National Preventive Mechanism meets NPMs from across Europe
The Norwegian National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) participated in a conference in Strasbourg on 4-5 April 2017 hosted by the Council of Europe regarding the launch of an EU NPM Network.
Articles related to prevention of torture
Body searches – balancing security and dignity
All of the sectors visited by the National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) conduct body searches. In many cases, these measures involve a serious interference in the integrity of an individual, and therefore require a clearly defined basis in law. Findings from the NPM’s visits show that the practical implementation of body searches varies greatly, even among institutions that apply the same legal provisions.
Institutional culture and management: risk or protection?
The Parliamentary Ombudsman has found in connection with its prevention efforts that institutional culture and management can play an important role in the protection of people deprived of their liberty. They are essential to ensuring that people are treated humanely and with dignity, but they can also present a risk of violation.
The right to information
All persons who are deprived of their liberty have a right to and need for good, understandable information. Access to quality information allows detainees to play an active role in safeguarding their own rights, in particular the right to effective remedy. It is therefore important to ensure that necessary information has been received and understood.
The conditions for women in prison in Norway
In December 2016, the Parliamentary Ombudsman published its first thematic report under its OPCAT mandate. ‘Women in prison’ is a summary of the findings that concern female inmates from visits to high security prisons in the period 2014–2016.
Trandum
The report was published on 22 September 2017.
Visit to the police immigration detention centre at Trandum
On the morning of Tuesday 28 March 2017, the Parliamentary Ombudsman's National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) initiated an unannounced visit to the police immigration detention centre at Trandum.
Emergency institution for young people
Read the report's summary and recommendations in English here.
The visit to emergency institution for young people shows the need for clearer procedures for conducting body searches
After a visit to the child welfare service’s emergency institution for young people, the Parliamentary Ombudsman calls for, among other things, clearer procedures for conducting body searches and other searches.
Norgerhaven Prison
‘Inmates who are transferred to Norgerhaven Prison are not guaranteed adequate protection against torture and inhuman or degrading treatment.’ This was Parliamentary Ombudsman Aage Thor Falkanger's conclusion in a report following a visit to the prison.