The long-running dispute between James Cook University and scientist Peter Ridd is in the Federal Court and while the National Tertiary Education Union is not assisting the professor, Queensland state secretary Michael McNally has warned members that there are implications in the case for staff at JCU.

Mr McNally wrote to union members at JCU about the Ridd case in March, but implications of it are reaching way beyond the university. Mr McNally does not comment on Professor Ridd’s views on the quality of scientific research into the Great Barrier Reef, “the subject of science is best left to scientists” he says. But, he adds, “it is not for university management to determine that such scholarly debate either denigrates or offends others.

And he flat-out rejects the claim that any academic who the university charges with misconduct must stay silent about process. “Any staff member has a right to publicly express opinions, critical or otherwise, about that institution in which they work, or parts thereof, provided that those opinions are expressed in a considered and reasonable way.”

JCU specifics aside, academics commenting on their research-areas in ways management may not like is a live issue. The NTEU claims the University of Melbourne wants to weaken freedom to comment protections in the next enterprise agreement.