Practical Guide to Interrogations During Investigations: Principles and Standards for Police Work in Europe

Key Chapter Title List

1. Preface
2. Introduction
3. Implementation of Professional Interrogation
4. Interrogation Process
5. Conclusion
6. Principles of Interrogation
7. Interrogation or Interview?
8. Human Rights Safeguard Requirements
9. Interrogation Planning and Preparation
10. Incident Narration and Questioning Techniques
11. Recognition and Handling of Confessions
12. Evaluation of Interrogation Results

Document Introduction

In global law enforcement practice, interrogation, as a core method of criminal investigation, directly impacts judicial fairness, human rights protection, and public trust in law enforcement agencies based on its professionalism and compliance. However, some law enforcement officers, due to a lack of professional knowledge, insufficient skills, and training deficiencies, engage in behaviors that violate professional standards during interrogations. Traditional training often focuses on academic and legal theories, which are disconnected from practical needs. To address this, the Council of Europe has organized experts to compile this guide, aiming to provide law enforcement personnel with a concise, practical, and human rights-compliant operational framework for interrogation.

Based on the European Code of Police Ethics and relevant international human rights conventions, this guide focuses on protecting the vulnerability of the person being interrogated, emphasizing the absolute prohibition of using torture, threats, or other coercive means to obtain confessions under any circumstances. The guide clearly states that illegal methods such as torture not only violate ethics and legal provisions but also fail to obtain accurate and reliable information. Instead, they may lead to miscarriages of justice and undermine judicial credibility. The guide consistently adheres to the golden rule—prohibiting any form of physical or psychological coercion—establishing an inviolable professional boundary for law enforcement officers.

The guide systematically elaborates on the complete interrogation process, forming a closed-loop operational system from preliminary planning, preparation, establishing communication, incident narration, question design, to concluding the interrogation and evaluating results. In the section on questioning techniques, it details the applicable scenarios and taboos of open-ended, closed-ended, forced-choice, multiple, and leading questions, emphasizing the establishment of a trust relationship through a neutral and respectful attitude to maximize the possibility of obtaining truthful information. Simultaneously, regarding situations where the person being interrogated remains silent, it clarifies that law enforcement officers should adhere to professional standards, refrain from applying pressure, and safeguard their legal rights.

Furthermore, the guide pays special attention to the rights of special groups, requiring law enforcement officers to fully consider the specific needs of vulnerable groups such as minors and persons with disabilities, providing necessary support and safeguards. The guide emphasizes the importance of audio and video recording throughout the interrogation process, which not only provides supervision of law enforcement actions and protection for the person being interrogated but also serves as important material for subsequent investigations and training. This guide is not intended to replace comprehensive interrogation training courses but rather to address training gaps in resource-limited areas, helping law enforcement personnel improve interrogation efficiency and quality while adhering to human rights and legal provisions, ultimately achieving a balance between combating crime and upholding justice.