OTHMAN (ABU QATADA) v. THE UNITED KINGDOM JUDGMENT 33 were not always consistent with fair trial standards. Finally, in respect of Article 15 of the Convention against Torture, the Committee found: “While noting the existence of article 159 of the Criminal Procedure Code [the exclusion of evidence obtained under duress] which does not refer explicitly to torture, the Committee expressed its concern at reports that the use of forced confessions as evidence in courts is widespread in the State party. ... The State party should take the necessary steps to ensure inadmissibility in court of confessions obtained as a result of torture in all cases in line with the provisions of article 15 of the Convention. The Committee requests the State party to firmly prohibit admissibility of evidence obtained as a result of torture in any proceedings, and provide information on whether any officials have been prosecuted and punished for extracting such confessions.” 3. The Human Rights Committee 108. The United Nations Human Rights Committee’s concluding observations of 18 November 2010 also praised Jordan’s reforms, including the incorporation into domestic law of the ICCPR. However, the Human Rights Committee’s concerns included: the high number of reported cases of torture and ill-treatment in detention centres, particularly in GID facilities; the absence of a genuinely independent complaints mechanism to deal with cases of alleged torture or ill-treatment by public officials, as well as the low number of prosecutions of such cases; the denial of prompt access to a lawyer and independent medical examinations to detainees; and the fact that NGOs had been denied access to detention facilities. Accordingly, the Committee recommended the establishment of an effective and independent mechanism to deal with allegations of torture; proper investigations and prosecutions; immediate access for detainees to a lawyer of their choice and an independent medical examination; and the creation of a system of independent visits to all places of deprivation of liberty. The Committee also expressed its concern at the limited organisational and functional independence of the State Security Court and recommended its abolition. 4. The Special Rapporteur 109. In his report of 5 January 2007 to the Human Rights Council, the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Manfred Nowak, noted inter alia that the GID had refused to allow him private visits with detainees and concluded that: “Many consistent and credible allegations of torture and ill-treatment were brought to the attention of the Special Rapporteur. In particular, it was alleged that torture was practised by General Intelligence Directorate (GID) to extract confessions and obtain intelligence in pursuit of counter-terrorism and national security objectives, and