Queen's University: 'Ongoing police engagement' over staff safety

Prof Colin Harvey teaches human rights law at Queen's University in Belfast

Queen's University Belfast has said the PSNI has "ongoing engagement" with university security to "ensure the safety and welfare" of staff.

The university made the comments in response to a statement from solicitors in respect of Prof Colin Harvey.

KRW Law said Prof Harvey had faced "a sustained campaign of intimidation and harassment over several years".

QUB said a member of the university management had "ongoing contact" with Prof Harvey.

He is a professor of human rights law in the School of Law at Queen's University Belfast (QUB) and is a board member of the Ireland's Future organisation.

It has held a number of events to discuss planning for a united Ireland, most recently in the 3Arena in Dublin.

Prof Harvey also recently co-authored a report called Making a Case for Irish Unity in the EU.

It was commissioned by The Left in the European Parliament group, which includes MEPs from a number of countries including Ireland.

The report also had the QUB logo on the cover.

In a post on social media, DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson said that use of the university logo on the report was "very worrying" and he would raise it in a meeting with the QUB vice-chancellor Prof Ian Greer.

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But in a statement in respect of Prof Harvey, KRW Law said that approval for the use of the university logo on the report "was explicitly sought in advance and was definitively authorised, by the appropriate authority in QUB".

"We are surprised and disappointed that this explicit authority has not been publicly acknowledged in recent discourse surrounding the report," the KRW Law statement continued.

"We urge the university to defend its academic staff and further we underline that legitimate inquiry, scholarship and the ability of staff to conduct research, teach, speak, and publish without interference or penalty must be protected and maintained.

"We deplore attacks on academics as being inconsistent with the principle of academic freedom and appeal to the university to reaffirm its commitment to all staff and their right to question, test and to put forward ideas without fear of placing themselves in jeopardy."

KRW Law also said academics from QUB had come under attack because of research they had been doing.

"In particular, and following a sustained campaign of intimidation and harassment over several years, we expect the university to issue a definitive public statement in support of Professor Colin Harvey and thus acknowledge his significant contribution to research, education and administration over decades," it concluded.

QUB says it "fully supports" the expression of academic freedom of its staff

In a statement in response, QUB confirmed Prof Harvey had gone through the official channels for the logo.

A spokesperson said the university "strongly supports freedom of thought and expression within a framework of respect for the rights of other persons".

"Academic freedom is enshrined as a guiding principle in the university's charter and statute," they said.

"The university fully supports the right of its academics to publish work and express academic opinion within this framework.

"Earlier in the year, the university management made contact with the PSNI, who now have ongoing engagement with the university security team to ensure the safety and welfare of all our staff, and a member of the university management team has ongoing contact with Professor Harvey."

In March, a number of United Nations human rights experts condemned what they called a "smear campaign" against Prof Harvey.

Four UN special rapporteurs said he had been subject to a "vicious online campaign".

On Monday, PSNI Ch Supt Darrin Jones said police had been aware of multiple social media posts towards an individual and its enquiries were ongoing.

"We continue to work closely with Queen's University to ensure the safety and welfare of all staff and students," he added.