illustration for the drivers of inequality

Driver Category 1.5

Legal impunity, state violence and institutional discrimination

This driver covers deaths related to human rights violations by the state, deaths due to exposure to conflict and war.

It also captures the heightened risks of premature death for certain groups as a direct result of institutional discrimination (eg. racism within police/prison system leading to deaths in custody, poor treatment of asylum seekers, refugees etc).

Aspects related to the rule of law and functioning of the judiciary are captured by this driver category.

Guiding Questions

Human rights

  • What evidence (including allegations) is there of human rights violations by the state?
  • Is there any evidence that any state violence is targetted at particular groups or individuals?
  • Is there evidence of police brutality?
  • What evidence is there of the armed forces violating the human rights of civilians leading to premature death?
  • Is there evidence of false imprisonment and torture?

Institutional discrimination

  • Is there evidence of that institutional discrimination puts some individuals lives at risk?
  • Are some groups at greater risk of violence in prisons and detention centres by those in authority?
  • Is there evidence of racism in the police/prison system leading to deaths in custody?

Legal impunity

  • Is there evidence of legal impunity where some violent crimes or homicides go unpunished?
  • Is this because the state fails in its duty to investigate and prosecute the crime or because some individuals or institutions (including the state and large multinationals) are able to operate above the law.
  • Are some individuals free from prosecution (for example, elected representatives)?
  • Is there evidence of corruption with some individuals or groups such as cartels able to acto with impunity?

Indicators

Potential indicators to monitor the drivers of inequalities in this main driver category

  • Number of disappearances
  • Number of deaths in custody by group characteristics
  • Number of investigations and prosecutions against legal corruption

Candidate Policies

To see related Candidate Policies in this main driver category please click here.