to revoke regulations bringing the legislation into force, the Government announced that it would commence the majority of its provisions with the expectation that they will be in force before the start of the next academic year.
The claim is brought by the Free Speech Union, which argues that the initial decision was made for an improper purpose and in breach of the public sector equality duty. Permission and expedition was granted last year.
Tom Cross and Zoe Gannon act for the FSU, instructed by George McLellan of Sharpe Pritchard. The announcement followed service of the FSU’s skeleton argument in advance of a hearing scheduled to take place on 23 January.
At a hearing on 17 January, Mr Justice Chamberlain agreed that, in light of the announcement, the Government should be required to explain its position to the Court in advance of the next academic year, by 1 July. The case remains live and in the meantime, existing protections remain in place.
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