purposes as obtaining from him or a third person information or a confession, punishing
him for an act he or a third person has committed or is suspected of having committed, or
intimidating or coercing him or a third person, or for any reason based on discrimination of
any kind, when such pain or suffering is inflicted by or at the instigation of or with the consent
or acquiescence of a public official or other person acting in an official capacity. It does not
include pain or suffering arising only from, inherent in or incidental to lawful sanctions.
2.
This article is without prejudice to any international instrument or national legislation which
does or may contain provisions of wider application.
Article 2
1.
Each State Party shall take effective legislative, administrative, judicial or other measures to
prevent acts of torture in any territory under its jurisdiction.
2.
No exceptional circumstances whatsoever, whether a state of war or a threat of war, internal
political in stability or any other public emergency, may be invoked as a justification of torture.
3.
An order from a superior officer or a public authority may not be invoked as a justification
of torture.
Article 3
1.
No State Party shall expel, return (“refouler”) or extradite a person to another State where
there are substantial grounds for believing that he would be in danger of being subjected to
torture.
2.
For the purpose of determining whether there are such grounds, the competent authorities
shall take into account all relevant considerations including, where applicable, the existence
in the State concerned of a consistent pattern of gross, flagrant or mass violations of human
rights.
Article 4
1.
Each State Party shall ensure that all acts of torture are offences under its criminal law.
The same shall apply to an attempt to commit torture and to an act by any person which
constitutes complicity or participation in torture. 2. Each State Party shall make these
offences punishable by appropriate penalties which take into account their grave nature.
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