From 2 to 3 September 2019, the ICJ co-hosted a workshop in Bangkok for justice sector authorities from Thailand on ‘Human Rights Compliant Criminal Investigation and Investigative Interviewing’. The event focused on international law and standards regarding investigative interviewing of victims, witnesses and suspects in criminal cases.
The workshop was co-hosted with Thailand’s Ministry of Justice and the Norwegian Centre of Human Rights, University of Oslo.
The participants included 50 criminal investigators, public prosecutors, representatives of the Ministry of Justice’s Department of Special Investigation (DSI), the Internal Security Operations Command, Ministry of Defense’s Judge Advocate General’s Office, the National Anti-Corruption Commission, the Office of the Narcotics Control Board and the Royal Police Cadet Academy.
A primary objective of the workshop was to promote and explain the principle that interviews which are conducted in compliance with human rights standards produce much more effective results without resort to torture, ill-treatment or coercion. The workshop also addressed the problem of a ‘confession culture’ and looked into how unlawful interrogations threatened the quality and legitimacy of justice sector officials and bodies in meting criminal justice. Participants also conducted discussions and participated in group activities on human memory, investigative management and the conducting of interviews grounded in fundamental principles of international human rights law.
Speakers at the Workshop included:
- Aim-orn Siangyai, Deputy Director General of Thailand’s Rights and Liberties Protection Department, Ministry of Justice;
- Frederick Rawski, Asia Pacific Regional Director, ICJ;
- Gisle Kvanvig, Programme Director for ASEAN/Vietnam, Norwegian Center for Human Rights;
- Asbjørn Rachlew and Dr. Ivar A. Fahsing, experienced investigators from the Norwegian Police Department;
- Lilian M. Stein, Professor at the Psychology Postgraduate Department, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul; and
- Mary Schollum, a criminologist and lead drafter of the Universal Guidelines on Investigative Interviewing.
Background
This workshop is part of the ICJ’s ongoing efforts to ensure the domestic implementation of international law and standards in crime investigation.
Previous ICJ workshops on the above topic have included:
Regional Workshops
- Second Regional Workshop on the Investigation of Unlawful Deaths and Enforced Disappearance in Asia (2018) for State authorities from Thailand, Cambodia and Myanmar
- First Regional Workshop on the Investigation of Unlawful Deaths and Enforced Disappearance in Asia (2018) for State authorities from Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar and Nepal
- Workshop on the Investigation and Prosecution of Gross Human Rights Violations for judges and prosecutors from Tunisia and Libya (2018)
- Workshop on the Investigation of Unlawful Deaths and Enforced Disappearance for Lawyers from Thailand and India (2017)
National Workshops
- Workshop on the Investigation of Unlawful Deaths and Enforced Disappearance for State authorities in Thailand (2019)
- Workshop on the Investigation of Unlawful Deaths and Enforced Disappearance for Lawyers in Nepal (2018)
- Workshop on the Investigation of Unlawful Deaths and Enforced Disappearance for Public Prosecutors in Nepal (2018)
- Workshop on the Investigation of Unlawful Deaths and Enforced Disappearance for Authorities in Thailand (2017)