Today Australia has taken the final step necessary to ratify and implement a major international treaty that combats torture and other forms of mistreatment. OPCAT will require Australia to create a regime of independent inspections for all places of detention, as well as facilitating periodic monitoring visits by the United Nations Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT).
It will improve oversight of places of detention, including immigration detention facilities, prisons, juvenile detention centres, and various psychiatric facilities.
It has been eight years since Australia signed OPCAT.
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