Publications

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.

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 judgments. 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.

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.

This practice note is primarily intended to assist clinicians such as physicians and clinical psychologists to undertake an assessment and produce a report that adheres to the Manual on the Effective Investigation and Documentation of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (Istanbul Protocol).

This guide is part of a series of practice notes designed to support holistic strategic litigation on behalf of torture survivors. It is aimed at lawyers, researchers, activists, and health professionals who assist torture survivors in the litigation process. It reproduces the substantive provisions of key international and regional legal instruments on the protection against and prevention of torture. It can be used to identify the elements of the crime of torture in the context of international and regional human rights law, humanitarian and criminal law, and provides for standards on redress and the treatment of persons in detention. It can help inform legal arguments and provide for quick reference at hearings or meetings. 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.

The 2021 Universal Jurisdiction Annual Review (UJAR) highlights the impact of COVID-19 on prosecutions of torture, war crimes and other universal jurisdiction crimes across the world. It was researched and produced by TRIAL International with the contribution of REDRESS, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, the International Federation for Human Rights, the Center for Justice and Accountability and Civitas Maxima. It benefited from the generous support of the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy, the Oak Foundation, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office of the United Kingdom and the City of Geneva.

REDRESS and the People's Legal Aid Centre (PLACE) made this submission as part of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Sudan. The submission focuses on progress made by Sudan's transitional government towards the effective prohibition of torture and other human rights abuses, as well as the additional steps needed to ensure their non-repetition and accountability for past violations,

The REDRESS 2025 Strategy sets out the priorities for the charity, with specific deliverables developed each year by the staff and the board for each of the programme areas. From 2021-2025 REDRESS will focus its efforts on the practical measures that are needed to deliver justice and reparation for survivors, and to ensure their wellbeing. We will target situations where we can have the most impact, particularly for torture relating to dissent and discrimination. We will significantly enhance our capacity to combat torture by building our pro bono networks and improving how we work with our global partners, while also developing the management and governance of REDRESS, and building our team.