At its Annual General Meeting, the membership of the Royal
College of
Psychiatrists yesterday (11th July 2006) unanimously passed a
resolution
reaffirming its condemnation of psychiatric participation in
the
interrogation of detainees, whether in military or civilian
settings.
“The Resolution
1. The Royal College of
Psychiatrists notes the concerns expressed worldwide
regarding psychiatric participation in the interrogation of
detainees.
2. The Royal College of
Psychiatrists welcomes the recent statement
regarding this issue by the American Psychiatric Association
(1).
3. The Royal College of
Psychiatrists welcomes the following statements in
the Surgeon General’s Policy Letter Medical Support to Persons
Detained by
UK Forces whilst on Operations (2):
a. “It is a gross
contravention of medical ethics, as well as an offence
under applicable international instruments and UK law for
health personnel,
particularly registered medical practitioners, to engage,
actively or
passively, in acts which constitute participation in,
complicity in,
insightment to or attempts to commit torture or other cruel,
inhuman or
degrading treatment or punishment.”
b. “Health personnel are
only to be involved in professional relationships
with prisoners or detainees for the purposes of evaluating,
protecting or
improving their physical and mental health.”
c. “Health personnel are
not to:
i. Apply their
knowledge and skills in order to assist in the interrogation
of prisoners and detainees in a manner that may adversely
affect their
physical or mental health; this includes certifying or stating
that a
detainee meets a specific mental or physical standard for
interrogation.
ii.
Certify, or to participate in the certification of, the fitness
of
prisoners or detainees for any form of treatment or punishment
that may
adversely affect their physical or mental health, or to
participate in any
way in the infliction of any such treatment or
punishment.
iii.
Question detainees about matters unless they are relevant to
their
medical care.”
4. The Royal College of
Psychiatrists reaffirms it support for:
a.
Principles of Medical Ethics in the Protection of Prisoners and
Detainees
against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading
Treatment resolution
of the United Nations General Assembly (3)
b. Royal College of
Psychiatrists’ Statement on torture and psychiatry (4)
c. Madrid Declaration on
Ethical Standards for Psychiatric Practice of the
World Psychiatric Association (5)
d. Good Medical Practice
guidance of the General Medical Council (6)
e. Good Psychiatric
Practice guidance of the Royal College of Psychiatrists
(7)
Footnotes to amended Resolution
1) APA position statement
dealing with psychiatrists’ participation in
interrogation of detainees held in either military or civilian
detention.
American Psychiatric Association, Toronto, 2006.
2)
Medical support to Persons Detained by UK Forces whilst on
Operations.
Surgeon General Policy Letter Number 01/05, London,
2005.
3)
Principles of Medical Ethics in the Protection of Prisoners and
Detainees
against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading
Treatment. United
Nations General Assembly Resolution 37/194, New York,
1982.
4) Royal College of
Psychiatrists’ Council Statement, October 1998.
5) Madrid Declaration on
Ethical Standards for Psychiatric Practice. World
Psychiatric Association, Madrid 1996 and Yokohama 2002.
6) Good Medical Practice.
General Medical Council, London, 2001.
7) CR125: Good Psychiatric
Practice (Second edition). Royal College of
Psychiatrists, London, 2004.