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. Interrogation Principles
7. Interrogation or Interview?
8. Human Rights Safeguard Requirements
9. Interrogation Planning and Preparation
10. Event Narration and Questioning Techniques
11. Recognition and Handling of Confessions
12. Interrogation Outcome Assessment

Document Introduction

In global law enforcement practice, interrogation, as a core means of criminal investigation, has its professionalism and compliance directly related to judicial fairness, human rights protection, and public trust in law enforcement agencies. However, some law enforcement officers, due to a lack of professional knowledge, insufficient skills, and training deficiencies, engage in behaviors during interrogations that violate professional standards. Furthermore, 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.

This guide is based on the European Code of Police Ethics and relevant international human rights conventions. Its core focus is on protecting the vulnerability of the person being interrogated, emphasizing the 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 ethical and legal norms but also fail to obtain accurate and reliable information. Instead, they may lead to miscarriages of justice and weaken judicial credibility. The guide consistently adheres to the "golden rule" — prohibiting any form of physical or psychological coercion — drawing an inviolable professional red line 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, event narration, and question design, to concluding the interrogation and assessing the results. In the section on questioning techniques, it details the applicable scenarios and taboos for open-ended, closed-ended, forced-choice, multiple, and leading questions. It emphasizes building a relationship of trust with 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 must 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, and to provide necessary support and safeguards. The guide emphasizes the importance of audio and video recording the entire interrogation process. This serves to supervise law enforcement conduct, protect the person being interrogated, and provide valuable 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. It aims to help law enforcement personnel improve the efficiency and quality of interrogations while adhering to human rights and legal provisions, ultimately achieving a balance between combating crime and upholding justice.