Dr Richard Carver has been researching whether torture prevention measures actually work. International law makes detailed prescriptions for the measures that states should adopt to stop torture, but there had been no previous evidence on whether these did indeed have the intended effect. In a multi-country study, Richard and a team of more than 20 researchers discovered that the most important element of prevention is effective safeguards in the hours and days after arrest, including family notification, access to a lawyer, and medical examinations. Some other preventive measures, such as independent complaints procedures, appeared to have no impact. His research has been published as Does Torture Prevention Work? (with Lisa Handley, Liverpool University Press 2016) and, more recently, in the Journal of Human Rights Practice. Our Twitter account is @CENDEPBrookes. My own LinkedIn is https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-carver-3899a699.
