law; or the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion No one may be held guilty of any criminal offence which was not an offence at the time it was committed No one may be subjected to a heavier penalty than that which was applicable at the time the offence was committed If the penalty for an offence is reduced by law subsequent to a commission of the offence, the offender must benefit from the lighter penalty Armed conflict Human Rights Standards During armed conflicts and occupation, police are to be considered non-combatants, unless formally incorporated into the armed forces Police have a right to abstain from fulfilling their functions under occupation, by reason of conscience, and this shall not result in an alteration of their status Humanitarian law applies in all situations of armed conflict Principles of humanity must be safeguarded in all situations Non-combatants and persons put out of action by injury, sickness, capture or other cause must be respected and protected 34