Police use of force and less lethal weaponry. October 2011.
Omega Research Foundation briefing for the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, as part of a European Commission funded 'use of force' project.
Points of interest to the Special Rapporteur and the report on police use of force include recognising, among other recommendations outline in the report:
- The importance of civil society’s contribution and responsibilities.
- The need for “less lethal” weapons to be also viewed as potentially lethal.
- Existing weapons in use that contravene with the Convention Against Torture.
- The need for an effective selection and testing process in order to ensure that such weapons do: “increasingly restrain… the application of means capable of causing death or injury to persons” (Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms, Article 2).
- The need for clear standards, guidelines and policies on the use of less lethal force, which can all too often be lethal.
