A Call for a Comprehensive Review of the Prevent Duty in British Universities
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My name is Joel Platt and I am a member of Josephine Butler College, Durham. I am 22 years old and live in Blackpool, England. Having graduated from the Durham LLB last year with first class honours, the decision to remain at Durham for an additional year to study for my LLM was an easy one. Throughout my legal studies, I have particularly enjoyed the modules which incorporate international human rights law. Indeed, my research interests centre around exploring human rights law within the context of counterterrorism. The contemporary significance of this issue underpinned my decision to research it within my undergraduate dissertation. Specifically, I addressed the implications of the UK’s counterterrorism ‘Prevent’ policy on the right to freedom of expression where, contrary to what is perhaps the dominant view that counterterrorism and human rights are at odds, I enjoyed exploring the potential security benefits to be derived from policies which empower individuals to enjoy human rights.
-Joel Platt, Author
Introduction
“Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freeness of speech”
Benjamin Franklin, 1722
Freedom of speech is a cornerstone of democracy. Universities are a key arena within this; however, the operation of the Prevent duty within universities seriously threatens free speech.
Prevent is one strand of the government’s counter-terrorism strategy, CONTEST, aimed at stopping individuals becoming terrorists. Significantly, 2015 saw the introduction of the Prevent duty, whereby university staff are required to report students at risk of radicalisation. However, it is submitted that the government’s response is perilously counter-productive.
This dissertation will argue that the radicalisation discourse which informs and legitimises the operation of the Prevent duty is ill-founded, constructing Muslim communities as ‘suspect’. This sees surveillance in British universities seemingly implemented in a discriminatory manner. Evidence suggests that this is deterring Muslim political agency, which is counter-productive in the fight against terrorism by aiding terrorist recruiters and undermining human rights and democracy itself. Finally, this paper will contextualise the severity of the evidence submitted by illustrating the fragility of democracy, for which any infringement is unacceptable. Thus, an immediate review of the Prevent duty is needed.
