Module 1: International Legal Standards (Overview)

Objectives

• To understand basic definitions of torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment.
• To familiarize students with the international legal standards on the prohibition of torture and ill-treatment
• To obtain a clear understanding of the torture practises in the world today and relevant country-specific practises.
• To be familiar with international and regional monitoring mechanisms.
• To understand basic torture prevention and accountability measures, including specific safeguards for those deprived of their liberty.
• To identify international and country specific needs for prevention and accountability measures, including specific safeguards for those deprived of their liberty.
• To identify country-specific challenges in preventing torture and holding perpetrators accountable including effective remedial measures in this regard.

Discussion Topics

• Compare and contrast similarities and differences between international standards and national legislation

• Develop a 10-12 point country-specific plan for torture prevention and accountability
• Discuss how international, regional and national organisations can work together for the effective investigation and prevention of torture.
• Discuss the role of health professionals in torture prevention and accountability.
• Discuss the relationship between human rights and human security in general, and specifically with regard to national anti-terror policies/practises and torture.

Teaching Formats

• Group Activity:
• Divide the class into several groups and assign each group with one or more (or all) of the Discussion Topics listed above.
• A facilitator should be identified to moderate the discussion and rapporteur should be identified to record the group’s findings and report them when the class reconvenes.
• After 20-30 minutes of group discussion, the entire class should reconvene
• Rapporteurs should briefly report on their group’s findings
• Open class discussion
• Individual Research/Assignment(s):
• Conduct literature research on the psychology of abuse and write a two-page essay analyzing different theories. Provide your opinion with supporting information
• Develop a 10-12 point, country-specific plan for torture prevention and accountability
• Develop a country-specific list of organisations and bodies relevant to torture and ill-treatment
• Journal Entry: (Instructor to assign students to write a few paragraphs — no more than a page on one or more of the following)
• Respond to one or more of the Discussion Topics
• Why do you think health professionals should or should not be concerned about torture and ill-treatment?

Primary Resources

• The Istanbul Protocol, Chapters I and III, Annex I
• The Torture Reporting Handbook
• Action Against Torture: A Practical Guide to the Istanbul Protocol for Lawyers
• Medical Investigation and Documentation of Torture: A Handbook for Health Professionals
• Combating Torture: A Manual for Judges and Prosecutors
• The Torture Reporting Handbook

Objectives To understand basic definitions of torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment. To familiarize students with the international legal standards on the prohibition of torture and ill-treatment To obtain a clear understanding of the … Continue reading →

(i) To ensure that victims of torture have the right to an effective remedy and adequate reparation by:

• Ensuring that victims of torture have effective procedural remedies, both judicial and non-judicial, to protect their right to be free from torture in law and practice;
• Guaranteeing that domestic law reflects the different forms of reparation recognized under international law and that the reparations afforded reflect the gravity of the violation(s).

(i) To ensure that victims of torture have the right to an effective remedy and adequate reparation by: Ensuring that victims of torture have effective procedural remedies, both judicial and non-judicial, to protect their right to be free from torture … Continue reading →

Torture has been practiced throughout history. The Romans, Jews, Egyptians and many other cultures in history included torture as part of their justice system. Romans had crucifixion, Jews had stoning and Egyptians had desert sun death. All these acts of torture were considered necessary (as to deter others) or good (as to punish the immoral).

Medieval and early modern European courts used torture, depending on the accused’s crime and social status. Torture was deemed a legitimate meens to extract confessions or to obtain the names of accomplices or other information abbout a crime. Often, defendants already sentenced to death would be tortured to force them to disclose the names of accomplices. Torture in the Medieval Inquisition began in 1252 and ended in 1816 when a papal bull (formal statement by the Pope) forbade its use.

Universal prohibition against torture was realized only in the aftermath of WWII in 1948 and the UN Convention on Torture against Torture was adopted by the UN General Assembly considerably later in 1984.

Torture has been practiced throughout history. The Romans, Jews, Egyptians and many other cultures in history included torture as part of their justice system. Romans had crucifixion, Jews had stoning and Egyptians had desert sun death. All these acts of … Continue reading →

Everyone deprived of liberty has the right to be given a reason for the arrest and detention. Article 9(1) of the ICCPR states that: ‘Everyone has the right to liberty and security of person. No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest or detention. No one shall be deprived of his liberty except on such grounds and in accordance with such procedures as are established by law.’

Everyone deprived of liberty has the right to be given a reason for the arrest and detention. Article 9(1) of the ICCPR states that: ‘Everyone has the right to liberty and security of person. No one shall be subjected to … Continue reading →

A number of regional human rights treaties have also been developed within the Council of Europe (CoE), the Organisation of American States (OAS) and the African Union (AU).^[1] The rights protected by these treaties derive from, and are similar to, those of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, but each treaty has developed unique approaches when seeking to implement them. The principal instruments referred to here are:

• the European Convention on Human Rights
• the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment
• the American Convention on Human Rights
• the Inter-American Convention to Prevent and Punish Torture
• the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

The European Court of Human Rights, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, the African Commission on Human Rights and the (soon to be established) African Court on Human Rights are responsible for monitoring state-compliance with their respective treaties. These bodies examine allegations of torture on the same level as other alleged human rights violations. However, the CoE has also created a specific body for preventing torture in its member states.

The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) was set up under the 1987 Council of Europe European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment. It is composed of as many independent and impartial members as there are states parties to the Convention and may be assisted by ad hoc experts. Currently all members of the CoE have also ratified the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture. The CPT conducts periodic and ad hoc visits in any places under the jurisdiction of a contracting state where persons are deprived of their liberty by a public authority. States parties are obliged to provide the CPT with access to its territory and the right to travel without restriction; full information on the places where persons deprived of their liberty are being held; unlimited access to any place where persons are deprived of their liberty, including the right to move inside such places without restriction; and other information which is necessary for the CPT to carry out its task.^[2] The CPT is also entitled to interview, in private, persons deprived of their liberty and to communicate freely with anyone whom it believes can supply relevant information. The report on the visit and detailed recommendations sent to the government are confidential unless the government concerned decides that they can be published. In practise, most reports have been made public.

^[1] Formerly the Organisation for African Unity (OAU).

^[2] Article 8, European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment 1987.

A number of regional human rights treaties have also been developed within the Council of Europe (CoE), the Organisation of American States (OAS) and the African Union (AU).[1] The rights protected by these treaties derive from, and are similar to, … Continue reading →

The Human Rights Committee has stated that the duty to treat detainees with respect for their inherent dignity is a basic standard of universal application. States cannot claim a lack of material resources or financial difficulties as a justification for inhumane treatment. States are obliged to provide all detainees and prisoners with services that will satisfy their essential needs. Failure to provide adequate food and recreational facilities constitutes a violation of Article 10 of the ICCPR, unless there are exceptional circumstances. The Committee has also stated that prolonged solitary confinement may amount to a violation of the prohibition against torture and ill-treatment in Article 7 of the ICCPR.^[1]

The Basic Principles for the Treatment of Prisoners provide that states should undertake efforts to abolish solitary confinement as a punishment or to restrict its use.^[2] The Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners specify that ‘corporal punishment, punishment by placing in a dark cell, and all cruel, inhuman or degrading punishments shall be completely prohibited as punishments for disciplinary offences.^[3] The CPT has stressed that solitary confinement can have “very harmful consequences for the person concerned” and that, in certain circumstances, solitary confinement can “amount to inhuman and degrading treatment” and should, in all circumstances, be applied for as short a period as possible.^[4]

^[1] Human Rights Committee General Comment 20, para. 6.

^[2] Principle 7 of the Basic Principles for the Treatment of Prisoners.

^[3] Rule 31.

^[4] CPT/Inf/E (2002) 1, p.20 para. 56(2).

The Human Rights Committee has stated that the duty to treat detainees with respect for their inherent dignity is a basic standard of universal application. States cannot claim a lack of material resources or financial difficulties as a justification for … Continue reading →

The World Medical Association’s Declaration of Tokyo (1975), which proscribes physician involvement in torture, uses a briefer, less legalistic definition which omits the element of severity of suffering but which otherwise embodies the elements of torture cited above.

[Torture is] the deliberate, systematic or wanton infliction of physical or mental suffering by one or more persons acting along or on the orders of any authority, to force another person to yield information, to make a confession, or for any other reason.

— [Preamble.]

The World Medical Association’s Declaration of Tokyo (1975), which proscribes physician involvement in torture, uses a briefer, less legalistic definition which omits the element of severity of suffering but which otherwise embodies the elements of torture cited above. [Torture is] … Continue reading →

A number of other mechanisms have been developed by the UN Commission on Human Rights (since 2006, the UN Human Rights Council) to look at specific types of human rights violations wherever in the world they occur. These country-specific and thematic mechanisms include special rapporteurs, representatives and independent experts or working groups. They are created by resolution in response to situations that are considered to be of sufficient concern to require an in-depth study. The procedures report publicly to the Commission on Human Rights each year and some also report to the UN General Assembly.

The main thematic mechanisms of relevance for this manual are: the Special Rapporteur on Torture, the Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women, the Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers, the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, and the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. A number of other thematic mechanisms also exist. The work of these bodies is not mutually exclusive and they may make either joint or separate interventions in connection with the same allegation.

A number of other mechanisms have been developed by the UN Commission on Human Rights (since 2006, the UN Human Rights Council) to look at specific types of human rights violations wherever in the world they occur. These country-specific and … Continue reading →