Freedom from torture
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, article 5. In the US Constitution: 8th Amendment (cruel and unusual punishment).
Note on this measure. The US Constitution bans "cruel and unusual punishment" but never uses the word torture, so CCP codes torture=98 (not specified) and cruelty=1. We take the stronger of the two.
Does declaring it change anything?
Distribution of practiced scores, split by whether the constitution declares the right. If the two distributions look alike, the words on the page are not doing much work on their own.
Mean practiced score: 59% where declared, versus 63% where silent.
What the text actually says
Passages tagged with this topic, from the Constitute Project.
Amendment VIIIAmendment VIII Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.
Everyone has the right to freedom and security of the person, which includes the right- not to be tortured in any way; and
Everyone has the right to freedom and security of the person, which includes the right- not to be treated or punished in a cruel, inhuman or degrading way.
Country by country
| Country | Declared | Practiced |
|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | 100% | 4% |
| Albania | 100% | 76% |
| Algeria | 100% | 41% |
| Angola | 100% | 46% |
| Argentina | 100% | 70% |
| Armenia | 100% | 66% |
| Azerbaijan | 100% | 24% |
| Bahrain | 100% | 39% |
| Bangladesh | 100% | 30% |
| Barbados | 100% | 77% |
| Belarus | 100% | 16% |
| Benin | 100% | 62% |
| Bhutan | 100% | 66% |
| Bolivia | 100% | 63% |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 100% | 71% |
| Botswana | 100% | 68% |
| Brazil | 100% | 65% |
| Bulgaria | 100% | 81% |
| Cambodia | 100% | 32% |
| Cameroon | 100% | 35% |
| Canada | 100% | 82% |
| Cape Verde | 100% | 81% |
| Central African Republic | 100% | 42% |
| Chad | 100% | 26% |
| Chile | 100% | 78% |
| Colombia | 100% | 66% |
| Comoros | 100% | 44% |
| Costa Rica | 100% | 90% |
| Croatia | 100% | 84% |
| Cuba | 100% | 26% |
| Cyprus | 100% | 81% |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | 100% | 43% |
| Djibouti | 100% | 43% |
| Dominican Republic | 100% | 66% |
| Ecuador | 100% | 73% |
| Egypt | 100% | 25% |
| El Salvador | 100% | 33% |
| Eritrea | 100% | 23% |
| Estonia | 100% | 93% |
| Eswatini | 100% | 15% |
| Ethiopia | 100% | 39% |
| Fiji | 100% | 56% |
| Finland | 100% | 98% |
| Gabon | 100% | 63% |
| Georgia | 100% | 76% |
| Ghana | 100% | 77% |
| Greece | 100% | 72% |
| Guatemala | 100% | 62% |
| Guinea | 100% | 41% |
| Guinea-Bissau | 100% | 62% |
| Guyana | 100% | 69% |
| Haiti | 100% | 68% |
| Honduras | 100% | 65% |
| Hungary | 100% | 80% |
| Iceland | 100% | 100% |
| Indonesia | 100% | 60% |
| Iran | 100% | 25% |
| Iraq | 100% | 43% |
| Italy | 100% | 75% |
| Ivory Coast | 100% | 60% |