Now the dust has settled from another amazing Fresher’s Fair, we hope that many of you have found a student society (or three!) to join. However, we know that there will be students who have an interest or passion that wasn’t represented at the Fair and might be keen to start your own society. Just because a society doesn’t exist already, doesn’t mean it isn’t welcome at Cambridge SU.
To support this, Cambridge SU is committed to supporting free speech for all our members and we use the University’s Code of Practice on Free Speech to guide all our work.
This commitment is reflected by our support for student societies, political expression and the right to peaceful protest. We recognise that a university should be a place where ideas can be questioned, authority can be challenged and students can participate in meaningful debate.
Supporting Diverse Views and Student Societies
For clarity, we do not prevent students from establishing societies simply because the political opinions or objectives of a student group may not directly align with the SUs campaigning objectives or strategic commitments. Instead, we support groups representing different perspectives, including political organisations, recognising that students should have opportunities to explore and express a wide range of beliefs.
This approach is particularly important in a diverse university community. Protecting freedom of expression means allowing room for disagreement, including when particular opinions are unpopular or personally challenging. However, we also acknowledge that intervention and support may be necessary where there is evidence of harm, distinguishing between causing legally or objectively demonstrable harm and expressing views that others find offensive. We do this by having clear complaints policies and our Student Member Code of Conduct (By Law 18).
Defending Protest and Political Expression
We have a proud history of our commitment to students’ rights to freedom of expression through our defence of student protest. In July 2025, we publicly opposed the University of Cambridge’s legal action seeking injunctions against student protesters campaigning for divestment from companies implicated in the conflict in Gaza. We argued that peaceful protest is an essential civil liberty and that students must be able to question institutional decisions without facing disproportionate restrictions.
Freedom of speech, in this context, extends beyond discussion in lecture halls: it includes political campaigning, demonstrations and the expression of dissent on issues of public concern.
Balancing Freedom with Responsibility
Of course, our commitment to free speech exists alongside our responsibility to represent and support our diverse student population. We recognise that students must be able to express your views while other members of our community deserve protection from discrimination and unlawful harassment. These responsibilities can create difficult tensions, particularly when debates concern identity, religion or international conflicts.
The challenge is to uphold freedom of expression without treating inclusion and free speech as mutually exclusive. A commitment to open debate requires both the protection of lawful expression and an environment in which students can participate without being subjected to unlawful conduct. This takes constant work, conversation and the ability for everyone to reflect meaningfully on our decisions, actions and beliefs. We hope and strive to create an environment where students feel supported to do this.
Accountability and the Future of Free Speech
As a Students’ Union, we are ultimately accountable to you, our members. You can engage in holding us to account in a whole range of ways, in addition to our Complaints Process. You can vote in our elections; submit policy via Student Council and ask questions of our elected Sabbatical Officers directly or at Student Council.
Maintaining this commitment requires consistent principles, transparent decision-making and a willingness to defend expression even when it is controversial. By protecting students' ability to question, debate and challenge, Cambridge SU can help sustain a university culture in which intellectual freedom and meaningful participation remain central to the student experience.