C HAPTER 28. A RRANGEMENTS FOR INVESTIGATIONS AND INSPECTIONS OBJECTIVE The objective of this chapter is to underline the importance of investigation procedures to deal with allegations of human rights violations and the importance of both internal and independent forms of inspection and how they should be arranged. This chapter should be cross-referenced with chapter 3 of the Manual, dealing with torture and illtreatment. ESSENTIAL PRINCIPLES Each State party to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment shall ensure a prompt and impartial investigation whenever there are reasonable grounds to believe that an act of torture or illtreatment has been committed. There shall be thorough, prompt and impartial investigation of all suspected cases of extralegal, arbitrary and summary execution, including cases where complaints by relatives on other reliable reports suggest unnatural death in the above circumstances. Prisons shall be inspected regularly by qualified and experienced inspectors from a competent authority separate from the prison administration. Every prisoner shall have the right to communicate freely and confidentially with inspectors, subject only to the demands of good order and discipline in the institution. These principles should be presented visually and remain on display throughout the session. BASIS IN INTERNATIONAL INSTRUMENTS Exercise: Using the Compilation of Instruments, the trainees should work in pairs in order to discover the basis for each of these principles. Ask for the information to be reported back to the group. IMPLICATIONS It is important to distinguish the process of investigating complaints regarding allegations of human rights violations from prison inspection. The international instruments are very clear on this. The essential point with regard to inspections is that an independent inspection service carries considerable benefits for all concerned parties in the prison system, prison staff, detainees and the community, with no disadvantages. 130