Book contents
- The Right to Life under International Law
- The Right to Life under International Law
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Foreword
- Acknowledgements
- Table of Cases
- An Historical Introduction to the Right to Life
- Part I Overview of the Right to Life under International Law
- Part II Major Themes
- 5 Deaths as a Result of Armed Conflict
- 6 Jus ad Bellum, Aggression, and the Right to Life
- 7 The Use of Force in Law Enforcement
- 8 Counterterrorism
- 9 The Death Penalty
- 10 Deaths in Custody
- 11 Abortion
- 12 Euthanasia and Suicide
- 13 Poverty and Starvation
- 14 Assemblies, Demonstrations, and Protests
- 15 Arms Control and Disarmament
- 16 Enforced Disappearance
- 17 Accidents, Disease, and Natural Disasters
- 18 Pollution and Climate Change
- 19 Autonomous Use of Force
- 20 Slavery
- Part III The Protection of At-Risk Groups and Individuals
- Part IV Accountability
- Part V Human Rights Machinery Protecting the Right to Life
- Part VI Outlook
- Index
10 - Deaths in Custody
from Part II - Major Themes
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 02 September 2021
- The Right to Life under International Law
- The Right to Life under International Law
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Foreword
- Acknowledgements
- Table of Cases
- An Historical Introduction to the Right to Life
- Part I Overview of the Right to Life under International Law
- Part II Major Themes
- 5 Deaths as a Result of Armed Conflict
- 6 Jus ad Bellum, Aggression, and the Right to Life
- 7 The Use of Force in Law Enforcement
- 8 Counterterrorism
- 9 The Death Penalty
- 10 Deaths in Custody
- 11 Abortion
- 12 Euthanasia and Suicide
- 13 Poverty and Starvation
- 14 Assemblies, Demonstrations, and Protests
- 15 Arms Control and Disarmament
- 16 Enforced Disappearance
- 17 Accidents, Disease, and Natural Disasters
- 18 Pollution and Climate Change
- 19 Autonomous Use of Force
- 20 Slavery
- Part III The Protection of At-Risk Groups and Individuals
- Part IV Accountability
- Part V Human Rights Machinery Protecting the Right to Life
- Part VI Outlook
- Index
Summary
This chapter describes the duty of States to prevent and investigate deaths that occur while a person is in their formal custody or is otherwise being detained by the authorities. When a person is held in a place of detention, the risks of him or her being killed or seriously harmed, whether at the hands of warders or by other inmates, are acute. In addition, a detainee may decide to commit suicide, whether as a consequence of mental health issues, the broader circumstances of incarceration, or directly as a result of his or her treatment while in detention. Inadequate provision of medical care, food, or water may also contribute to a premature death. Of course, detainees can and do also die from natural causes.
- Type
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- Information
- The Right to Life under International LawAn Interpretative Manual, pp. 233 - 253Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2021