An editorial introduction

Abstract

The European Convention against Torture is certainly not the only document published by the international community to compel its states to fight and prevent torture in all its forms. The European Convention, as Rod Morgan observes in his essay published in this journal, does not establish new rules for the prevention and fight against torture but strengthens the obligations which have previously been listed in, for example, the European Convention on Human Rights (art. 3). The European Convention against Torture, however, represents one of the most efficient documents in this area, particularly where it provides for some form of control over abuse committed by States in the form of violence and ill-treatment of prisoners as well as in the raising of public conscience and awareness of prison conditions. There is no doubt that in this sense the most significant element of the European Convention against Torture really consists in the creation of a Commission for the Prevention of Torture. The Commission's role is two-fold, to ,regulate the place and form of detention by collaborating with state authorities and mostly by carrying out inspections inside prisons, and to publish reports on visits made by the Commission inside prisons. These reports carry a critical analysis of the situation, advises on how to improve it as well as the replies provided by the governments concerned to the Commission's observations. [excerpt]