International standards on the right to life and the use of force by police

This article is concerned with the right to life as it is expressed in human rights treaties, and interpreted and commented upon by treaty bodies in their deliberations on cases involving the use of force by police. The second part considers international instruments dealing with the use of force by police. The essential message is that the legal protection of the right to life is enhanced by the lawful and expert use of force by police, and it is undermined by unlawful and arbitrary police action.