Dear Supporter,
I would like to express my sincere thanks for your support towards Nathan Cofnas’s fight for academic freedom. Thanks to your generosity Nathan is nearly ready to take his claim to trial. With a little more help, we will be able to fund the best representation available.
Our confidence in Nathan’s case is confirmed by the decision of the University of Cambridge to take no disciplinary action against him. As reported in the Times of London, Cambridge has acknowledged its obligation to ‘secure and promote freedom of speech and provide an environment for open and sometimes robust debate’. Its statement can be read online here.
Emmanuel College, however, continues to defend its decision to dismiss Nathan, leaving him no choice but to ask the court to uphold his right to academic freedom. In light of the University’s decision to uphold Nathan’s academic freedom, we think Emmanuel’s position is untenable.
The trial will take place on a date to be confirmed between November this year and January next year. We remain convinced that victory in Nathan’s claim will be a watershed moment for academic freedom in the United Kingdom. If we can establish the freedom to research this intensely controversial area, then we will have succeeded in setting a very high bar for any attempt to censor academics.
Nathan has worked tremendously hard to secure further funding, and has received a match-funding offer of £30,000. We are asking for your generous further help to unlock this offer – if we can match it, then every pound you give up to that amount will be matched by the donor. This will enable Nathan to retain the services of Tom Cross KC, a leading advocate in freedom of speech and conscience cases.
If you are able to, please help Nathan get across the line and win this case.
Yours sincerely,
Lord Young of Acton
Director, The Free Speech Union