The Faculty of Law at the University of Johannesburg and NRF SARCIL is proud to announce the launch of the Law on Police Use of Force Worldwide database.
A project begun under the late Professor Christof Heyns, Centre for Human Rights at the University of Pretoria, together with Professor’s Stuart Casey-Maslen, the project captures a database on the analysis of domestic rules on use of force by law enforcement, globally.
The website provides ‘an academic review of national legal regimes governing the use of force by law enforcement officials.’ These include not only law enforcement official’s such as the police but also border force personnel and security forces which engage in law enforcement tasks. Law which provides the ability to use force is contained in national constitutions, dedicated legislation, general law and subsidiary regulations on specific weapons or tactics. The website has five main sections including: constitutional provisions, treaty provisions, police oversight, case law and national legislation on use of force by police and prison officers.
The website reports on all 197 States recognised by the United Nations Secretary-General with access to country profiles. Its unique features include a separate set of international standards and glossary terms so that researchers and professionals may have easy access to the database.
The Faculty of Law at the University of Johannesburg is proud to manage the creation and content of the database as of August 2024. Visit the website here: https://www.policinglaw.info/
