(v) anyone charged with a criminal offence will have the right to defend himself in person or
through legal assistance of his own choosing or, if he has not sufficient means to pay for legal
assistance, to be given it free when the interests of justice so require;
(vi) any person arrested or detained will have the right, without undue delay, to notify or to
require the competent authority to notify appropriate persons of his choice of his arrest,
detention, imprisonment and whereabouts; any restriction in the exercise of this right will be
prescribed by law and in accordance with international standards;
(vii) effective measures will be adopted, if this has not already been done, to provide that law
enforcement bodies do not take undue advantage of the situation of a detained or imprisoned
person for the purpose of compelling him to confess, or otherwise to incriminate himself, or
to force him to testify against any other person;
(viii) the duration of any interrogation and the intervals between them will be recorded and
certified, consistent with domestic law;
(ix) a detailed person or his counsel will have the right to make a request or complaint
regarding his treatment, in particular when torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading
treatment has been applied, to the authorities responsible for the administration of the place
of detention and to higher authorities, and when necessary, to appropriate authorities vested
with reviewing or remedial power;
(x) such request or complaint will be promptly dealt with and replied to without undue delay;
if the request or complaint is rejected or in case of inordinate delay, the complainant will be
entitled to bring it before a judicial or other authority; neither the detained or imprisoned
person nor any complainant will suffer prejudice for making a request or complaint;
(xi) anyone who has been the victim of an unlawful arrest or detention will have a legally
enforceable right to seek compensation.
III. OTHER DOCUMENTS OR STATEMENTS OF
PRINCIPLES
The following documents or statements of principle have no legally binding effect but are
indicative of «good practices» in the areas they cover. Most of them have been adopted
within the framework of the United Nations.
A/ ELECTIONS
DECLARATION
16
ON CRITERIA FOR FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS
- INTER-PARLIAMENTARY
COUNCIL
2. Voting and elections rights
16
Adopted in Paris, 26 March 1994 ; the Inter-Parliamentary Council is the policy-making body of the InterParliamentary Union, the world organization of Parliaments of sovereign States.
35