Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) has criticised proposals to revive caning in schools, ban mobile phones for those under 16, and increase police surveillance - describing it as a “superficial and knee-jerk” response to recent violent crimes involving schoolgirls.

In a statement, LFL director Zaid Malek said the government’s measures, announced following the murder of a student and the gang rape of another on school grounds, would do little to address the underlying causes of such violence.