Extrajudiciele

Extrajudiciele (extrajudicial) refers to actions taken outside the framework of a formal judicial process or without the ordinary due process protections provided by courts. The term, often used in discussions of policing, security policy, and human rights, encompasses measures conducted by state or non-state actors that bypass legal procedures and judicial review. Etymologically, it combines Latin extra ('outside') and iudicium ('judgment').

Common forms include extrajudicial killings or summary executions, enforced disappearances, illegal renditions, detention without charge or trial, torture, and vigilante or paramilitary actions carried out with state or tacit governmental support. These acts are typically described as taking place outside or beyond the rule of law and may lack independent verification or due process safeguards.

International law generally prohibits extrajudicial killings and arbitrary detention. Core norms are found in instruments such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which protects the right to life and due process, and the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. States bear responsibility for acts committed by their agents and must investigate abuses, provide remedies, and, where appropriate, prosecute perpetrators. Claims of necessity, self-defense, or national security are frequently invoked but do not legalize extrajudicial actions under contemporary international law.

Debates surrounding extrajudicial actions center on security needs, rule of law, oversight, and accountability. Critics argue that such practices undermine legal systems, erode civil liberties, and enable abuse, while proponents frame them as tools in counterterrorism or conflict. Human rights organizations, international bodies, and courts advocate prohibition, transparent investigations, redress for victims, and reforms to prevent impunity.

See also: extrajudicial killings, due process, rule of law, human rights, international law.