The University of Cambridge has been granted a High Court order to prevent protests on parts of its campus for four months, until 26 July. This is to prevent disruption at end-of-year exams in May and June, as well as the twelve graduation ceremonies taking place during the rest of the academic year.

A judgement on this High Court hearing was given yesterday (21/03) by Mr Justice Soole, who said that there was a “strong probability” that protesters are planning for further disruption across Cambridge in the near future.

He said he was “satisfied that there is a compelling need for the granting of an injunction,” and that the injunction provides “a fair balance between the rights of all parties”.

In documents submitted to the Court last week, the University stated that protesters had prevented the use of its own land “without any lawful right to do so,” adding that “they are doing so not just at great cost and disruption to the University, its staff, graduating students and their guests, but also at risk to themselves”.

The European Legal Support Centre (ELSC) and advocacy group Liberty opposed the University’s case. In a press release on Wednesday (19/03), the ELSC argued that the injunction is “an unlawful restriction on freedom of expression and assembly under Articles 10 and 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).”

Representing the University at the High Court hearing on Wednesday (19/03), Myriam Stacey KC said the risk of further action on campus was “real and imminent”.

She also said the University sought to prevent the activity, “not the viewpoint,” adding that it took “an entirely neutral approach” aiming to “balance the rights of all students and parties”.

Ruth Ehrlich, Head of Policy and Campaigns at Liberty, said the judgement “sets a dangerous precedent which will severely restrict protest rights on campus”.

A spokesperson for Cambridge for Palestine said it “condemns” the decision, arguing that it is “a violent move to criminalise and police our movement”.

Cambridge may return to the High Court to apply for more injunctions later on.

This is the latest development in a series of court battles initiated by the university to prevent such protests from occurring.

Last month, a High Court judge rejected the University’s request for a five-year injunction against pro-Palestine campaigners across key University sites, including Greenwich House, Senate House, and the Old Schools site.

This came after University lawyers argued that pro-Palestine protests had previously disrupted several graduation ceremonies. Last year, graduations taking place in November were moved from Senate House to Great St Mary’s Church “to minimise the risk of disruption”.

The judge did allow for a two-day injunction covering a graduation ceremony on 1 March. Despite this, more than 80 people rallied outside Senate House on 1 March to protest against the University’s ties to arm companies involved in the war in Gaza.

A spokesperson for the University of Cambridge said: “We took this action to protect the right of students to graduate and to prevent access to buildings that contain sensitive, confidential information. This was never about preventing lawful protest.”

“The injunction safeguards a very small part of the University estate from an occupation that would prevent graduations from going ahead. It also protects the right for our staff to work,” they continued.

They added: “Protests occur regularly at the University, including a rally held immediately outside Great St Mary’s church during the last graduation ceremony while an injunction covering the Senate House, a few yards away, was in place.”