Publications

Our Holistic Strategic Litigation Training Modules are a series of Guidance Notes and accompanying pre-designed PowerPoint presentations to support practitioners delivering trainings on strategic litigation against torture, as well as workshop participants. The PowerPoint presentations are editable so that you can tailor them to your specific needs. Modules can be combined, shortened, or supplemented with your own knowledge. They include substantive guidance and further sources of information on the covered topic, as well as key points for practitioners to highlight during each module. They are designed to be usable in an in-person or an online setting. Each module is available in English; a small number are also available in French and Arabic. To download a training module, see the 'Downloads' menu and click on the module or presentation you would like to download.

This practice note provides an overview of the psychological aspects of working with child victims of trauma in strategic litigation. It is designed to help inform civil society organisations and legal practitioners that work on human rights litigation and other forms of public interest litigation involving child victims of torture, sexual abuse, or other forms of trauma. It provides a starting point for lawyers in ensuring they have a basic understanding of the key psychological considerations in such cases, to assist them in instructing and working alongside such experts. It gives an overview of the psychological effects of torture, sexual abuse and other forms of trauma as they particularly relate to children, and their impact on children’s memories. It also outlines important considerations when evidence is being taken from child victims of trauma and on obtaining medico-legal reports.

This practice note explains what holistic strategic litigation is, and how to do it in the context of enforced disappearances in Africa. It makes suggestions based on academic commentaries, research reports, and practical experience. It will be useful for those new to strategic litigation, to find out more about it, and also for more experienced practitioners, to encourage reflection on how they do it. REDRESS would like to thank the Matrix Causes Fund and the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture for their generous support to this project.

This practice note provides guidance for individuals and organisations litigating before regional and international human rights treaty bodies and courts on how to facilitate the implementation of their decisions and judgements. It includes advice and examples on not only legal strategy and how to ensure victims’ involvement, but also on working with local communities, communications, and advocacy. Suggestions are also provided on staffing and fundraising for these activities in an organisation. While the guidance in primarily for those engaging in regional or international litigation, it is also relevant for cases before national courts relating to torture. REDRESS would like to thank the Human Rights Implementation Centre (HRIC) of the University of Bristol Law School, the Matrix Causes Fund and the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture for their generous support for this project.

This practice note shares the experience of REDRESS and Trauma Treatment International (TTI) and is intended to assist clinicians, such as physicians and clinical psychologists, to undertake an assessment and elaborate reports that are compliant with the United Nations Manual on the Effective Investigation and Documentation of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (Istanbul Protocol). REDRESS and TTI would like to thank the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture and the Matrix Causes Fund for their generous support of this project.

This practice note shares the experience of REDRESS running litigation workshops for cases of torture and other serious human rights violations, including enforced disappearance. It is intended to provide guidance on what works best to assist those facilitating this type of workshop, both online and in person. Facilitators are free to try out other styles and methods, as well as to adapt these guidelines to the specific context they are working in. REDRESS would like to thank the Matrix Causes Fund and the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture for their generous support of this project.

This practice note explains what holistic strategic litigation is, and how to do it in the context of torture and ill-treatment cases, in particular before international and regional human rights treaty bodies. It makes suggestions based on academic commentaries, research reports, and practical experience. It will be useful for those new to strategic litigation, to find out more about the technique, and also for more experienced practitioners, to encourage reflection on how they do it. REDRESS would like to thank the Matrix Causes Fund and the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture for their generous support of this project.

Sudan’s transitional government has taken some important steps towards securing justice for past human rights violations and international crimes in Sudan, but more is needed. As this policy briefing discusses, this includes additional progress on the planned justice institutions under the Juba Peace Agreement and Constitutional Charter 2019, and the elimination of remaining legal and institutional obstacles to accountability. To date, the perpetrators of serious human rights violations and international crimes in Sudan have, by and large, not been held accountable, even as human rights violations continue throughout Sudan.