Tag: Ministry of Justice

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 11 February 2026.

Every child caught carrying a knife in England and Wales will be given a mandatory targeted plan to stop them reoffending and protect the public.

• Every child caught carrying a knife in England and Wales will be given a mandatory targeted plan to stop them reoffending
• £320 million invested into Youth Justice Services to turn young people away from a life of crime
• Delivers on Government’s commitment to halve knife crime within a decade and make streets safer as part of its Plan for Change

Children will be given earlier, more targeted support to steer them away from crime under plans to drive down knife carrying among young people, the Deputy Prime Minister has announced today.

The action, led jointly by the Ministry of Justice and the Home Office, reflects the Government’s determination to halve knife crime in a decade and confront youth violence with a strong, coordinated national response.

Every child in England and Wales caught carrying a knife will be given a mandatory specialised plans to stop them reoffending, part of the Government’s commitment to halve knife crime within a decade. 

Meeting a manifesto pledge, police will refer every child knife possession case to Youth Justice Services – locally-led teams spanning health, education and community services tasked with mandating targeted action to help each child. 

These specialised plans will address the root causes of a child’s offending, including potential exploitation by criminal gangs and childhood trauma, and could be forced to attend mentoring to stay in education or social skills training to boost employability. This will give children the foundations they need to turn their backs on crime and keep our streets safe.  

These plans will be mandatory, with no child able to avoid the getting the support they need. Youth Justice services will intensively monitor the child’s progress and if they do not engage with their plan or are judged to still be of risk to the public, the police will immediately be informed and further action taken. Failure to engage will have serious consequences, such as possible criminal charges and time behind bars. The plans will be monitored and implemented, as will the young person’s progress, reassuring the public that they are going to have an impact.

Deputy Prime Minister, David Lammy said:

Every life lost to knife crime is an unmitigated tragedy. With early targeted action, we can put children on the right path to a positive future and stop them falling into a toxic cycle of reoffending.  

Our reforms will give local services the security they need to help more young people and make our streets safer for everyone.

The plans announced today will be backed up with a first of its kind three-year wider funding package for Youth Justice Services, worth over £320 million, giving them more certainty to invest in the future, and roll out longer-term programmes to help even more young people.  

Evidence demonstrates that prevention schemes can have a real difference in helping young people turn their lives away from crime, with more than 90% of children who engaged with the government’s Turnaround programme avoiding future police cautions or court.

To continue this work, the government has also confirmed that the Turnaround programme will have guaranteed multi-year funding, including over £15 million this year. This will give the programme the stability to support even more children and stop them ever committing crime.

The Government will also invest a further £5 million into regional partnerships to speed up community alternatives to custodial remand. Currently, around 40 per cent of children in custody are on remand, with more than 60 per cent later not receiving a custodial sentence – unnecessarily impacting their lives and futures. 

The Home Office is also working closely with policing leaders to ensure that these interventions are supported by strong enforcement and rapid action when knives are found on our streets, strengthening the wider national effort to reduce youth violence.

Policing Minister, Sarah Jones said:

Carrying a knife will now trigger an immediate, mandatory intervention — no excuses.

This guidance makes sure every child is referred straight to a Youth Justice Services team and is given the support needed to change course.

As Policing Minister, I am working with forces across England and Wales to ensure officers have the full backing of the Home Office to crack down on knife possession, act quickly when knives are found, and prevent violence before it happens.

We’re acting fast to stop violence before it starts and keep our streets safe.

Pooja Kanda, knife crime campaigner and mother of victim Ronan Kanda said:

This is a great initiative from the government and is exactly what we need: a proper plan. We must not let youths who are caught with a knife be left isolated, with no support and crying out for help. I believe this plan would have stopped my son’s attacker from re-offending and eventually taking my son’s life. We must guide young people away from using knives. I am fully behind this initiative, and the government’s overall mission to halve knife crime in a decade.

Patrick Green, CEO of The Ben Kinsella Trust said:

It is vital that responses to serious youth violence are adequately resourced and recognise the realities that many vulnerable children and young people face. We welcome the focus on earlier, coordinated support for children and young people found carrying knives, and the commitment to timely, tailored interventions that prioritise safeguarding and rehabilitation over further criminalisation.

Too often, children and young people are drawn into serious violence by entrenched vulnerabilities and systemic pressures such as fear, trauma, and criminal exploitation. A sustained focus on early intervention and prevention is essential and represents an important step towards tackling the root causes of knife crime.

Today’s announcement is the latest step in the Government’s pledge to halve knife crime in the next decade, building on our wider work including taking thousands of knives off our streets and our County Lines Programme which saw record numbers of gang leaders charged last year. This complements broader Home Office‑led efforts to tackle the online sale of knives and coordinate national enforcement through the knife crime coordination centre.

It also marks the first stage of the most significant overhaul of youth justice in a generation, making sure it is modern and better responds to children’s needs. This work comes alongside the first steps of fundamental reforms to the Youth Justice Board, following a government-wide efficiency review, which will see it take a renewed focus on supporting frontline workers.

Further information

• This Government have set an ambitious but essential target: to halve knife crime over this decade. We are already making tangible progress, since the start of this Parliament: 
• Knife crime has fallen by 8%, meaning 4,229 fewer offences. 
• Knife homicides are down by 27%. 
• Hospital admissions for stabbings have fallen by 11%.
• We have banned dangerous weapons such as ninja swords and zombie style machetes. 
• And we have taken nearly 60,000 knives off our streets.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 3 February 2026.

HMP Northumberland will gain four new houseblocks, boosting its capacity by 240 places, in the latest Government step to make streets safer.

• Four new houseblocks under construction at HMP Northumberland.  
• New workshop with six classrooms to steer prisoners away from crime. 
• Latest milestone in Government’s plans to build 14,000 prison places by 2031, as part of the Plan for Change  

The new cells will be fully operational by 2027 and help ensure there is always enough space for dangerous offenders.

The major project will also include the construction of a new workshop containing six classrooms and industry areas – delivering punishment that cuts crime by giving prisoners the skills they need to stop reoffending. 

Today’s news is a significant milestone in the Government’s aims to build 14,000 additional prison places by 2031 – with around 2,900 of these having already been built since July 2024.  

Minister for Prisons, Probation, and Reducing Reoffending, Lord James Timpson said: 

We inherited a prison system on the brink of collapse, and have wasted no time getting shovels in the ground to fix this – with 2,900 new prison places already opened – which also creates jobs for communities like those in the North East.  

Alongside sentencing reform, this will create prisons that cut crime, reduce reoffending, and ensure there are fewer victims in the future.

The build will also create jobs in the North East, with around 70 new permanent roles expected at the prison once the houseblocks are complete.    

The project is being delivered by Kier, a leading provider of infrastructure services, construction and property developments.  
  
The construction follows the opening of the around 1,500-capacity prison in Yorkshire, HMP Millsike, last year. The Government is investing £4.7 billion to deliver these prison builds, whilst investing £500 million over two years in prison and probation service maintenance to improve conditions across the estate.  The prison building programme will work alongside sentencing reform, to ensure there is always a cell to lock up the most dangerous offenders. 

Background  

• The Government is investing £4.7 billion to deliver these prison builds over this spending review period (2026/27 – 2029/30).

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 3 February 2026.

Dangerous extremists will face tougher ‘supermax’ style restrictions behind bars under Government plans to keep frontline staff safer.

‘Supermax’ style restrictions for the most dangerous prisoners

Reforms to protect decisions from litigation and limit payouts to terrorists

Overhaul of separation centres to tackle terror threat behind bars

Updating Parliament today (3 February), the Deputy Prime Minister set out a major overhaul of separation centres to better tackle the unique threat terror offenders pose. This includes exploring ‘supermax’ style controls on the most violent and extreme prisoners, improving how intelligence is collected and used, and reforms to better protect against litigation and limit perverse payouts to terrorists.

The intervention follows the publication of Jonathan Hall KC’s independent review of separation centres, launched in the wake of the horrific attack on staff at HMP Frankland last year. The Government has today published its response, accepting Mr Hall’s recommendations in full and in some areas going further to improve staff safety, bolster the operation of separation centres, and address the growing complexity of radicalised individuals in custody. Key measures include:

A commitment to create a new tiered separation centre system, with the most dangerous extremists facing stricter conditions.

An expert-led review of training for staff working in these units, to ensure it is tailored to the uniquely dangerous environments in which they work.

Strengthening internal processes and considering whether new legislation is required to better protect decisions taken by experienced staff in separation centres from litigation on Article 8 grounds.

Further improving intelligence collection practices to reduce unnecessary bureaucracy and ensure intelligence directly informs operational decisions.

This builds on recent Government action to boost protections for officers working in the high-risk settings, investing £15 million into safety equipment including 10,000 stab-proof vests and rolling out Tasers to 500 staff.

Speaking in the House of Commons today, Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy said:
The horrific attack at HMP Frankland was a stark reminder of the dangers our prison staff face every day…Mr Hall’s review makes serious and wide-reaching recommendations, and our response will be decisive and determined.

Taken together, they will strengthen security, better protect our brave prison staff and reinforce the resilience of our counter-terrorism infrastructure within the estate.

This Government will always stand behind those who stand between the public and danger. We will not shy away from reform and we will never lose sight of our first duty: to keep the British public safe.

Separation centres were created in 2017 to isolate the most pernicious and influential extremist offenders from the mainstream population where they could spread their dangerous ideologies and radicalise others.

The new measures announced today include the commitment to redesign this model, with the creation of tiered separation centres – placing the most violent and disruptive extremists in higher-control conditions inspired by tough restrictions seen in ‘Supermax’ prisons in the United States. Movement between the tiers will only be possible following rigorous risk assessments. Further details will be set out in due course.

The Government is also acting to safeguard separation centre decisions from legal challenges, ensuring staff can focus on managing risk and protecting the public. This includes revising policy to make clear equivalence with the main regime is not required and establishing a new dedicated expert team responsible for drafting and analysing prisoner referrals to the units.

Crucially, as recommended by Mr Hall, this also includes looking at whether new legislation is required to limit the impact of litigation brought on European Convention of Human Rights Article 8 grounds. While the Government remains committed to the Convention, it will explore the full range of options to better protect staff managing terrorists and other dangerous offenders.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 3 February 2026.

The Secretary of State for Justice has announced the appointment of Rehana Azam as member of the Prison Service Pay Review Body.

The Secretary of State for Justice has announced the appointment of Rehana Azam as the member of the Prison Service Pay Review Body (PSPRB) with Trade Union experience. Rehana Azam’s appointment will be for a tenure of 5 years from 1 March 2026 to 28 February 2031.

The PSPRB provides the government with independent advice on the remuneration of operational prison staff in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, as set out in the Prison Service Pay Review Body Regulations 2001 (SI 2001 No. 1161).   

Appointments to the PSPRB are regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments and comply with the Governance Code on Public Appointments. This appointment has been made in line with the Commissioner’s Code of Practice for Ministerial Appointments to Public Bodies.

Public appointments to the PSPRB are made by the Prime Minister.

Biography

Ms Azam is a senior trade union leader with over 30 years’ experience advising and representing public sector workforces. She is currently Regional Head at the National Association of Head Teachers, a role she has held since 2023. She previously spent 24 years at GMB, holding a range of senior regional and national positions. In 2025, she was seconded to the British Airline Pilots Association as Head of Industrial Relations and has also served as a National Officer with the Royal College of Nursing (2022–2023).

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 27 January 2026.

• Author Lee Child announced as first ever Prison Reading Laureate
• Role will boost prisoner’ literacy skills to help reduce reoffending
• Initiative part of National Year of Reading 2026, part of Plan for Change

Prisoners are being given the chance to start a new chapter away from crime with the launch of the first ever Prison Reading Laureate.  

Author Lee Child best known for the Jack Reacher book series will be the inaugural holder of the role, created to champion the importance of literacy skills in helping prevent prisoners from reoffending. 

It comes as data shows more than two-thirds of prisoners enter prison with reading levels below GCSE standard – many at primary school level. This can create major barriers to living crime-free lives, such as being unable to secure a job on release. 

The creation of the laureate builds on Government action to ensure prisons deliver punishment that cuts crime and produce better citizens, and not criminals – helping to make our streets safer.   

Prisons Minister, Lord Timpson, said: 

We know the crucial role education, including learning key skills like reading, can play in helping offenders turn their lives around.   

I would like to thank Lee Child for the inspiring work he continues to do in our prisons. The Prison Reading Laureate will be a powerful influence, boosting our efforts to break the cycle of reoffending and create safer streets.

Author Lee Child said:  

This isn’t about being soft on crime, it’s about being smart. Improving literacy is an evidence-based, practical approach that works. When people leave prison better equipped to read and learn, they’re less likely to reoffend. That makes communities safer for everyone.

Today’s announcement forms part of the National Year of Reading, a UK-wide campaign Department of Education and the National Literacy Trust to help millions of families, children and communities benefit from the power of reading. 

Each year the chosen laureate will bring their own passion and experience to the role, with the freedom to promote specific areas such as supporting children of prisoners, creative writing, or post-release employment in publishing.  

Mr Child will initially focus on the expansion of his successful literacy pilot programme which has been running in a number of prisons since 2025 in partnership with MP Paul Davies. It will include bringing in more authors to work with prisons across the country and promoting the benefits of reading to rehabilitation. 

Background 

Key delivery partners for prison literacy include: 

• Shannon Trust: Expanding peer-to-peer reading support in prisons using the Turning Pages programme
• National Literacy Trust: Running monthly workshops including reading groups, creative writing sessions, spoken word and storytelling workshops for children
• Bang-Up Books: Has distributed over 150,000 books to more than 100 prisons
• Prison Reading Groups: Delivering monthly book groups, family reading days and creative reading projects across approximately 80 prisons. Throughout the year they will continue their work with ongoing opportunities to read regularly together and improve access to free books
• Storybook Mums and Dads: Enabling imprisoned parents to record audio and video of themselves reading stories for their children
• The Reading Agency’s Quick Reads books will be used throughout the year, making great stories genuinely accessible to every reader and celebrating exciting campaign moments like World Book Night.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 27 January 2026.

Former court buildings in Fleetwood, Telford, Chichester and Cirencester – used as Nightingale Courts since the pandemic – will now become permanent fixtures.

• Nightingale Court era over as four temporary courts become permanent fixtures
• Next step in wider Government plans to end interminable delay for victims
• Move comes as new landmark London court readies for opening

Thousands of victims will be spared from interminable delays waiting to see justice done thanks to a significant expansion to the court’s estate. 

Former court buildings in Fleetwood, Telford, Chichester and Cirencester – used as Nightingale Courts since the Covid-19 pandemic – will now become established parts of the court estate, ending their temporary status.  

This move secures 11 additional courtrooms across the country where capacity is most needed, covering a mixture of criminal, family and civil cases – tackling the caseload and delivering swifter justice for victims. 

Today’s news comes as the Courts Minister, Sarah Sackman, visited the site of the new London Law Courts – a state-of-the-art building which, when open next year, will act as the benchmark for delivering modern, transparent and speedy justice. 

The building will provide 18 new state-of-the-art courtrooms which can hear Crown, magistrate and civil cases in the heart of London.  

As part of the core estate, these former Nightingale Courts will now qualify for future modernisation and investment. This will allow HMCTS to put money into improving their infrastructure and ensure buildings are suitable for the latest technology – speeding up justice and providing a better experience for all court users. 

Minister for Courts Sarah Sackman KC MP said: 

This marks a new chapter for these courts. We’re ending the Nightingale era and making a lasting investment in justice. The permanent courtrooms, as part of our Plan for Change, will help deliver faster justice and give much-needed clarity to victims and the staff who serve them. 

Investment matters, but it isn’t enough on its own. We must deliver bold reforms to put the broken system we inherited – on the brink of collapse – back on sustainable ground.

The move marks the end of the Nightingale courts initiative, which at its peak in July 2021 saw 60 temporary courtrooms operating in hotels, conference centres and office buildings to keep justice moving during the pandemic.   

This year alone, the Government is investing £148.5 million to repair and upgrade courts across England and Wales – tackling longstanding maintenance issues, reducing delays caused by ageing infrastructure, and improving conditions for those who rely on them. 

Alongside investment in the estate, Ministers have also increased funding for Crown Courts to sit a record 111,250 days this financial year. More sitting days means more hearings and faster justice. 

The Deputy Prime Minister has also announced a bold package of reforms to bring down the Crown Court caseload which will be introduced when parliamentary time allows.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 14 January 2026.

Extra specialist staff, improved training for frontline officers and bolstered anti-drone measures will be deployed at HMP Swaleside as part of Government action to urgently turn the prison around.

• New specialist staff to bolster safety and security
  
• Anti-drone measures such as new windows and netting to clamp down on illicit items
  
• Ramp up of prisoner discipline hearings to tackle bad behaviour
  
• The jail received an Urgent Notification in December, with inspectors raising concerns about high levels of violence and self-harm, the prevalence of drugs, and poor living conditions.

The Prison Service has today (14 January) published a new action plan in direct response to the notification with the aim of rapidly improving safety and standards. This includes installing new windows and netting to combat drones delivering contraband, hiring specialist search teams and dog handlers to crack down on drugs and weapons, and improved safety training for staff.

There will also be a greater focus on cleanliness with a new strategy to improve standards both inside and outside the prison, while vital maintenance and refurbishments will be completed over the coming months.

Lord Timpson, Minister for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending, said: 

The Chief Inspector’s findings at HMP Swaleside were deeply concerning and clearly not acceptable. This reflects the scale of the crisis we inherited across our prison system.

I visited the prison last week and saw firsthand the efforts of hardworking staff to deliver the necessary improvements, and this action plan will support them in this vital work.

More rule-breaking prisoners will also face consequences for their actions through a ramp up of disciplinary hearings to bring order to the prison.

Today’s announcement follows wider Government action to improve safety across the prison estate, including rolling out protective body armour to frontline officers and investing £40 million to boost security and clamp down on the contraband that fuels violence behind bars.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 7 January 2026.

The Deputy Prime Minister begins visit to Washington DC at the invitation of his counterpart, Vice President JD Vance, to mark America 250 celebrations.

• UK engagement in America 250 year kicks off with time capsule exchange
• Deputy PM to visit his counterpart in the White House to discuss UK-US special relationship, economic growth and long-term peace in Ukraine
• DPM to witness court reforms in Toronto that introduced judge-only trials helping speed up justice for victims

The Deputy Prime Minister, David Lammy, will today (Wednesday 7 January) begin a two-day visit to Washington DC at the invitation of his counterpart, Vice President JD Vance.  

The Deputy Prime Minister will kick-off UK engagement in the America 250 celebrations, as the US marks 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence – its semi-quincentennial. 

The Deputy Prime Minister and Vice President will discuss Europe’s role in delivering sustainable, long-term peace in Ukraine and shared endeavours to deliver jobs and economic growth both sides of the Atlantic. 

At an America 250 event in Mount Vernon, the Deputy Prime Minister will reflect on how his experiences studying and working in America shaped his own public service and look ahead to the shared future of the UK and the US.  

The Deputy Prime Minister will deliver the United Kingdom’s contribution to a time capsule, destined to be buried under the Washington Monument, as part of the celebrations. This comes the year after a sister time capsule was buried in Trafalgar Square in London.  

He will also meet young men supported by Baltimore’s Next One Up charity to become the city’s next generation of leaders, as well as the 2026 cohort of Marshall Scholars who will study postgraduate degrees in the UK during the historic America 250 Anniversary Year.

The Deputy PM is expected to speak about the strength of the special relationship, saying:  

Far from being an abstract idea, it is built through practical cooperation and shared purpose.   

In defence and security. In the trade and investment that benefit us all. In working together to secure peace and stability across the globe. And in our partnerships on emerging technologies and energy security, which will help shape the world in the decades to come.

For me, it is deeply personal influenced by my own history in your country. First, studying in Massachusetts and then working in California. Opportunities here which enabled me, in turn, to serve the public of my own country.

So today is very much about history but it is also about looking to the future.  

The 250th anniversary of your independence in July and events which will showcase this great nation and the huge amount it has to offer the world.

The Deputy Prime Minister, Governor of Virginia Glenn Youngkin and US Secretary of Interior Doug Burgum will be joined at Mount Vernon by students who had winning entries in Virginia’s statewide ‘Expressions of Freedom’ student competition included in the contents of the Time Capsule. 

The Time Capsule – designed by architect Lord Norman Foster – will contain instructions to be reopened on 4th July 2276. The Deputy Prime Minister will gift the US Government with the Portland limestone Capstone – made from one of the original steps of the George Washington Statue plinth in London – which is inscribed with thirteen six-pointed stars replicating the design of George Washington’s famous Headquarters Flag.    

During the visit, the Deputy Prime Minister is also expected to meet US Supreme Justice Elena Kagan at the Supreme Court and members of Congress on Capitol Hill. 

Following the Deputy Prime Minister’s visit to Washington DC he will travel to Toronto to gather vital information on how judge-alone trials operate in Ontario and what lessons could be learnt for court reform in England and Wales. He will discuss how the system works with senior members of the judiciary and the Attorney General of Ontario, Doug Downey.

Background information

• The America 250 programme encourages Americans to reflect on their history and renew their commitment to the ideals of democracy. You can find out more about the America 250 programme of activity here.  
• Photos of the Deputy Prime Minister attending the ceremony at Mount Vernon and meeting with the Vice President are available on request.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 3 January 2026.

Thousands of ordinary people from all walks of life are being called on by the Government today (3 January) to volunteer their time to delivering justice by becoming a magistrate.

• Everyday heroes from all backgrounds wanted to deliver justice in local communities across the country 
• Over 2,000 magistrates recruited in the last three years  
• Part of Government’s Plan for Change to deliver swifter justice for victims and to protect the public

Over 2,000 extra magistrates have been trained since 2022 and this new, ambitious recruitment drive aims to boost the magistracy by the same number again in just the next financial year.  

Magistrates are representative of the communities they serve. Latest figures show that 57% of magistrates are female and 14% come from an ethnic minority background, with London having the highest proportion of magistrates from an ethnic minority background at 31%. 

Magistrates play a vital role in delivering justice locally. They are all volunteers and are expected to dedicate a minimum of 13 days a year to sitting on cases, meaning many magistrates can fulfil this crucial role easily alongside full-time employment and caring responsibilities.  

Deputy Prime Minister, David Lammy, said: 

Magistrates play a vital role in our court system – hearing thousands of cases across every jurisdiction and delivering justice. 

They are everyday heroes – and we need more people of every age and background to volunteer not just to deliver justice but to serve and represent their local communities.   

Volunteering to become a magistrate can make a real difference to your life and the lives of others – that’s why I’m calling on the public to apply and play your part.

New research shows that 45 percent of people in England and Wales would consider volunteering in the next 12 months.

The Ministry of Justice has launched a new call for people across England and Wales to volunteer and help deliver swifter justice for victims.   

All magistrates are given robust training and an experienced mentor in their first year to develop their skills and legal knowledge.

They are also supported with specialist legal advisors to allow them to deal with a range of cases. The top qualities that the Ministry of Justice and the Judiciary look for in potential candidates are good communication skills, a sense of fairness and the ability to see an argument from different sides. Candidates are being sought to fill positions across all jurisdictions including criminal work, youth cases, as well as certain civil and family proceedings.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 10 December 2025.

A joint statement delivered to today’s meeting of the Justice Ministers of the Council of Europe (Wednesday 10 December), signed by 27 countries including the UK.

The following States: Denmark, Italy, Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Sweden, Ukraine, United Kingdom aligned to this Statement reaffirm their strong belief in the Council of Europe and in European values, democracy, the rule of law, and human rights. We are committed to international law and to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (hereinafter “the Convention”) as a cornerstone of this international order, and we reaffirm our commitment to the Convention and our support for the work and independence of the European Court of Human Rights (hereinafter “the Court”) and its jurisdiction as defined in the Convention.Recalling the Reykjavik Declaration, we reaffirm our commitment to the concept of “democratic security”.

Our governments have a duty to guarantee our populations’ human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the right to live in peace, freedom and security, to preserve the values of our societies, and to effectively protect borders, prevent unlawful border crossings and counter migrant smuggling networks. Yet, the rights and freedoms of our populations are challenged by: people who take advantage of our hospitality by committing serious crime; trafficking in human beings and instrumentalisation of migrants.

These complex and disruptive challenges – that our societies face and which test the capacity of our current framework – were either unforeseen at the time the convention system and the Convention were drafted or have evolved significantly since then. When addressing these challenges in full compliance with international law, States have a fundamental duty to safeguard national security, protect our democracies, and ensure the security of individuals within our jurisdictions. Failing to recognise and respond to these challenges, we risk undermining the very fundamental rights and freedoms that the Convention protects, thereby eroding confidence in the whole Convention system.

Noting the letter signed on 22 May 2025 by a group of Heads of State and Government, which initiated this process that has since evolved through broad and inclusive engagement, we are therefore promoting an open and constructive discussion within the Council of Europe and with its Secretary-General to develop an adequate response to protect the Convention system from attempts to distort and weaken it. We appreciate and welcome the Secretary General’s openness and contribution in facilitating this important dialogue, while fully respecting the Convention system and the integrity of the Court.

In addressing under the Convention, the challenges in expulsion of foreign criminals, migration management and cooperation with third countries regarding asylum and return procedures, as well as removal procedures and instrumentalisation of migration, a right balance has to be found between the migrants’ individual rights and interests and the weighty public interests of defending freedom and security in our societies.

In this context, States aligned to this statement consider it imperative to ensure that the Convention framework is fit to address today’s challenges, most notably in order to meet the following challenges:

• Expulsion of foreigners convicted of serious crimes: The clear starting point is that a State Party can expel foreigners convicted of serious crimes even though they have acquired ties to their host Country, e.g. if they have established a family life there. In line with the principles in this statement, it is vital that the balance between individual rights and legitimate aims as per Article 8 of the Convention is adjusted so that more weight is put on the nature and seriousness of the offence committed and less weight is put on the foreign criminal’s social, cultural, and family ties with the host Country and with the Country of destination. The purpose of such a rebalancing is to ensure that we no longer see instances where foreigners convicted of serious crime, including serious violent crime, sexual assault, organised crime and human and drug trafficking, cannot be expelled.
• Clarity about inhuman and degrading treatment: The scope of “inhuman and degrading treatment” under Article 3, which is an absolute right, should be constrained to the most serious issues in a manner which does not prevent State Parties from taking proportionate decisions on the expulsion of foreign criminals, or in removal or extradition cases, including in cases raising issues concerning healthcare and prison conditions.
• Innovative and durable solutions to address migration: A State Party should not be prevented from entering into cooperation with third countries regarding asylum and return procedures, once the human rights of irregular migrants are preserved.
• Decision-making in migration cases: A State Party should not be prevented from applying clear rules and processes to facilitate timely decisions under Article 8 that can then be enforced, and which reflect the appropriate balance between the individual’s rights and the public interest.
• Instrumentalisation of migration: Recognising the extremely sensitive geopolitical context and the need to properly ensure national security and public safety, including in cases where human rights and fundamental freedoms are subject to abuse and instrumental use by hostile regimes and individual applicants with ulterior motives, with an adverse effect on the Convention system.

In addressing these challenges, the States aligned to this Statement refer to the importance of the following key principles in the interpretation and application of the Convention:

• The States’ right, as a matter of well-established international law and subject to their Treaty obligations, to control the entry, residence, and expulsion of foreigners from their territories, which should guide the interpretation of the Convention;
• The principle of subsidiarity, by which the primary responsibility for ensuring the rights and freedoms enshrined in the Convention and its Protocols lies with the States Parties to the Convention, which enjoy a margin of appreciation in doing so;
• The principle of shared responsibility by which it is primarily for the State Parties themselves, through their national courts and within the margin of appreciation defined by the Court, to ensure compliance with the guarantees of the Convention and to prevent the Court from becoming a fourth instance;
• The principle of proportionality, by balancing the protection of rights with safeguarding national security and protecting public safety and order, ascribing adequate weight to these values;
• The de minimis principle, which must be given uniform effect;
• The “living instrument” doctrine taking appropriate account of the developments, both factual and legal, that have evolved significantly in recent decades and were unforeseen at the time the Convention was drafted;
• The concept of “democracy capable of defending itself” preventing abuse of fundamental rights and freedoms by hostile regimes or individual applicants with ulterior motives.

The States aligned to this Statement welcome the 4-point proposal by the Council of Europe’s Secretary-General including to adopt a declaration on migration and the Convention at the Foreign Ministers’ meeting on 15th May 2026 in Chișinău (Moldova) and remain ready to work constructively with the Council of Europe, and in the case of EU Member States, whilst paying due consideration to the implications in relation to EU initiatives and applicable EU law.