Human Rights and Policing

This is a second, thoroughly revised and expanded edition of a book that has four clear objectives: to provide a concise account and analysis of international human rights and humanitarian law standards relevant to policing; to set out arguments for compliance with those standards; to show how they may be met in two key areas of policing, interviewing suspects of crime, and policing in times of armed conflict, disturbance and tension; and to make practical recommendations on the management of police agencies. Good practice on interviewing suspects and on policing conflict is included because they are areas of policing where human rights are most at risk. Good management practice is included because intelligent management by enlightened leaders is necessary to secure effective, lawful and humane policing.

Ralph Crawshaw is a Fellow of the Human Rights Centre of the University of Essex. He holds degrees in political science and international human rights law from the University of Essex. He completed a career in the police service in 1989 with the rank of Chief Superintendent. He has been extensively involved in the field of human rights and policing, working in an independent capacity with the Council of Europe, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, and the UN Centre for Human Rights. He has worked on human rights programmes for police in Africa, the Middle East, Europe and Asia. He is the co-author of a number of other books on human rights and policing.

Tom Williamson holds a degree in psychology from the University of York, a doctorate in applied social psychology from the University of Kent, and is a chartered psychologist. He was a serving police officer, with experience as a senior detective officer at Scotland Yard and as Commandant of Hendon Police College. He retired in 2001 as Deputy Chief Constable of Nottinghamshire Police. He is a Visiting Professor at the Institute of Criminal Justice Studies, University of Portsmouth and has published extensively on investigative interviewing.

Stuart Cullen completed a 32 year police career in 1995, having attained the rank of superintendent. Since 1995 he has been extensively involved in international police training and reform programmes in Africa, Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean. He has special experience of working on reform programmes in post-conflict societies and societies in transition. He is an associate tutor to the International Faculty at the Leadership Academy for Policing, Bramshill, England and is author and co-author of a number of international publications on comparative policing and democratisation and policing.