CCPR/C/GC/35
integrity proceeding from any governmental or private actors.15 States parties must take
both measures to prevent future injury and retrospective measures, such as enforcement of
criminal laws, in response to past injury. For example, States parties must respond
appropriately to patterns of violence against categories of victims such as intimidation of
human rights defenders and journalists, retaliation against witnesses, violence against
women, including domestic violence, the hazing of conscripts in the armed forces, violence
against children, violence against persons on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender
identity,16 and violence against persons with disabilities. 17 They should also prevent and
redress unjustifiable use of force in law enforcement, 18 and protect their populations against
abuses by private security forces, and against the risks posed by excessive availability of
firearms.19 The right to security of person does not address all risks to physical or mental
health and is not implicated in the indirect health impact of being the target of civil or
criminal proceedings.20
II. Arbitrary detention and unlawful detention
10.
The right to liberty of person is not absolute. Article 9 recognizes that sometimes
deprivation of liberty is justified, for example, in the enforcement of criminal laws.
Paragraph 1 requires that deprivation of liberty must not be arbitrary, and must be carried
out with respect for the rule of law.
11.
The second sentence of paragraph 1 prohibits arbitrary arrest and detention, while
the third sentence prohibits unlawful deprivation of liberty, i.e., deprivation of liberty that is
not imposed on such grounds and in accordance with such procedure as are established by
law. The two prohibitions overlap, in that arrests or detentions may be in violation of the
applicable law but not arbitrary, or legally permitted but arbitrary, or both arbitrary and
unlawful. Arrest or detention that lacks any legal basis is also arbitrary. 21 Unauthorized
confinement of prisoners beyond the length of their sentences is arbitrary as well as
unlawful;22 the same is true for unauthorized extension of other forms of detention.
Continued confinement of detainees in defiance of a judicial order for their release is
arbitrary as well as unlawful.23
12.
An arrest or detention may be authorized by domestic law and nonetheless be
arbitrary. The notion of “arbitrariness” is not to be equated with “against the law”, but must
be interpreted more broadly to include elements of inappropriateness, injustice, lack of
predictability and due process of law,24 as well as elements of reasonableness, necessity and
proportionality. For example, remand in custody on criminal charges must be reasonable
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
1560/2007, Marcellana and Gumanoy v. Philippines, para. 7.7. States parties also violate the right to
security of person if they purport to exercise jurisdiction over a person outside their territory by
issuing a fatwa or similar death sentence authorizing the killing of the victim. See concluding
observations: Islamic Republic of Iran (CCPR/C/79/Add.25, 1993), para. 9; paragraph 63 below
(discussing extraterritorial application).
See concluding observations: El Salvador (CCPR/CO/78/SLV, 2003), para. 16.
See concluding observations: Norway (CCPR/C/NOR/CO/6, 2011), para. 10.
613/1995, Leehong v. Jamaica, paras. 9.3; see Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by
Law Enforcement Officials (1990).
See concluding observations: Philippines (CCPR/C/PHL/CO/4, 2012), para. 14.
1124/2002, Obodzinsky v. Canada, para. 8.5.
414/1990, Mika Miha v. Equatorial Guinea, para. 6.5.
See concluding observations: Brazil (CCPR/C/BRA/CO/2, 2005), para. 16.
856/1999, Chambala v. Zambia, para. 7.3.
1134/2002, Gorji-Dinka v. Cameroon, para. 5.1; 305/1988, Van Alphen v. Netherlands, para. 5.8.
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