CA22128 - Establishing Networks to Implement the Principles on Effective Interviewing for Investigations (IMPLEMENDEZ)

Interviews conducted across the world by police and other law enforcement agencies with suspects, victims and witnesses are crucially important in determining criminal justice outcomes. The Action Team knows from their combined expertise that there are two distinct approaches worldwide.

Firstly, several Member countries have developed (or are developing) an ethical approach termed ‘investigative interviewing’, that aims to obtain detailed and reliable information, while respecting human rights. This approach is consistent with the 2021 United Nations Declaration of the ‘Principles of Effective Interviewing’, known as the ‘Mendez Principles’ after the UN Special Rapporteur; Professor Juan Mendez. Over a three-year period, he led a committee of experts including those in law, forensic psychology and criminology alongside representation from civil society, culminating in the formal declaration of the principles that are grounded in science, law and ethics (see, https://interviewingprinciples.com/).

Secondly, however, it is well chronicled both from the literature and actual cases that law enforcement agencies in most countries remain unaware of the investigative interviewing approach, undertaking unethical practices, characterized by guilt presumption and confession-orientation that often rely on psychological manipulation, intimidation or physical torture, and can lead to miscarriages of justice and failed investigations.

This Action involves a timely and much-needed strategy of convening regional and in-country networks of researchers, practitioners and policy makers working with each other and with the Action Team to build on our early work to enable wider implementation of the ‘Mendez Principles’, ending cruel and inhumane practices that have adversely affected so many lives through unethical interrogations.