NCJ Number
133127
Journal
Police Journal Volume: 64 Issue: 4 Dated: (October-December 1991) Pages: 299-308
Date Published
1991
Length
10 pages
Annotation
Standards must be established regarding the use of lethal force by law enforcement agents in juxtaposition to the right to life. Internationally agreed guidelines on this issue reinforce existing national guidelines, serve as a benchmark against which national standards can be gauged, and provide a point of reference in the establishment or improvement of standards in individual countries.
Abstract
The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights explicitly recognizes the right to life and obliges States to enact laws guaranteeing that right and ensuring that individuals are not arbitrarily deprived of their right to life. The European Convention on Human Rights specifically mentions the circumstances under which the taking of life will not contravene the Convention; these include defending a person from unlawful violence, effecting a lawful arrest, or lawfully quelling a riot or insurrection. The United Nations and the Council of Europe have both adopted an ethical text for law enforcement officials. The Eighth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders includes Basic Principles concerning the whole question of force and firearms use by law enforcement agents; the text includes provisions relating to unlawful assemblies, policing procedures for persons in custody or detention, qualifications and training, and reporting and review procedures.