United Nations
Convention against Torture
and Other Cruel, Inhuman
or Degrading Treatment
or Punishment
CAT/C/GBR/CO/6
Distr.: General
7 June 2019
Original: English
Committee against Torture
Concluding observations on the sixth periodic report of the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland*
1.
The Committee against Torture considered the sixth periodic report of the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (CAT/C/GBR/6 and Corr.1) at its 1740th
and 1743rd meetings (see CAT/C/SR.1740 and 1743), held on 7 and 8 May 2019, and
adopted the present concluding observations at its 1754th meeting, held on 16 May 2019.
A.
Introduction
2.
The Committee expresses its appreciation to the State party for accepting the
simplified reporting procedure, as this allows for a more focused dialogue between the
State party and the Committee.
3.
The Committee appreciates having had the opportunity to engage in a constructive
dialogue with the State party’s delegation, and the responses provided to the questions and
concerns raised during the consideration of the report.
B.
Positive aspects
4.
The Committee welcomes the State party’s initiatives to revise its legislation in
areas of relevance to the Convention, including:
(a)
The criminalization of forced marriage in England and Wales under the Antisocial Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014;
(b)
The enactment of the Serious Crime Act 2015 in England and Wales, which,
inter alia, makes controlling or coercive behaviour in intimate or familial relationships a
new offence and enables the courts to issue protection orders to safeguard potential or
actual victims of female genital mutilation; and the enactment of the Violence against
Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence (Wales) Act 2015, the Justice Act (Northern
Ireland) 2015, which introduces domestic violence protection notices and orders, and the
Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018;
(c)
The enactment of the Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Scotland) Act
2015 and the publication in 2017 of the Trafficking and Exploitation Strategy for Scotland;
and the adoption of the Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Criminal Justice and Support
for Victims) Act (Northern Ireland) 2015;
(d)
The introduction of the Limitation (Childhood Abuse) (Scotland) Act 2017.
* Adopted by the Committee at its sixty-sixth session (23 April–17 May 2019).
GE.19-09236(E)