From the jury report of the Ciardi Prize 2012 'Steven Dewulf's book is an innovative and colossal research on the crime of torture in international law under any possible aspect and considering the elements of the crime in light of current legal theory and practice. The book reveals a profound and genuine knowledge, especially (albeit not exclusively) at the theoretical ... Read morelevel, of what torture is and how the law should evolve to better capture the essence of the phenomenon. Steven Dewulf's book represents an original and fundamental contribution to the creation of a common global legal understanding of those ignominious practices which can be grouped under the term "torture".' From the preface by Christine Van den Wyngaert, Judge in the ICC 'This book is quite fascinating reading. It is well written, the ideas are clearly developed and the arguments are persuading. It is a must-read for students of international criminal law, international humanitarian law and of international human rights law. The, at times, provocative and challenging ideas that are spread all over the book, can only stimulate further legal thinking in these disciplines.' From the Jury report for the Max van der Stoel Human Rights Award 2011 'This is a great book about a horrible subject. It clearly and eloquently maps out the size and severity of the problem of torture and engages in a careful analysis of the constitutive elements of torture as defined in current international law. It is written in a very accessible, and at times compelling, style. The jury finds that this book deserves a special mention for the high quality and the incisiveness of the analyses and for its most valuable contribution to a new conceptualisation of the notion of torture.' '[a] most compelling book.' Jason Richland on asilcables.org (31 March 2012) Show Less