2023 in Focus: Strengthening the Anti-Torture Movement
By Peace Amito, Programme Manager
As part of our Solidarity programme, REDRESS has developed an initiative to enhance the reparations practice of our solidarity partners around the world and encourage better outcomes for survivors involved in strategic litigation.
This initiative builds on previous work carried out by our Solidarity programme, through which REDRESS seeks to further the global movement against torture through the mutual sharing of expertise among colleagues and other NGOs.
As part of this work, REDRESS has produced nine practice notes and accompanying training materials on holistic strategic litigation. Each practice note draws on REDRESS’s extensive experience working with this method, and benefits from comprehensive case studies. The practice notes are aimed at providing resources to assist lawyers, activists, and medical professionals bring legal challenges that have a broader societal impact outside of the individual case.
Our two most recent practice notes focus on evaluating the impact of strategic litigation against torture and on good practices for case management, including key principles digital security. Previous practice notes covered the law against torture; holistic strategic litigation against torture; implementation of judgments; the Istanbul Protocol; enforced disappearances in Africa; working with child victims of trauma; and facilitating strategic litigation workshops.
As part of this initiative, REDRESS has also held several anti-torture litigation workshops for partners NGOs in Africa, Asia and Latin America. In addition, we have organised workshops on strategic litigation against LGBTIQ+ torture in South Africa and Malawi, with our partners Access Chapter 2 and CEDEP, and hosted a workshop in Istanbul for Sudanese lawyers, doctors, and trauma specialists on effective investigations of torture.
Our Solidarity programme also seeks working in collaboration with partners through networks and we are currently developing microsites that can serve as a hub for partners around the world to exchange expertise on strategic litigation against torture and to access these resources more easily.
Photo: REDRESS/Workshop in Malawi