A Federal Court judge has ruled James Cook University acted unlawfully when it sacked physics professor Peter Ridd after he publicly criticised the institution and one of its star scientists over claims about the global warming impact on the Great Barrier Reef …
Judge Vasta found that a clause in the university’s enterprise agreement, which upholds academic freedom, justified Professor Ridd’s conduct. “This trial was purely and simply about the proper construction of a clause in an enterprise agreement,” he said.
Australian
Judge Vasta also said the university had misunderstood “the whole concept of intellectual freedom”.
“In the search for truth, it is an unfortunate consequence that some people may feel denigrated, offended, hurt or upset,” he said.
A penalty hearing will be set for a later date.
The university tried to keep the disciplinary process itself under wraps.
On 24 August 2017, he was told that he could not mention anything to
Ridd vs James court document
do with the disciplinary process to anyone who was not a support person.
When he queried whether he could talk to his wife about the matter, he
was told in an email on 27 August 2017, that he could not.
Meanwhile the climate change activists shut down Central London.
A total of 290 climate change activists have been arrested for blocking roads in central London, amid protests aimed at shutting down the capital.
BBC
A second day of disruption is under way after Extinction Rebellion campaigners camped overnight at Waterloo Bridge, Parliament Square and Oxford Circus.
Police said 500,000 people had been affected by the diversion of 55 bus routes in London.
The Met said 290 people had been arrested by 21:30 BST on Tuesday.
Three men and two women, in their 40s and 50s, arrested on suspicion of criminal damage at Shell’s headquarters on Monday, have since been released under investigation.