Degradation, civilization and denial: a European and comparative perspective on punishment.

European institutions, such as the European Court of Human Rights and the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT), have come to play an increasingly important role in setting boundaries of what is acceptable and what is not in terms of punishment. This research project explores how this happens in four different member states. It addresses in particular two research questions: (1) What kind of responses do state authorities in Belgium, Norway, Poland and Spain formulate to the implementation of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights and recommendations of the CPT in relation to matters of penal policy?; and (2) How do such responses vary across European jurisdictions, i.c., Belgium, Norway, Poland and Spain?

Keywords:degradation, civilization, denial, Europe, punishment

Disciplines:Law