Tag: (E) torture

(2018) English – TORTURE

Mooney, Annabelle (2018). Torture laid bare: Global English and human rights. In Cliff Goddard (Ed.), Minimal English for a global world: Improved communication using fewer words (pp. 143-167). Cham: Palgrave Macmillan. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-62512-6_7

The prohibition against torture is a well settled, absolute right in international law and human rights. As such, it presents an ideal case to understand what is at stake in human rights generally. The chapter considers the definitions of ‘torture’ contained in the UN Convention Against Torture and the Rome Statute, and then attempts to distill their essence into clear explanatory texts in Minimal English. This offers a way of thinking about the being at the heart of human rights: the human person.


Research carried out in consultation with or under the supervision of one or more experienced NSM practitioners

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(2017) English – TORTURE

Mooney, Annabelle (2017). Torture laid bare. Journal of Language and Politics, 16(3), 434-452. DOI: 10.1075/jlp.15040.moo

Torture, while internationally sanctioned, is not well-defined. This paper sets out a Minimal English definition of the crime of ‘torture’ in international law. The four elements of torture are: (1) infliction of severe pain and suffering (2) acting with intent (3) for a purpose (4) by the state. The connection between intention and outcome is considered in the light of presumptions. I then briefly consider the concept of ‘lawful sanctions’ and the UN Standard Minimum Rules that apply to the treatment of prisoners to establish a baseline against which allegations of torture can be measured. Finally, I argue that current regimes of British benefit sanctions, whereby social welfare payments are stopped, may in some cases constitute torture. This argument considers the effects of sanctions and the discourses and ideologies attached to social welfare claimants.

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