Remember That Sometimes We Win

JVL Introduction

Emeritus Professor James Dickins has finally, after two years, had his full academic rights restored by Leeds Univerity. These were suspended as a result of  reaction to ” …a message Professor Dickins sent in February 2024 on the WhatsApp chat of the Palestine Solidarity Group, a Leeds University Union Society. A screenshot of this was leaked to the Daily Telegraph and then picked up by Jewish News. The Jewish News article carried the defamatory implication that James was responsible for antisemitic hate crimes. An anonymous complaint then led the University to set up an internal investigation which recommended the removal of James’ emeritus status.”

He received tremendous support but the University persisted in their decision to exclude him but through that support and his determination, Professor Dickins won his case for discrimination at an Employment Tribunal. Leeds is the University that has been heavily criticised for welcoming back as Jewish chaplain someone who fought in Gaza with the Israeli military forces.

The statement and article from BRICUP (which Emeritus Professor Dickins chairs) provides more detail and potentially useful lessons for future attacks on free speech.

This article was originally published by BRICUP (British Committee for the Universities of Palestine) on Sat 6 Jun 2026. Read the original here.