The University of Johannesburg and the Omega Research Foundation are pleased to announce the release of an updated repository on national laws governing police use of force. The website (https://policinglaw.info) contains information on policing legislation for each of the 197 States that can join key global human rights treaties, such as the UN Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The scope of the information covered has also been expanded to include relevant caselaw in national and international courts.
Each of the 197 country profiles describes the general legal regime on use of force under constitutional law as well as dedicated laws on policing and public order management. Particular attention is paid to the regulation of firearms, which under international law can only be used to confront an imminent threat to life or of serious injury. The repository also describes operational guidelines such as standing operating procedures that regulate the use of less-lethal weapons, such as police batons, pepper spray, tear gas, and electric shock weapons.
A valuable new feature of the revamped website is a search engine that looks at the relevant caselaw in national and international courts. The analysis of that caselaw shows how courts have interpreted relevant laws, rules, and regulations, and gives valuable insights into the circumstances that have led to convictions of police officers for acts of excessive or indiscriminate use of force.
The online repository is maintained by the University of Johannesburg. It was originally created at the University of Pretoria by the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial executions, Christof Heyns, in 2017.