Further promotion of the Istanbul Protocol and the documentation of torture to guide and support NGOs and independent doctors and lawyers in their work to investigate and document torture. In order to achieve tangible implementation of the Protocol, however, its principles must also be endorsed and applied by relevant authorities, including official forensic institutions. Governments are legally obliged to promptly and effectively investigate and document allegations of torture, for which the Istanbul Protocol can be a useful tool. This often requires systematic change. The independence of complaint and investigation bodies as well as internal oversight and monitoring is critical. Many states have a sincere aim to improve their legal procedures and set up adequate institutions. However, engaging with and training of government institutions that do not always have a positive will and real wish to change abhorrent practices may have counterproductive effects. As Felicitas Treue warns in her article, there is a risk that state institutions may misuse the Istanbul Protocol and bypass reports by independent experts outside the state. c. The need to have more cases of torture brought to court versus the duty of care of medical professionals. The work of medical and legal professionals entails different ethical allegiances. Lawyers, judges and prosecutors must essentially promote the rule of law. Medical professionals have a duty to ensure clinical independence and produce medical records. While they also have legal obligations, the primary responsibility of medical professionals is to ensure the best interest of their patients, which may not always be to pursue legal redress on their behalf and ensure to society that justice is done. Interviews can be highly stressful for survivors, especially if carried out by professionals who have not been taught specifically how to interact with a traumatised person. On the other hand, many survivors experience that access to justice and recognition of the harm done can have a healing effect. Medical and legal professionals should always observe the highest ethical standards and obtain informed consent before any examination or interview so that 69