British law forbids torture and the UK is also a signatory of the UN Convention Against Torture (UNCAT), which enjoys its 25th anniversary today. The global human rights instrument requires member parties to prevent torture within their borders and prohibits them from transporting people anywhere where they may be tortured. It was adopted by the UN General Assembly in December 1984 and came into force on 26 June 1987. As such today is now known as International Day in Support of Torture Victims.
Unfortunately despite the UNCAT and strong international condemnation, the use of torture persists. In the late 1990s statistics suggested it was still being employed in one nation out of every three. Worse still its dark shadow continues to loom heavily over the UK.
Recently more and more evidence has emerged of British involvement in the US’ post-9/11 programme of rendition and mistreatment – from torture flights to Binyam Mohamed. So much so that in July 2010 the Government announced an inquiry into the allegations. Regrettably the resulting Gibson Inquiry was a toothless, secretive internal review rather than a properly transparent investigation. Thankfully in January this year it was scrapped – an “independent, judge-led” alternative is due to follow once police inquiries into possible UK complicity in Libyan rendition have concluded.
That cancellation was encouraging. But there are other areas in which the Government should remember our country’s position on torture and our role as a UNCAT signatory. For example, Ministers should be mindful of the prohibition of torture as it perseveres with its odious Justice and Security Bill. Dubbed a “toolkit for cover-ups” in the Lords last week, the proposed legislation would have prevented the worst excesses of the War on Terror from ever being exposed had it previously been in force.
Some may disagree with these sentiments, particularly when it comes to terror suspects and those who wish us harm. But torture evidence is unreliable and offensive to basic standards of humanity, decency and justice. And this goes beyond fairness and the Rule of Law. Torture actually breeds more terrorism than it prevents – presenting dictators the world over with a convenient distraction behind which they can bury their own dreadful breaches of basic human rights.
- Find about more about the prohibition of torture
