Reporting Killings as Human Rights Violations Handbook
How to document and respond to potential violations of the right to life within the international system for the protection of human rights
By Kate Thompson and Camille Giffard
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Reporting Killings as Human Rights Violations HandbookHow to document and respond to potential violations of the right to life within the international system for the protection of human rightsBy Kate Thompson and Camille Giffard |
| Handbook links: | website home page |
| Table of Contents - Search - Part I: Essential Reading - Part II: Identifying a Potential Violation - Part III: How to Document Allegations of Unlawful Killings - Part IV: Responding to the Information Collected - Part V: Where can you Seek Further Help? - Appendices | |
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Publishing Information, Contributors and Acknowledgements
2.3.4. Support and rehabilitation of witnesses, relatives and friends of the victim
3. WHAT YOU CAN ACHIEVE BY TAKING ACTION
3.1. Draw attention to a situation/establish a pattern of violations
3.2. Seek a remedy for an individual victim
PART II - IDENTIFYING A POTENTIAL VIOLATION
2.2. International Law of Armed Conflict
2.3. Individual criminal responsibility under international law
3.1. Prohibition of arbitrary killing
3.2. Obligation to protect the right to life
3.2.1. General obligation to protect
3.2.2. State officials and the obligation to protect
3.3. Obligation to conduct an effective investigation
3.4. Obligation to provide an effective domestic remedy
3.5. Enforced disappearances as a violation of the right to life
PART III - HOW TO DOCUMENT ALLEGATIONS OF UNLAWFUL KILLINGS
2. BASIC AIMS OF DOCUMENTATION
3.2.3. Conducting the interview
3.2.3.2. How should you begin the interview?
3.2.3.3. Should you keep notes of the interview?
3.2.3.4. By whom should the interview be conducted?
3.2.3.5. Are there any special considerations to keep in mind when using interpreters?
3.2.3.6. What can you do to make the interviewee feel more at ease?
3.2.3.7. How can you deal with people who are too afraid to talk?
3.2.3.9. How can you address the sensitivity of the subject-matter?
3.2.3.10. What can you do to maximise the reliability of information?
3.2.3.12. Are there any special considerations to take into account when interviewing children?
4.2. Basic facts about the killing
4.2.1. Who - is there a dead body and what is its identity?
4.2.2. When, where - the scene of the killing?
4.2.3. Why and how - cause and manner of death?
4.2.3.1. Sources of evidence for establishing cause and manner of death
4.3. History and circumstances of the killing
4.3.1. What you need to know about the deceased
4.3.2. The scene and the suspects
4.3.4. Death in custody and non-custodial residential settings
4.3.4.2. Circumstances and location of detention
4.4.1.1. General legislation and regulations
4.4.1.2. Documentation on the state's response in the individual case
PART IV - RESPONDING TO THE INFORMATION COLLECTED
1. INTRODUCTION TO POSSIBLE COURSES OF ACTION
1.1. Action at the international level
1.1.1. Range of international procedures
1.1.1.1. Origin of the mechanism
1.1.1.2. Functions of the mechanism
1.1.2. How to select an international procedure
1.1.2.1. Availability: which mechanisms are open to you?
1.1.2.2. Suitability: which mechanisms are most suited to your objectives?
1.2. Action at the national level
1.2.3. Human rights proceedings in national courts
1.2.4. Administrative proceedings
1.2.5. Disciplinary proceedings
2. WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT INTERNATIONAL REPORTING MECHANISMS AND HOW TO USE THEM
2.1. What kind of general characteristics should your communication have?
2.2. Submitting information to a body engaged in monitoring: what should your communication include?
2.2.1. Sending general information to a monitoring body
2.2.2. Sending an individual allegation to a monitoring body
2.3. Submitting information in the context of the state reporting procedure
2.3.1. How does the state reporting procedure work?
2.3.3. What should an NGO report in the context of the state reporting procedure contain?
2.3.4. Practical tips for submitting information in the context of the state reporting procedure
2.4. Submitting information to a body engaged in fact-finding
2.4.1. Submitting information in advance of a fact-finding visit
3. WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT INTERNATIONAL COMPLAINT PROCEDURES AND HOW TO USE THEM
3.1. What can you seek to achieve by using individual complaint procedures?
3.2. What kind of complaints can individual complaint procedures examine?
3.3. How do individual complaint procedures work?
3.3.2.1. What is admissibility?
3.3.2.2. Why might a complaint be declared inadmissible?
3.3.2.2.1. What does 'exhaustion of domestic remedies' mean?
3.4. What should an application under an individual complaint procedure contain?
3.5. Practical tips for using individual complaint procedures
4. THE MECHANISMS AND PROCEDURES: UNITED NATIONS
4.1. Introduction to the United Nations system
4.2. Reporting mechanisms within the United Nations system
4.2.1. The United Nations Non-Treaty Procedures
4.2.1.1. The revised 1503 Procedure
4.2.1.1.1. How does the revised 1503 Procedure work?
4.2.1.1.2. What can you achieve by submitting information to the revised 1503 Procedure?
4.2.1.1.3. What should a communication to the revised 1503 Procedure contain?
4.2.1.2. The Special Procedures of the UN Commission on Human Rights
4.2.1.2.1. Thematic Rapporteurs and Working Groups
4.2.1.2.2. Special Rapporteur on Extra-Judicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions
4.2.2. The United Nations Treaty Bodies
4.2.2.1. Human Rights Committee
4.3. Complaint procedures within the United Nations system
4.3.1. The Human Rights Committee
5. THE MECHANISMS AND PROCEDURES: REGIONAL
5.1.1. Complaint Procedure: The European Convention on Human Rights
5.1.1.1. What are the admissibility requirements?
5.2. The Inter-American System
5.2.1. Reporting Mechanism: The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
5.2.1.1. How does the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights work?
5.2.1.3. What should a communication to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights contain?
5.2.2. Complaint Procedure: the Inter-American Commission and Court of Human Rights
5.2.2.1. What can you achieve by using this procedure?
5.2.2.2. What kind of complaints can be examined?
5.3.1.1. African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights
5.3.1.2. The African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child
5.3.1.3. Special Rapporteur on Extra-Judicial Executions in Africa
5.3.1.4. Special Rapporteur on Prisons and Conditions of Detention in Africa
5.3.2.1. The African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights
5.3.2.2. What are the admissibility requirements?
5.3.2.4. African Committee on the Rights and Welfare of the Child
6. COMPARATIVE EVALUATION TABLES OF THE INTERNATIONAL PROCEDURES
PART V - WHERE CAN YOU SEEK FURTHER HELP?
1. WHY YOU MAY WISH TO SEEK FURTHER HELP?
2. SOME SPECIFIC SOURCES OF HELP
2.1. International Committee of the Red Cross
2.2. UN High Commissioner for Refugees
2.3. Field missions and visits
2.4. International Fact-Finding Commission
2.5. International and national or local NGOs, and other support organisations
1. APPENDIX I - LIST OF RELEVANT INSTRUMENTS
2. APPENDIX II - CONTACT DETAILS AND OBTAINING FURTHER INFORMATION
3. APPENDIX III - STANDARD APPLICATION FORMS
4. APPENDIX IV - INTERNATIONAL LAW TEXTS
