University of Sussex welcomes High Court judgment that Office for Students should pay costs after £585,000 fine quashed

In April 2026, the university said it had won ‘a resounding victory’ in the High Court against the OfS by successfully overturning an ‘unprecedented’ £585,000 fine imposed on the university.

The university had been fined the £585k in March 2025 after an investigation found it had failed to uphold freedom of speech.

The OfS, the independent regulator of higher education in England, had launched an investigation following protests that had called for the dismissal of Professor Kathleen Stock in October 2021.

Now, six months after this fine was overturned, the Court has rejected the OfS’s request for a ten per cent reduction in the costs payable to the University of Sussex.

Professor Sasha Roseneil, Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Sussex, said: “This High Court decision that the Office for Students must pay the University’s legal costs brings a further measure of resolution to a deeply regrettable and unnecessary episode. The OfS's original decision, which was resoundingly quashed by the High Court in April, has consumed an extraordinary amount of time and resource, both for the University and the regulator. More importantly, it has caused lasting and unjustified damage to the University's reputation.”

In April, Sussex World reported that the High Court had ruled in favour of the university and found that the OfS had made errors, which included acting beyond its powers, misinterpreting the law on freedom of speech and failing to properly consider key university policies.

The OfS confirmed in May that it would not seek to appeal the judicial review, saying it found in favour of the University ‘on several grounds’.

Professor Rosenei continued: “Sussex has always taken our responsibilities to uphold freedom of speech and academic freedom extremely seriously. It is regrettable that we were compelled to pursue legal proceedings to challenge the regulator’s decision, diverting attention and resources from our core mission of education and research. Whilst we welcome the Court's decision on costs, this is not an occasion for celebration.”

She said the University’s hope is that the OfS ‘continues to reflect carefully on the many lessons of this case’.

She added: “Universities need fair, proportionate and effective regulation, and I look forward to working constructively with the new leadership as they seek to change the culture and practices of the OfS.”

Philosophy professor Kathleen Stock resigned from her post at the university in 2021 following protests about her views on gender identity and biological sex.