The Database on the Mandates and Functioning of the Institutions Comprising the National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) for the United Kingdom as per requirements of the Optional Protocol to the United Nations Convention against Torture (OPCAT).

Foreword

The UK ratified OPCAT on 10 December 2003 and designated its NPM on 30 March 2009 through a Written Ministerial Statement which named initially 18 institutions across all jurisdictions, to fulfil the mandate of the NPM for the UK. It was also agreed that HM Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) would carry out the coordination and communication function of the NPM. The purpose of coordination is to promote cohesion and a shared understanding of OPCAT among the NPM members, to encourage collaboration and the sharing of information and good practice, and to facilitate joint activities.

On 3 December 2013 there was a further Written Ministerial Statement (PDF, 9kB) issued which made some corrections in the composition of the UK NPM and extended the mandate of the UK NPM to another two institutions. With further additions, there are now 21 organisations which all together constitute the UK NPM, information on which can be found on the NPM’s website: https://www.nationalpreventivemechanism.org.uk/

The HRIC has been working with the UK NPM since its inception, providing research advice on a range of issues including its composition, compliance of its members with OPCAT criteria, engagement with the UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture, and training for its individual members.

England and Wales

• HM Inspectorate of Prisons (PDF, 255kB)
• Independent Monitoring Boards (PDF, 193kB)
• Independent Custody Visiting Association (PDF, 188kB)
• Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary - updated (PDF, 105kB)
• Care Quality Commission (PDF, 150kB)
• Health Care Inspectorate Wales (PDF, 201kB)
• Children's Commissioner for England (PDF, 205kB)
• Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales (PDF, 164kB)
• Office for Standards in Education (PDF, 188kB)
• Lay Observers (PDF, 151kB)
• Independent reviewer of terrorism legislation (PDF, 162kB)

Scotland

• HM Inspectorate of Prisons for Scotland (PDF, 263kB)
• Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary for Scotland (HMICS) (PDF, 176kB)
• Scottish Human Rights Commission (SHRC) (PDF, 154kB)
• Mental Welfare Commission of Scotland (PDF, 142kB)
• Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (PDF, 38kB) (instead of the Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care, which no longer exists)
• Independent Custody Visitors Scotland (PDF, 159kB)

Northern Ireland

• Independent Monitoring Boards Northern Ireland (PDF, 143kB)
• Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland (CJINI) (PDF, 178kB)
• Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) (PDF, 88kB)
• Northern Ireland Policing Board Independent Custody Visiting Scheme (NIPBICVS) (PDF, 102kB)

The Human Rights Implementation Centre maintains a database of the NPM members, which is a valuable resource, given the size and complexity of the NPM. We are grateful to NPM members for their valuable input. The database was first collated in April 2010 and since then has been updated in May 2011, April 2013 and December 2013 and again September 2018.

The aim of this database is to:

• provide information on the remit and work of each of the 21 NPM members;
• provide an insight into the mandates of each of the members under OPCAT; and
• lay out the requirements of NPM members under OPCAT.

The database is not aimed at evaluating the compatibility of the mandates of each NPM member with the requirements of OPCAT.

We acknowledge that some entries in this database are more complete than others. We would like to encourage all users of this database, especially NPM members, to notify us if there are any inaccuracies or changes that should be made.

This information is accurate to the best of our knowledge as at 30 September 2018.