Key principles: Operation of a police oversight body 1. The body should be sufficiently separated from the hierarchy of the police that are subject to its remit; 2. it should be governed and controlled by persons who are not current serving police officers; 3. it should in general have the power and competence to, at its own discretion, address the general public and the media about aspects of its work; 4. to perform its functions effectively it should be provided with adequate finance and resources, and should be funded by the state; 5. its mandate shall be clearly set out in a constitutional, legislative or other formal text, specifying its composition, its powers and its sphere of competence; 6. its investigators must be provided with the full range of police powers to enable them to conduct fair, independent and effective investigations, in particular the power to obtain all the information necessary to conduct an effective investigation; 7. police oversight bodies and the police should proactively ensure that members of the general public are made aware of the role and functioning of the oversight body, and their right to make a complaint; and, 8. the police oversight body shall have adequate powers to carry out its functions and where necessary should have the powers to investigate, to require an investigation or to supervise or monitor the investigation of: i. serious incidents resulting from the actions of police officers; ii. the use of lethal force by police officers or law enforcement officials and deaths in custody; iii. allegations that police officers or law enforcement officials have used torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment; or iv. allegations or complaints about the misconduct of police officers or law enforcement officials; 10