Europe has unique mechanisms for the enforcement of human rights law and the prevention of violations. However, as the Council of Europe’s Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights stated “the gap between standards on paper and the actual situation in Europe is striking”. Prison visits of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) and judgments of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) show that torture, death and inhuman or degrading treatment related to healthcare in prisons still occur regularly in Europe. Thousands of detainees spend extended periods in overcrowded, unhygienic prisons where health care standards are not equivalent to those outside prisons. Torture and inadequate health care of prisoners might cause death in custody and are considered violations of Articles 3 and/or 2 of the European Convention of Human Rights. Their investigation, punishment and prevention are an important and timely issue not only for international organizations, NGOs and governments. Academic disciplines from different fields can make important contributions which will greatly benefit from an interdisciplinary approach. Research that bridges the gap between empirical social science and legal analysis is scarce. The scientific quality of this research, through access to the realities of the research field, will be significantly enhanced if different academic disciplines interact more with each other and with international organizations and NGOs.

Chaired by: - Prof. Bernice Elger Center for Legal Medicine, University of Geneva, CH Co-Chairs: - Prof. Paola Gaeta Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights, University of Geneva, CH & University of Florence, IT - Prof. Marcelo Aebi Institute of Criminology and Criminal Law, University of Lausanne, CH Invited Speakers will include (list to be completed): Prof. William Schabas Director of the Irish Centre for Human Rights, National University of Ireland, Galway, IE Prof. Manfred Nowak UN special rapporteur on torture Director of the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Human Rights, Vienna, AT Prof. Derrick Pounder Director of Centre for Forensic and Legal Medicine, University of Dundee, Scotland, UK Prof. Duarte Nuno Vieira Director of the National Institute of Legal Medicine of Portugal President of the International Academy of Legal Medicine Dr. Morris Tidball-Binz Forensic Coordinator, ICRC Dr. Jean-Pierre Restellini Swiss Member of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) Prof. Andrew Coyle International Centre for Prison Studies, King’s College London, UK Prof. Adam Stapleton Adjunct Professor at Northwestern, US Human Rights Centre, University of Essex, UK Prof. Dan Dermengiu National Institute of Legal Medicine "Mina Minovici", RO Member of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) Mr. Stephen Shaw CBE Prisons and Probation Ombudsman for England and Wales, UK Prof. Theophilos Rifiotis Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, BR