Mexico - Torture

The article I read discusses the use of a Mexican Supreme Court ruling that any dismisses any evidence obtained through torture in court. Israel Arzate Meléndez was detained in 2010 and tortured until he confessed to his involvement in a multiple homicide. He read this confession off of a script to his torturers. He endured waterboarding, electric shock and asphyxiation. Arzate was held for one year awaiting his trial until a court discovered his illegal detention and issued him under house arrest. The Mexican Supreme Court took his case in 2012 and he was released on November 6, 2013.

It interests me how even though numerous counties adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, counties are still changing their laws to adhere to this document. In 1991 the law was first passed that banned the use of torture as a means of interrogation. In 2008 the Supreme Court reaffirmed this law. It seems odd that it has taken this long for a ruling like this to pass. Is it irrational of me to think that any government would be efficient in passing legislation? I guess so. What is the point of even having a Declaration of Human Rights if no one even follows the document and the courts that uphold the laws have little to no power of the counties breaching the laws. In this case it took over 40 years for legislation to be made; still it required a Supreme court ruling to protect the individual's rights. If there is still a long way to go for human rights to be implemented into developed countries, how long will it take to reach developing war torn countries?

http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/11/07/mexico-key-supreme-court-ruling-torture-case