CAT is an international human rights treaty adopted in 1984. The UK agreed to follow it in 1988.

By following CAT, the UK agrees to prevent acts of torture in connection with activities that include:

• returning, expelling or extraditing someone to another country where there are real grounds to believe he or she will face torture

• arrest, detention and imprisonment

• interrogation

• the training of police (civil or military), medical staff, public officials and anyone else who may be involved in the arrest, detention and questioning of a person

The UN last examined how well the UK is implementing CAT and published recommendations in May 2019. These included:

• protecting people seeking asylum, victims of trafficking and exploitation, patients, detainees and people who are restrained

• preventing violence against women and girls, child sexual abuse and hate crime

• responding to allegations of British involvement in the mistreatment of overseas detainees

• ensuring people who are at risk of ill-treatment can get legal help

• reducing overcrowding and improving conditions in prisons

• developing our counter-terrorism strategy

• incorporating CAT into UK domestic law