Brian Martin's letter to Mary O'Kane, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Adelaide, about the Dudley Pinnock file

To: Mary O'Kane, mok@vc.adelaide.edu.au
Cc: David Rome; Gerard Sutton
From: Brian Martin
Date: Tue, 26 Aug 1997 12:58 PM
Subject: Dudley Pinnock file
Enclosure: Pinnock.html

26 August 1997

Professor Mary O'Kane
Vice-Chancellor
University of Adelaide

Dear Professor O'Kane,

I understand that the University of Adelaide has threatened the University of Wollongong with an action for defamation over a file on my web site concerning Dudley Pinnock.

Please send me details of which particular statements and imputations in the file you consider to be false, misleading and defamatory. For your convenience, a copy of the file is enclosed.

If you or anyone else from the University of Adelaide would like to reply to claims in the file, I would be pleased to post your comments on my site.

The purpose of my site on suppression of dissent (http://www.uow.edu.au/arts/sts/bmartin/dissent/) is to foster examination of dissent and attacks on it, and to promote openness and dialogue as an alternative to suppression. A special concern of mine is the use of defamation law to suppress free speech (see http://www.uow.edu.au/arts/sts/bmartin/dissent/documents/defamation.html). It seems to me that universities which defend the right to free inquiry should be promoting open discussion of the most challenging and controversial matters. Hence I am disappointed with the University of Adelaide's initial response to the availability of material about the Pinnock case, which appears to serve more to shut down discussion of the issues than to address specific points of concern.

Yours,
Brian Martin
Science and Technology Studies
University of Wollongong, NSW 2522
phone: 02-4228 7860 (home), 02-4221 3763 (work)
fax: 02-4221 3452
email: brian_martin@uow.edu.au
web: http://www.uow.edu.au/arts/sts/bmartin/