PERSPECTIVES - Bridging voices, inspiring hope

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 describes, it is essential to keep reflecting, keep researching, and keep developing new responses to counter the risk factors that can lead to torture and ill-treatment.

And sometimes those changes need to be immediate, like when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and States, detaining authorities and national monitoring bodies had to respond to an unprecedented public health crisis that left people deprived of liberty more vulnerable than ever before.

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 developments over this period, like the adoption of the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture, might be taken for granted for now, the circumstances at the time were vastly different. 

 Ahead of Barbara’s departure, we sat down to discuss the people and organisations who joined forces to create, develop and strengthen a new global system to open places of detention to independent oversight.

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 practices.

This episode was recorded at a seminar in Kuala Lumpur on the Méndez Principles on Effective Interviewing. We resume with Dr Kai Li describing how an investigator’s presumptions about a person’s guilt or innocence can influence the conduct of an interview.

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.

This series was recorded at a seminar in Kuala Lumpur on the Méndez Principles on Effective Interviewing, where Dr Kai Li shared her research and insights with representatives from civil society organisations and national human rights institutions from Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand.

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 culture to connect with and support indigenous women and men deprived of liberty. 

She is also a strong advocate for reforming detention policies and approaches to better reflect the needs and experiences of indigenous peoples.

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 a number of years, she has seen first-hand the impact of torture on defendants she has represented.

Ms Pradhan was member of the expert drafting committee for the Méndez Principles on Effective Interviewing, sharing her deep insights into the application of human rights to counter-terrorism situations and the impact of torture on fair trials. She is also a forthright media commentator on these issues.

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 torture or other ill-treatment; and preparing reports and recommendations for the United Nations on substantive issues.

Through this, and by working constructively with States, the Special Rapporteur has the potential to drive significant changes to prevent torture and ill-treatment and promote redress for victims.

In this interview, Dr Edwards shares her priorities for the mandate and describes the importance of torture prevention efforts, including the new Méndez Principles on Effective Interviewing.

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 the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism.

Her mandate is frequently contacted by individuals who have experienced torture and ill treatment in the context of the so-called ‘war on terror’. To address these violations, she advocates consistently with States that national counter-terrorism laws must comply with international law and uphold procedural safeguards and due process in practice.

And that’s why the UN Special Rapporteur supports the Méndez Principles. Because they set out an approach to interviewing and information-gathering that protects fundamental rights, upholds the presumption of innocence and focuses on the pursuit of truth in the investigation of serious crimes, including terrorism.

Find out more about the Méndez Principles: https://www.apt.ch/en/mendez-principles-effective-interviewing

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 bringing the Méndez Principles to life: former UN Special Rapporteur on torture, Juan Méndez, and former APT Secretary General, Mark Thomson. 

Together, they co-chaired the Steering Committee established to develop what would become the Principles on Effective Interviewing for Investigations and Information Gathering, with input from experts and practitioners across the globe.

Mark and Juan discuss the motivation for establishing the Principles, the process and challenges of drafting them, and how the Principles add value to efforts in all countries, regardless of legal culture or tradition, to prevent torture and ill-treatment.

Find out more about the Méndez Principles: https://www.apt.ch/en/mendez-principles-effective-interviewing

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 Principles, held in March 2022 as part of the 49th session of the Human Rights. The online event – which was co-sponsored by 15 States here in Geneva and attended by 100 people – discussed the added value of the Méndez Principles at different stages of the criminal justice system

 The side event was also an opportunity to hear directly from experts and practitioners, including Juan Méndez, former UN Special Rapporteur on torture; Solomon Arase, former Inspector General, Nigeria Police Forces; and Luciano Mariz Maia, Associate Prosecutor General, Office of the Prosecutor General of Brazil.

Find out more about the Méndez Principles: https://www.apt.ch/en/mendez-principles-effective-interviewing