Czec: 121. Concerning articles 12 and 13 of the Convention, the representative informed the Committee that complaints against the police were the subject of an annual review and statistical returns. In England and Wales, the number of complaints had risen but the number of substantiated cases had dropped. 14 Ne 122. In connection with article 15 of the Convention, the representative 127. referred to the definition of oppression as provided for in section 76 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984. Where it was alleged that a confession had been obtained by oppression, the court was required not to allow it to be used unless it had been established by the prosecution that it had not been obtained by such means. Section 11 of the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1991 did not use the term "oppression", but explicitly referred to torture, inhuman or degrading treatment and to violence or threat of violence. The use of written statements in proceedings was governed by section 78 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act, by article 76 of the Northern Ireland Police and Criminal Evidence Order and by the general law on the exclusion of evidence. A written statement by a witness to the police was admissible only with the consent of the accused. If the statement was contested by the defendant, the witness had to come to court and give oral testimony and if he confirmed his earlier statement in oral testimony, he could be challenged by the defence. 123. With regard to article 16 of the Convention, the representative indicated that corporal punishment had been abolished in publicly funded schools and that the matter of corporal punishment in independent schools was currently being considered by the European Commission of Human Rights in Strasbourg. 124. Finally, the representative indicated that the report drawn up by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture following its visit to the United Kingdom in 1990 would be made public, together with his Government's reply, SUbject to the agreement of that Committee. Concluding observations 125. The Committee stated that, except for the situation existing in Northern Ireland, it could reasonably be said that the Government of the United Kingdom met in virtually every respect the obligations contained in the Convention. On the other hand, the implementation of the Convention in Northern Ireland was far from satisfactory. In that connection, the Committee noted that although Parliament every year reviewed the need to maintain the emergency regime in Northern Ireland, that regime had been in effect for nearly 20 years. The Committee recalled the obligations of States parties under article 2 of the Convention and, in particular, expressed concern over the absence in Northern Ireland of video recordings of interrogations by the police, the lack of a suspect's entitlement to the presence of a solicitor during interrogation, and the refusal of the right to silence. The Committee welcomed the proposal to establish an independent commissioner to inspect interrogation centres but pointed out that, in accordance with article 11 of the Convention, such monitoring must apply to interrogation rules as well as to methods and practices. -26Digitized by Dag Hammarskjöld Library 126. Fede: infol led 1 by tl notec term~ I , civiJ been the s since Novelll priso proce Execu of th into Watch condi manag l viola provi: that J estab: The ai public the FE changE the pI and t'h l 128. F intend articl the Co Tortur also i protoc monito Preven' 129. M4 introdl sought specifi legisl. 9 Januc were tc