The alleged freedom police have granted sharia councils in Britain has sparked fury, as so-called honour-based abuse goes unchecked at an alarming rate. Official figures indicate that fewer than 3% of recorded honour-related crimes resulted in a prosecution last year. These include crimes such as female genital mutilation (FGM), homicide often described as honour killings, and forced marriage. Honour killings are usually committed by male family members against female relatives perceived to have brought dishonour to the family through behaviours like defying arranged marriages, alleged infidelity, or seeking divorce.

Campaigners argue that the operation of sharia councils within some Muslim communities has complicated state intervention. They claim a parallel system of justice has developed in certain areas, operating privately and without formal state oversight. It is estimated that as many as 85 sharia councils are currently active across Britain.

Rebecca Paul MP, a Conservative member of the Commons Women and Equalities Committee, said: “There is nothing at all ‘honourable’ about these crimes – they are attacks on women and girls who dare to make their own choices on what they wear, who they love and what they do in life.

“This is unacceptable in modern Britain.

“Close-knit clannish structures within isolated, unintegrated communities allow such violence to continue unreported and unchallenged.

“More tailored support for Muslim women facing domestic abuse is needed along with a more assertive approach to integration.”

Sharia councils are not bound by the Arbitration Act, legislation that provides for a degree of governmental regulation. They largely deal with family and marital matters, including divorce and remarriage.

Previous investigations have alleged that some imams in Britain have facilitated underage marriage and polygamy, and have encouraged women to return to abusive partners.

There have also been claims of so-called “pleasure marriages”, described as arrangements enabling men to have sexual relationships with women who are not their wives.

Nick Timothy MP, the shadow justice secretary, told The Telegraph: “There can only be one rule of law. But the British state has turned a blind eye to sharia courts spreading across our country.

“This is allowing so-called ‘honour’ crimes and abuse to go unpunished.

“While we know there is a huge problem, police officers and prosecutors are not doing their job and locking up these zealots. Forced marriage and FGM have no place in a modern society.

“It is time to crack down on this behaviour and hold the line against the Islamists who would destroy the British way of life.”

The latest data show that 2,949 honour-related offences were recorded across Britain last year, yet only 95 defendants were prosecuted. In 2023-24, 2,755 offences were registered, with 80 prosecutions. In 2022-23, 3,008 incidents were logged, but there were just 68 successful prosecutions.

Between 2015 and 2024, the Metropolitan Police recorded more than 1,000 reports of female genital mutilation.

A total of 109 FGM cases were reported to police last year, while 111 were recorded in 2023-24 – almost double the 65 cases reported in 2019-20.

FGM has been illegal in England and Wales for nearly 40 years. Despite this, there have been only three criminal convictions in Britain, the first secured in 2019 in a case involving a three-year-old girl. Forced marriage figures also show a disparity between reports and prosecutions. Between 2020 and 2025, 766 forced marriages were reported to police, but only 118 cases led to prosecution.