CAT/C/CR/29/1
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4.
The Committee welcomes the recent legislative, administrative and institutional
developments that took place in the State party since the consideration of its previous periodic
report, namely:
(a)
The bill for the amendment of the Ratification Law making the subjection to
cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment as described in article 16 of the
Convention a criminal offence, and providing for the presumption of ill-treatment if it is
ascertained by medical examination that the person detained bears external injuries which were
not present at the time of arrest;
(b)
The adoption of the Protection of Witnesses Law by the Parliament with a view to
securing anonymity of witnesses;
(c)
The adoption of the Law on the Prevention of Domestic Violence;
(d)
The enactment of a new law in 2000 for the suppression of trafficking in persons
and of the sexual exploitation of children;
(e)
The abolition of the death penalty;
(f)
The amendment of the Aliens and Immigration Law to provide additional
protection to persons claiming refugee status;
(g)
The enactment of a new law for the payment of adequate compensation;
(h)
The decision of the Council of Ministers to empower the Attorney-General to
appoint criminal investigators to investigate allegations of criminal conduct by police;
(i)
The new measures taken to give effect to the newly adopted Psychiatric
Treatment Law;
(j)
The improvement and renovation of prison facilities;
(k)
The establishment of a national institution for the promotion and protection of
human rights;
(l)
The establishment of a Police Human Rights Office to receive and investigate
complaints of human rights violations by police officers;
(m)
The introduction of a programme for the training of judges of first instance courts
in the field of human rights.