Academic Freedom and the Law A Comparative Study

Barendt … offers many valuable analyses of practical disputes concerning management and governance in universities around the world…his arguments are fair and robustly defended … this is a first-rate publication.
Nicholas Bamforth
Times Higher Education
June 2011




Despite frequent affirmations of its importance, academic freedom has seldom been the subject of scholarly analysis. This slim volume goes some way in filling that gap.
The Commonwealth Lawyer
Volume 20, No.1



Eric Barendt … has produced an authoritative and interesting work on a neglected matter of profound significance and occasional newsworthy topicality. He provides a scholarly but readable 'critical analysis of the law relating to academic freedom'

The coverage is bang up-to-date [and] he approaches what can be an emotive issue … in a calm and common-sense way

Barendt should be commended for shining a bright light into a murky but important area of law.
David Palfreyman
Oxford Magazine
No 312, Second Week, Trinity Term, 2011



Academic Freedom and the Law ... deals with comparative legal protections of academic freedom in an accessible and engaging manner that will be of interest to academics both inside and outside law faculties.

Barendt's discussion of these different contexts is sophisticated and informative and will surely invite awareness of different issues than any one academic will have been exposed to in his or her own disciplinary context.

Those contemplating proposed legal protections of academic freedom or negotiating collective agreements having articles on academic freedom would do well to consider seriously Barendt's discussion of different implications of different versions or forms of protection.
Dwight Newman
Canadian Assocation of University Teachers Bulletin
April 2011