1 Introduction Torture has been consistently prohibited in international human rights and humanitarian law for more than half a century and has been condemned in a number of international conventions.* The prohibition is absolute and no exceptions, including situations of public emergency and war, may be evoked to legitimise the use of torture. Despite this, occurrences of torture and other forms of ill treatment are still widespread and continue to be practiced in over 100 countries. International law obliges states to investigate allegations of torture and to punish those responsible. It also requires that victims of acts of torture are able to obtain reparation and have an enforceable remedy to fair and adequate compensation, restitution of their rights and as full a rehabilitation as possible. Nevertheless, torturers are seldom brought to court and torture survivors rarely receive any kind of redress as compensation for their suffering. One of the major challenges in fighting impunity is to obtain sufficient evidence in cases against alleged perpetrators. Medical1 examination of alleged victims *Throughout the Manual the term ‘torture’ is used for brevity. It does, however, also include other forms of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment as defined in Article 3 in the UN Convention against Torture. and documentation of torture can play a crucial role in bringing evidence of torture and ill treatment to light. In order to support investigations into torture allegations, forensic examination teams often have to travel abroad and may have to work in sometimes politically sensitive climates, or in conflict or postconflict situations. The missions may contribute to legal investigations into allegations of torture, investigations of human rights violations, the work of international commissions and ‘truth commissions’, and assessments of needs for treatment. During the missions teams may face challenges related to local rules and regulations, the availability of diagnostic equipment and facilities, safety and security, language, and confidentiality issues. The teams should consist of resourceful people used to finding solutions; however, finding solutions on the spot is time-consuming and may compromise the quality of the investigation and the time spent with the alleged torture victim. The Manual on the Effective Investigation and Documentation of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment – known as the Istanbul Protocol2 – provides internationally recognised standards on how to identify, 9