There are alternatives to going to court to hold police forces and/or organisations accountable for human rights abuses. Think about whether any of the following could be appropriate for you.
Legal Area
A Police Ombudsman is an independent and impartial office that handles complaints about the conduct of police. The Police Ombudsman’s role is to investigate serious complaints made and conduct of staff working for the government’s law enforcement agencies. Although not all countries have a specific ombudsman that deals uniquely with police complaints, many countries have […]
Legal Area
A civil claim involves arguing that the police violated your private rights in court. The purpose of a civil case is to compensate the person who has been harmed, rather than to punish the relevant authority. If you haven’t suffered a clear form of loss (physical injury, mental injury or financial harm), a civil claim […]
Legal Area
Administrative law, human rights and constitutional law fall under an umbrella called public law. Public law regulates the relationship between the State and individuals. It defines what rights (i.e. the things people are entitled to) individuals have before agencies and government departments and what obligations (i.e. the things people have a duty to do) these public […]
Legal Area
This section of the guide outlines different ways you can enforce your rights and hold the relevant authority responsible for arbitrary detention. These include: (i) Complaints to an independent body such as an “Ombudsman”; (ii) Bringing a civil claim against the police or relevant authority; (iii) Bringing a public law challenge against the police or […]
Legal Area
This section will give you an introduction to the issue of prolonged pre-trial detention, the legal framework and suggest ideas about what you could do if you or someone in your community has been detained for an unduly long time. This is related to the subject of “bail” because the risk of prolonged pre-trial detention […]
Legal Area
This section will give you an introduction to the issue of discriminatory detention without charge, the legal framework and suggest ideas about what you could do if you or someone in your community has been detained discriminatorily.
Legal Area
This section will give you an introduction in the issue of bail, the legal framework and suggest ideas about what you could do if you or someone in your community has been detained without bail.
Legal Area
This section will give you an introduction to the issue of detention without charge, the legal framework and suggest ideas about what you could do if you or someone in your community has been detained with charge.
Legal Area
Human Rights Watch investigates and reports on abuses happening in all corners of the world. They are roughly 450 people of 70-plus nationalities who are country experts, lawyers, journalists, and others who work to protect the most at risk, from vulnerable minorities and civilians in wartime, to refugees and children in need. They direct their […]
Resource Bank
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