by the Istanbul Protocol. Where required, an interpreter -- who should be independent, professional, and gender appropriate -- must be available for the examination; vi) Paragraph 18 (e) 38. The Committee has consistently held that the prohibition on refoulement in Article 3 encompasses a right to an effective remedy. Access to such a remedy is a key safeguard against refoulement.56 In Agiza v. Sweden, this Committee held that, in refoulement cases, the right to an effective remedy requires “an opportunity for effective, independent and impartial review of the decision to expel or remove, once that decision is made, when there is a plausible allegation that article 3 issues arise.”57 In addition to recognising State parties’ obligations to ensure that a person has a right to appeal against a transfer decision/order and that such appeal should have suspensive effect, the General Comment should provide clear guidance to States on the characteristics required of such an appeal process. This Committee has previously stated that such an appeal must be judicial in character. 58 In addition, the Committee’s jurisprudence indicates that the body in charge of the review of the refoulement decision should be: a) effective; b) independent;59 c) impartial;60 d) should provide for a full review of rejected applications, including the possibility to present new evidence and review of the merits;61 and e) should have suspensive effect.62 Furthermore, the State party should guarantee all necessary legal safeguards to ensure the rights of persons facing removal.63 Recommended textual change: 18 (e) The right of appeal by the person concerned against a transfer deportation order to an competent, independent and impartial administrative or judicial body on refoulement grounds, within a reasonable period of time from the notification of that order [Footnote: CAT, Concluding Observations: Hungary, UN Doc. CAT/C/HUN/CO/4, 6 Feb. 2007, para. 10; CAT, Concluding Observations: Finland, UN Doc. CAT/C/FIN/CO/7, 20 Jan. 2017, para. 13; Human Rights Committee, Concluding observation on the seventh periodic report of Ukraine, UN Doc. CCPR/C/UKR/CO/7, 22 August 2013, para. 18] and with 56 CAT, Singh v. Canada, UN Doc. CAT/C/46/D/319/2007, 8 July 2011, paras 7.3 and 9; CAT, Agiza v. Sweden, UN Doc. CAT/C/34/D/233/2003, 20 May 2005, paras 13.6 and 13.7; CAT, Concluding Observations: Djibouti, UN Doc. CAT/C/DJI/CO/1, 22 December 2011, para. 14. 57 CAT, Agiza v. Sweden, UN Doc. CAT/C/34/D/233/2003, 20 May 2005, para. 13.7 58 See for example, CAT, Concluding Observations: Slovenia, UN Doc CAT/C/SVN/CO/3, 20 June 2011, at para.17(b); CAT, Concluding Observations; Bosnia and Herzegovina, UN Doc. CAT/C/BIH/CO/2-5, 20 Jan. 2011, para. 14(a); CAT, Concluding Observations: Finland, UN Doc. CAT/C/FIN/CO/7, 20 Jan. 2017, para. 13(b). 59 See for example, CAT, Concluding Observations: Slovenia, UN Doc CAT/C/SVN/CO/3, 20 June 2011, at para. 17(b). 60 CAT, Concluding Observations: Hungary, UN Doc. CAT/C/HUN/CO/4, 6 Feb. 2007, para. 10. 61 CAT, Concluding Observations: Netherlands, UN Doc. CAT/C/NLD/CO/5-6, 20 June 2013. para. 11(c); CAT, Concluding Observations: Canada, UN Doc. CAT/C/CR/34/CAN, 7 July 2005, para. 5(c); CAT, Singh v. Canada, UN Doc. CAT/C/46/D/319/2007, 8 July 2011, paras 8.8, 8.9 and 9. 62 See for example, CAT, Concluding Observations: Djibouti, UN Doc. CAT/C/DJI/CO/1, 22 Dec. 2011, para. 14; CAT, Concluding Observations: Slovenia, UN Doc. CAT/C/SVN/CO/3, 20 June 2011, para. 17(c); CAT, Concluding Observations: Bosnia and Herzegovina, UN Doc. CAT/C/BIH/CO/2-5, 20 Jan. 2011, para. 14(b). 63 CAT, Concluding Observations: Norway, UN Doc. CAT/C/NOR/CO/6-7, 13 Dec.2012, para.16; CAT, Concluding Observations: Hungary, UN Doc. CAT/C/HUN/CO/4, 6 Feb. 2007, para. 10; CAT, Concluding Observations: Bosnia and Herzegovina, UN Doc. CAT/C/BIH/CO/1, 15 Dec.2005, para. 12; CAT, Concluding Observations: France, UN Doc. CAT/C/FRA/CO/4-6, 20 May 2010, para. 15; CAT, Concluding Observations: Bulgaria, UN Doc. CAT/C/BGR/CO/4-5, 14 December 2011, para. 16. 19 AI Index: IOR 40/6040/2017