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STRASBOURG, 03.05.2001 - The United Kingdom Government has requested the publication of the report of the COUNCIL OF EUROPE’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) on the visit to Northern Ireland in November/December 1999 and of its response. The visit was carried out within the framework of the CPT's programme of periodic visits for 1999; it was the Committee’s second visit to Northern Ireland.
Under Article 11 of the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, the information gathered by the Committee in relation to a visit, its report and its consultations with the State concerned are confidential. However, the State may decide to lift the rule of confidentiality provided for in the Convention.
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The CPT's delegation met Adam INGRAM, Minister of State with responsibility for security, including policing, criminal justice and prisons. Other authorities met during the visit included Brice DICKSON, Chief Commissioner of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, Nuala O'LOAN, Police Ombudsman Designate for Northern Ireland, and Louis BLOM-COOPER, Independent Reviewer of the Holding Centres.
In the report on its July 1993 visit to Northern Ireland (published in November 1994), the CPT criticised conditions in police holding centres and, more particularly, at Castlereagh Holding Centre in Belfast. The 1999 visit afforded an opportunity to review the situation in the holding centres. At the end of the visit the delegation called upon the United Kingdom authorities to close the Holding Centre at Castlereagh without further delay; the Holding Centre was closed on 31 December 1999.
Other matters examined during the visit included the operation in practice of the safeguards offered to persons detained under current emergency legislation, and the likely impact of replacement measures proposed in the new Terrorism Bill, which was introduced in the House of Commons
during the CPT's visit.Issues tackled by the CPT for the first time in Northern Ireland included the holding of immigration detainees in prisons, and the detention of young persons in juvenile justice centres.
The CPT's delegation visited the following places of detention:
Police establishments
- Castlereagh Holding Centre, Belfast
- Gough Barracks Holding Centre, Armagh
- Musgrave Street Police Station, Belfast
Prisons
- Maghaberry Prison
- Magilligan Prison
Juvenile Justice Centres
- Lisnevin Juvenile Justice Centre
- Rathgael Juvenile Justice Centre
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The CPT was set up under the 1987 European Convention for the prevention of torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. 41 of the 43 member States of the Council of Europe are bound by the Convention: Albania, Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, "The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia", Turkey, Ukraine and the United Kingdom.
The CPT is composed of persons from a variety of backgrounds: lawyers, medical doctors, police and prison experts, persons with parliamentary experience, etc. The Committee’s task is to examine the treatment of persons deprived of their liberty. For this purpose, it is entitled to visit any place where such persons are held by a public authority and to interview those persons in private. The Committee may formulate recommendations to strengthen, if necessary, their protection against torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
The CPT organises periodic visits as well as other visits which appear to it be required in the circumstances.
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The CPT's report on its visit to Northern Ireland in 1999 (59 pages) and the response of the United Kingdom Government (24 pages) can be obtained from:
A 5 page summary of the CPT's main findings can be faxed upon request.
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