Objectives

Background

 The Counter Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019 was passed on 12 February 2019. The Act provided for an independent review on the Government strategy for supporting people vulnerable to being drawn into terrorism – Prevent.

 Civil society groups were critical of the terms of reference, which were future-oriented and excluded reflection on the implementation of Prevent and how it was experienced. The Government appointed Lord Carlile QC as the independent reviewer, but after a legal challenge he was dismissed. The Government has since appointed William Shawcross as the independent reviewer, notwithstanding his previous public statements which were widely regarded as Islamophobic.

 As a consequence, over 500 civil society organisations and individuals – Muslim and non-Muslim alike – previously engaged with Prevent have decided to boycott the Independent Review.

In order that these voices will be heard and to provide evidence to be used in evaluating the outcomes of the Shawcross Review[JH1] , we have decided to initiate an alternative, People’s Review of Prevent.