Justice
The central work of REDRESS is to bring legal claims on behalf of survivors of torture, with their effective participation. The overall objective of this work is to obtain justice and reparation for survivors, hold perpetrators accountable, and ultimately to deter and prevent torture.
Through this work, we also support some of the justice and human rights structures of the international rules-based order, and promote the principle that torture and ill-treatment are wrong in all circumstances.
To obtain justice for survivors of torture, we use strategic litigation to deliver justice and reparation for survivors in the UK, the Netherlands, and around the world. This includes responding to crisis and conflict situations, and pursuing claims against governments, individual perpetrators, and corporate actors. We:
- pursue civil and human rights claims;
- instigate and support prosecutions; and
- facilitate Magnitsky sanctions designations.
To secure international accountability, we deploy our legal expertise and work with national and global partners to promote accountability for international crimes. We:
- support the effective documentation of torture, including through the use of new digital tools;
- develop specific accountability projects in priority country situations, including conflict settings; and
- strengthen our ability to respond to crisis through urgent legal action and policy advocacy.
To promote reform, we use policy advocacy to reform structures, laws, and procedures to promote justice. We:
- develop international standards that support justice and reparation, including for universal jurisdiction, and to restrict amnesties and immunities,
- defend and strengthen courts and other justice mechanisms, including regional systems, UN mechanisms, and the International Criminal Court, and
- encourage leadership against torture, including by challenging laws and policies that undermine the absolute prohibition.
Learn more about our work in Justice UK and Justice International
