Update - Dr. Peter Ridd High Court Appeal

UPDATE – Dr Ridd’s High Court Appeal

The High Court has agreed to hear argument in February 2021 about why Dr Peter Ridd should be given leave to appeal the decision of the Federal Court that upheld James Cook University’s decision to dismiss him.  

This hearing is a positive step in legal proceedings. Had the High Court decided not to hear arguments about whether to allow the appeal, Dr Ridd’s case would have come to a premature end. 

ESU has contributed financially to this appeal to uphold freedom of expression and academic freedom of inquiry.
 
In a related development, the Commonwealth education minister Dan Tehan has now tabled a Bill requiring Australia's universities to ensure that students are able to exercise freedom of speech in class and that university staff are able to engage in academic inquiry without the risk of employment pressure or dismissal as occurred with Dr Ridd. The Bill has yet to pass the Senate.

Previous article on ESU's Letter ot Support can be found at https://esuvic.org.au/content/letter-support-dr-peter-ridd