The Istanbul Protocol in practice
Investigating and documenting torture.
Build on your experience. Hear how experts approach the difficult decisions in a case.
For health professionals, lawyers and others who investigate torture and ill-treatment.
Start with the option that fits
Choose your course.
Use the English course for learning without tests, or choose an assessed course in English or Spanish to work towards an IRCT certificate of completion.
Every option is free.
All enrolment options are shown.
El curso en español incluye las evaluaciones y el certificado. Puede inscribirse de forma individual o registrar plazas para su grupo.
With assessments and a certificate
12 module knowledge checks and a final case-based assessment.
Without assessments
The English learning content, with no tests or certificate.
Individual registration gives you your own place. Team registration asks for a group name and the number of learner places. Both use an account to access the course.
For the decisions you face in practice
Consider the whole case.
What does the account tell you? What do the findings support? Explore those questions through expert perspectives and case activities.
Interview with care
Build trust. Consider consent and the demands of a difficult interview.
Interpret the evidence
Consider physical and psychological findings together, including what remains uncertain.
Write a useful report
Explain your conclusions and the limits of the assessment.
Work across roles
Consider teamwork and judicial review, with attention to secondary trauma.
What the assessed course adds
From learning
to a completed case.
Practise along the way. Then follow one case through a final assessment that brings different parts of the course together.
Your name- Study the modulesWelcome and 12 subject modules.
- Check your understandingModule questions with feedback.
- Apply it to a case80% to pass. Retakes available.
- Download your certificateYour name and completion date.
The IRCT certificate records course and assessment completion. It does not confer a professional licence.
Inside the course
Follow the work from the standard to the report.
Welcome introduces the course and how to use it. The subject modules cover the following areas.
Modules 1 and 2The framework
- 01What is the Istanbul Protocol?
- 02What is torture and what do we document?
Modules 3 to 6Assessment and documentation
- 03Physical evidence and interpretation
- 04Photography and body diagrams
- 05Psychological evidence and interpretation
- 06Interviewing
Modules 7 to 10Ethics, reporting and collaboration
- 07Secondary trauma
- 08Ethics and ethical dilemmas
- 09Reporting and conclusions
- 10Collaboration and teamwork
Modules 11 and 12Assessing reports and judicial review
- 11Assessment of medicolegal reports
- 12Common dilemmas for judicial review
Enrolling colleagues?
Learn together.
Study at your own pace.
Register places for your organisation. Each colleague studies through their own account.
Compare team course options- Choose a courseSelect the language and course type.
- Set up your groupAdd a group name and number of places.
- Register for freeUse your account. No payment details.
- Invite colleaguesAssign places through the group tools.
Language and access
Use the materials in the way that works for you.
English and Spanish subtitles
Original audio, with the matching subtitle language selected by default.
Readable supporting documents
Accessible text for harder-to-read reports, plus translated activities and forms in Spanish.
Some learning materials and translations use AI assistance and may contain errors. Use the course alongside the relevant standards and your professional judgement.
Before you enrol
A few practical questions.
Is there a fee?
No. All course options shown here are free. Registration assigns access to your account. There is no payment to make.
Which course should I choose?
If you want the English learning content without assessments, choose individual or team enrolment under “Without assessments”. If you want an IRCT certificate of completion, choose the English or Spanish assessed course. Both offer individual and team registration.
Is the certificate course suitable for experienced professionals?
Yes. The course draws on expert perspectives and practical situations. It addresses the decisions involved in investigation and documentation, including how to interpret information and explain conclusions.
What happens if I do not pass?
You can review the course materials and retake the assessments. The final assessment has an 80% pass mark. Completion requires the learning content and the required assessments.
Is the Spanish course dubbed?
The original video audio is retained. The Spanish course provides Spanish text and activities, along with Spanish video subtitles and assessments.
Can I leave and return later?
Yes. Study at your own pace and return through your account. The learning content takes about 9 hours; allow extra time for the assessments.
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