New York University Public Law and Legal Theory Working Papers
Document Type
Article
Abstract
Many human rights charters contain prohibitions on inhuman and degrading treatment of prisoners and detainees. Terms like "inhuman" and "degrading" are difficult to interpret, but they are certainly not meaningless. It is important to attend to attend to the meanings of the words themselves, as well as to the decisions that courts have made about particular practices. Reflection on the meanings of these highly-charged terms reveals important complexity, which we can unpack in a way that enables us to better focus our debate about the proper treatment of prisoners and detainees.
Date of Authorship for this Version
December 2008
Recommended Citation
Waldron, Jeremy, "Cruel, Inhuman, and Degrading Treatment: The Words Themselves" (2008). New York University Public Law and Legal Theory Working Papers. Paper 98.
http://lsr.nellco.org/nyu_plltwp/98