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Principle 17
1. A detained person shall be entitled to have the assistance of a legal counsel. He shall be
informed of his right by the competent authority promptly after arrest and shall be provided with
reasonable facilities for exercising it.
2. If a detained person does not have a legal counsel of his own choice, he shall be entitled to
have a legal counsel assigned to him by a judicial or other authority in all cases where the
interests of justice so require and without payment by him if he does not have sufficient means
to pay.
Principle 18
1. A detained or imprisoned person shall be entitled to communicate and consult with his legal
counsel.
2. A detained or imprisoned person shall be allowed adequate time and facilities for consultation
with his legal counsel.
3. The right of a detained or imprisoned person to be visited by and to consult and
communicate, without delay or censorship and in full confidentiality, with his legal counsel may
not be suspended or restricted save in exceptional circumstances, to be specified by law or
lawful regulations, when it is considered indispensable by a judicial or other authority in order to
maintain security and good order.
4. Interviews between a detained or imprisoned person and his legal counsel may be within
sight, but not within the hearing, of a law enforcement official.
5. Communications between a detained or imprisoned person and his legal counsel mentioned in
the present principle shall be inadmissible as evidence against the detained or imprisoned person
unless they are connected with a continuing or contemplated crime.
Principle 19
A detained or imprisoned person shall have the right to be visited by and to correspond with, in
particular, members of his family and shall be given adequate opportunity to communicate with
the outside world, subject to reasonable conditions and restrictions as specified by law or lawful
regulations.
Principle 20
If a detained or imprisoned person so requests, he shall if possible be kept in a place of
detention or imprisonment reasonably near his usual place of residence.
Principle 21
1. It shall be prohibited to take undue advantage of the situation of a detained or imprisoned
person for the purpose of compelling him to confess, to incriminate himself otherwise or to
testify against any other person.
2. No detained person while being interrogated shall be subject to violence, threats or methods
of interrogation which impair his capacity of decision or his judgement.
Principle 22
No detained or imprisoned person shall, even with his consent, be subjected to any medical or
scientific experimentation which may be detrimental to his health.