From: Chris Strawn <chris@nwirp.org>
I was wondering if anyone might be able to point me in the direction of an easily searchable database for UN CAT jurisprudence, if one exists? I’m talking at the national AILA conference (American Immigration Lawyers Association) about CAT claims in the U.S., and while this is mainly focused on U.S. law, I’d like to point people to international materials. As far as I can tell, there is no easily searchable database for CAT jurisprudence (like westlaw or lexis for those of us in the U.S.). Below is a basic set of links I’m planning to give to attendees, and I’d be happy to include any other materials that are useful. Thanks for any suggestions.
Select international materials on CAT
Books, treatises, and guides
Manfred Nowak and Elizabeth McArthur, The United Nations Convention Against Torture: A Commentary (2008)
J. Herman Burgers & Hans Danelius, The United Nations Convention Against Torture: A Handbook on the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or PUnishment (1988).
Association for the Prevention of Torture (APT) and the Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL), Torture in International Law, a guide to jurisprudence (2008) http://www.apt.ch/content/files_res/JurisprudenceGuide.pdf
Finding UN CAT materials: country reports and individual complaints under Art 22 of the CAT (jurisprudence)
UN Committee Against Torture (starting place for reports and publications) http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cat/
Special Rapporteur on Torture (useful for country reports) http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Torture/SRTorture/Pages/SRTortureIndex.aspx
Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (useful for country reports) http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cat/opcat/index.htm
Finding jurisprudence
http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cat/jurisprudence.htm
(recent decisions – decent descriptions)
http://tb.ohchr.org/default.aspx
(poor search but should be comprehensive)
http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/publisher/CAT.html
(UNHCR database, individual complaints generally up to 2011- good for country research as well)
http://www.worldcourts.com/cat/eng/index.htm
(Individual complaints to 2011)
http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/cat/decisions/cat-decisions.html
(Individual complaints to 2009)
http://www.bayefsky.com/
(private site on UN decisions and reports)