Ethical Issues in Police (Custodial) Interrogation: Implications for Policing in China

This thesis explores permissible interrogation practices, with special reference to their application in China. It has been prompted by reports of interrogational torture and other abusive interrogation practices resulting in miscarriages of justice and wrongful convictions. A close study of interrogation practices in the US and UK shows that effective prevention of police misbehaviour demands appropriate and profound ethical understanding of important issues such as: the nature of police authority, the moral and legal relationship between police and suspects, an empirical understanding of the interactive behavioural relationship with suspects, and also appropriate respect required for each individual''s autonomy. Failure to develop appropriate understanding of such issues may expose daily police practice to various problems. This thesis argues that only just and appropriate interrogation methods should be regarded as permissible and therefore legitimate, and that all aggressive, coercive, and tricky methods should be rejected from daily law enforcement practice.