ABSTRACT
Torture is a powerful and brutal form of social control, explicitly forbidden by international Jaw. Article 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights holds that "no one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment." The 1987 United Nations Convention Against Torture allows for no justifications:
No exceptional circumstances whatsoever, whether a state of war or a threat of war, internal political instability or any other public emergency, may be invoked as a justification of torture. An order from a superior officer or a public authority may not be invoked as a justification of torture.
