http://www.teachingterrorism.net/2009/08/06/is-vetting-at-nottingham-in-defence-of-academic-freedom/ Exploring how 'terrorism' and political violence are taught Sat, 06 Feb 2010 14:04:18 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 http://www.teachingterrorism.net/2009/08/06/is-vetting-at-nottingham-in-defence-of-academic-freedom/comment-page-1/#comment-290 Policing Academic Freedom « An und für sich Mon, 24 Aug 2009 13:49:36 +0000 http://www.teachingterrorism.net/?p=99#comment-290 [...] only to members of staff. Rod Thornton replies to this defense of the new policy in detail in a remarkably clear sighted article that is worth reading in its entirety, particularly for his account of his experience of the [...] [...] only to members of staff. Rod Thornton replies to this defense of the new policy in detail in a remarkably clear sighted article that is worth reading in its entirety, particularly for his account of his experience of the [...]

]]> http://www.teachingterrorism.net/2009/08/06/is-vetting-at-nottingham-in-defence-of-academic-freedom/comment-page-1/#comment-271 critic Sat, 22 Aug 2009 09:37:49 +0000 http://www.teachingterrorism.net/?p=99#comment-271 Actually, there are surely cases where it would also be necessary to stand up to national laws and refuse to implement or comply - otherwise academics would have to for instance, hand over dissidents in countries like Iran, or Jews in Nazi Germany, etc. It's quite conceivable that the government will eventually make vetting a legal responsibility and it would not become any more acceptable as a result. It is absurd to view the law as an outer limit to human rights. Rather, human rights are necessarily an outer limit to the law - the moment it overreaches, it loses any legitimate claim to obedience. Actually, there are surely cases where it would also be necessary to stand up to national laws and refuse to implement or comply – otherwise academics would have to for instance, hand over dissidents in countries like Iran, or Jews in Nazi Germany, etc. It’s quite conceivable that the government will eventually make vetting a legal responsibility and it would not become any more acceptable as a result. It is absurd to view the law as an outer limit to human rights. Rather, human rights are necessarily an outer limit to the law – the moment it overreaches, it loses any legitimate claim to obedience.

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