PERSPECTIVES - Bridging voices, inspiring hope

This episode of Perspectives is the first of two with outgoing APT Secretary General Barbara Bernath Barbara joined the APT in 1997 and worked in a variety of roles before being appointed Secretary General in 2018. Over more than 25 years, she has witnessed transformational changes take place in global, regional and national efforts to prevent torture and ill-treatment. But while some of the major...

This episode of Perspectives is the second in a two-part series with outgoing APT Secretary General Barbara Bernath. Barbara joined the APT in 1997 and worked in a variety of roles before being appointed Secretary General in 2018. Much has changed over the past 25 years in how we talk about and approach torture prevention, at the international, regional and national levels. However, as Barbara des...

This episode of Perspectives is the second in a two-part series exploring the psychology of police interviewing. Associate Professor Doctor Kai Li Chung is Head of Psychology at the University of Reading, Malaysia. A leading researcher in forensic psychology, her research explores how psychology can be applied to improve criminal justice systems, with a focus on investigative interviewing practice...

This episode of Perspectives is the first of two episodes exploring the psychology of police interviewing. Associate Professor Doctor Kai Li Chung is Head of Psychology at the University of Reading, Malaysia. A leading researcher in forensic psychology, her research explores how psychology can be applied to improve criminal justice systems, with a focus on investigative interviewing practices. Thi...

In this episode of Perspectives, we are delighted to share an interview with Hazel Miron, Senior Investigator with Canada’s Office of the Correctional Investigator. During a career spanning three decades, Hazel has worked both within detention facilities and now as a detention monitor. Hazel is a proud Cree woman and a member of the Sucker Creek First Nation. She uses her indigenous knowledge and...

In this episode of Perspectives, we are delighted to share an interview with Alka Pradhan, an extraordinary lawyer and advocate for torture prevention.  Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of Pennsylvania, Ms Pradhan serves as Human Rights Counsel for Ammar al Baluchi at the Guantanamo Bay Military Commissions, and as Associate Counsel for Al Hassan at the International Criminal Court. Over...

In this episode of Perspectives, we are delighted to share an interview with the new UN Special Rapporteur on torture, Dr Alice Edwards.  Appointed in July 2022, she is the first woman to hold the mandate. Often described as the “global conscience on torture”, her mandate includes conducting country visits and visits to places of detention; receiving communications from individuals alleging tortur...

This episode is the fifth in our series on the Méndez Principles on Effective Interviewing: a new approach to prevent torture. The Principles aim to end accusatory, coercive and confession-driven practices during investigations; practices we know can lead to torture and ill-treatment. In this episode, we are pleased to share with you insights from Fionnuala Ní Aoláin, the UN Special Rapporteur on...

This episode is the fourth in our series on the Méndez Principles on Effective Interviewing: a new approach to prevent torture. The Principles aim to end accusatory, coercive and confession-driven practices during investigations; practices we know can lead to torture and ill-treatment. In this podcast, we are delighted to share a special conversation between the two individuals responsible for bri...

This episode is the third in our series on the Méndez Principles on Effective Interviewing : a new approach to prevent torture. The Principles aim to end accusatory, coercive and confession-driven practises during investigations; practises we know can lead to torture and ill-treatment.  In this podcast, we are delighted to share with you highlights from a special side event on the Méndez Principle...

This is the second episode in a series exploring  the Méndez Principles on Effective Interviewing : a new tool to help end coercive interviewing.  The Méndez Principles are designed to support investigators collect reliable information – not a confession – using rapport-based interviewing techniques. They also uphold the rights of those being interviewed by ensuring that key safeguards are respect...

This is the first episode in a series exploring  the Mêndez Principles on Effective Interviewing: a new tool to help end coercive interviewing.  The Méndez Principles are designed to support investigators collect reliable information – not a confession – using rapport-based interviewing techniques. They also uphold the rights of those being interviewed by ensuring that key safeguards are respected...

This episode is the first in a series looking at how oversight bodies around the world are promoting safety and fairness for women in contact with the criminal justice system. It’s part of the APT’s global campaign on women and prison.  Our goal is to support national oversight bodies in their efforts to promote implementation of the UN Bangkok Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-cu...

This episode is the first in a series looking at the impact of COVID-19 on places of detention – for people deprived of liberty and their relatives, the staff who work there and the monitoring teams who carry out visits.  At the start of the pandemic, governments recognised that closed facilities like prisons had the potential to be ‘super spreaders’ of the virus among detainees and staff.   So in...

One month ago, on 25 May, George Floyd was tortured and murdered by a police officer in Minneapolis, USA. Mr. Floyd’s killing is yet another manifestation of the violence and horror that exists at the nexus of systemic racism and police brutality. It has also sparked worldwide anti-racism protests and reinvigorated a movement calling for profound reform and rethinking of law enforcement. This week...

In the current public health crisis, persons deprived of liberty are exposed to greater health risks. The present situation exacerbates existing situations of vulnerabilities of a population already disproportionately suffering from chronic respiratory diseases, cardiovascular conditions, or immunodeficiency. A pandemic situation such as this one force monitoring bodies to think differently in ord...

In the current public health crisis, persons deprived of liberty are exposed to greater health risks. The present situation exacerbates existing situations of vulnerabilities of a population already disproportionately suffering from chronic respiratory diseases, cardiovascular conditions, or immunodeficiency. A pandemic situation such as this one forces monitoring bodies to think differently in or...

In the current public health crisis, persons deprived of liberty are exposed to greater health risks. The present situation exacerbates existing situations of vulnerability of a population already disproportionately suffering from chronic respiratory diseases, cardio-vascular conditions, or immunodeficiency. A pandemic situation such as this one forces monitoring bodies to think differently in ord...