If the use of force is unavoidable, General Provision 5 of the Basic Principles on the Use of
Force states that officials shall:
(a) Exercise restraint in such use and act in proportion to the seriousness of the offence and the
legitimate objective to be achieved;
(b) Minimise damage and injury, and respect and preserve human life;
(c) Ensure that assistance and medical aid are rendered to any injured or affected persons at the earliest
possible moment;
(d) Ensure that relatives or close friends of the injured or affected person are notified at the earliest
possible moment.
In Robinson v Jamaica the HRC held that excessive force was used in violation of Articles 7
and 10, as the injuries that the detainee sustained to his head, back, chest and legs went beyond
that which was necessary to remove forcefully a difficult prisoner from a cell.107
Detention: security within detention
The use of restraints (such as shackles) during detention can constitute a violation of CAT or
Articles 7 and/or 10 of the ICCPR, depending on the circumstances:
•
In Cabal and Bertran v Australia,108 the HRC held that shackling the applicants with 12 or
17 link shackles during transport to and from prison and subjecting them to strips and
cavity searches after each visit did not violate the ICCPR. The treatment was justified
because the prisoners posed very high flight risks. Further, the detainees were not singled
out for searches, the manner of the searches minimised embarrassment and the searches
were carried out to ensure the safety and security of the prison.
•
In Mouisel v France109 a prisoner developed leukaemia which became progressively more
serious. The ECHR found that handcuffing the applicant while he was being escorted to
107
Robinson v Jamaica, Communication No. 731/1996: Jamaica. 13/04/2000. CCPR/C/78/D/731/2000 at [10.3].
Cabal and Bertran v Australia, Communication No. 1020/2001: Australia. 19/09/2003.
CCPR/C/78/D/1020/2001 at [8.2].
109
Mouisel v France, judgment of the ECHR, 14 November 2002 at [47].
108
83