Essex’s apology comes at an important political moment, with the Westminster government having confirmed plans to introduce legislation on campus free speech in England. On Dec. 5, 2019, Essex’s Center for Criminology canceled a seminar at which Jo Phoenix, chair in criminology at the Open University, had been due to speak on the subject of “Trans rights, imprisonment and the criminal justice system,” according to the review, by barrister Akua Reindorf. “On the day of the seminar, complaints were made that Professor Phoenix was a ‘transphobe’ who was likely to engage in ‘hate speech,’” the review says. “There were reports that people felt unsafe and threatened by the prospect of her appearing on campus.”