TORTURE AND FORCED CONFESSIONS IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM AND TANZANIA

‘Governments that block the aspirations of their people, that steal or are corrupt, that oppress and torture or that deny freedom of expression and human rights should bear in mind that they will find it increasingly hard to escape the judgment of their own people, or where warranted, the reach of international law.’ - William Hague

Abstract

This article is a comparative study on torture of suspects in both the UK and Tanzania in the light of municipal legislations and international instruments. The article examines the local statues and International Instruments which provide for protection of suspects against torture, rights to the suspects and the procedures to be followed by the investigating machinery including police officers. International instruments and municipal laws of the UK and Tanzania prohibit torture. However, there are provisions of law which to a certain extent leave room for the investigation machinery to use unreasonable force and therefore causing torture to suspects during the investigation process. The article has also discussed the interpretation of international instruments and local laws by the courts of the UK and Tanzania.