CAT/OP/GBR/ROSP/1
I. Introduction
1.
In accordance with its mandate under the Optional Protocol to the Convention against
Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, the Subcommittee
on Prevention of Torture carried out its first visit to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Northern Ireland from 9 to 18 September 2019.
2.
The United Kingdom became a party to the Convention against Torture on 8
December 1988 and became a party to the Optional Protocol on 10 December 2003. In 2014,
the State party extended the ratification of the Optional Protocol to the territory of the Isle of
Man.1
3.
The Subcommittee members conducting the visit were: Daniel Fink (head of
delegation), Satyabhooshun Gupt Domah, Susanne Jabbour, Kosta Mitrovic, June Caridad
Pagaduan Lopez and Zdenka Perović. The Subcommittee was assisted by three human rights
officers and two security officers from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner
for Human Rights.
4.
The objectives of the visit were to:
(a)
Provide advice and technical assistance to the national preventive mechanism,
along with the State party, on their treaty obligations under Optional Protocol, taking into
account the Subcommittee’s guidelines on national preventive mechanisms (CAT/OP/12/5);
(b)
Visit a range of places of deprivation of liberty, in order to assist the State party
in discharging effectively its obligations under the Optional Protocol to strengthen the
protection of persons deprived of their liberty from the risk of torture and ill-treatment.
5.
The planning of the visit took into account the exchange of letters in June 2018
between the Subcommittee and the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and
Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, which was aimed at enhancing the
complementary nature of their respective mandates and work.2 Bearing in mind the visits
undertaken by the European Committee to the United Kingdom, especially its most recent
visit,3 the Subcommittee decided to focus its visit primarily on the functioning of the national
preventive mechanism and to visit places of deprivation of liberty that had not recently been
visited by the European Committee.
6.
The Subcommittee conducted joint visits to places of deprivation of liberty with the
national preventive mechanism (annex I), in order to observe the work of the mechanism in
practice. The mechanism also chose the places visited. The visits were led by the
representatives of the mechanism, with the members of the Subcommittee acting as observers.
The Subcommittee also conducted visits to places of deprivation of liberty on its own (annex
II). In addition, it met and interviewed persons deprived of their liberty, law enforcement and
detention officers, medical personnel and others (annex III).
7.
At the end of the visit, the delegation presented its confidential preliminary
observations orally to government authorities and the national preventive mechanism.
8.
In the present report, the Subcommittee sets out its observations, findings and
recommendations relevant to the prevention of torture and ill-treatment of persons deprived
of their liberty under the jurisdiction of the United Kingdom.
9.
The Subcommittee reserves the right to comment further on any place visited, whether
or not it is mentioned in the present report, in its discussions with the United Kingdom arising
from the report. The absence of any comment in the present report relating to a specific
facility or place of detention visited by the Subcommittee does not imply that it has a positive
or negative opinion of it.
1
2
3
See https://treaties.un.org/Pages/ViewDetails.aspx?src=TREATY&mtdsg_no=IV-9b&chapter=4&clang=_en#5.
See www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=23407&LangID=E.
See www.coe.int/en/web/cpt/united-kingdom.
3