The Commission of Inquiry into the Methods of Investigation of the General Security Service regarding Hostile Terrorist Activity dealt with the investigation methods which were practiced by the General Security Service (GSS) and which impinged on the rights of suspects.
Suspects under interrogation have a number of rights: the right not to be physically or mentally injured or otherwise mistreated, the privilege against self-incrimination and a number of ancillary procedural rights, such as the right to consult a lawyer. The Commission concluded that the interests of combatting terrorism justify the suspension of these rights in whole or in part. It thought that the privilege against self-incrimination need not be accorded to terrorist suspects and, furthermore, that psychological and physical forms of pressure may be exerted on suspects in order to overcome their resistance to interrogation. The Commission accepted that a civilised criminal procedure has to reflect minimal standards of respect for the integrity of individuals. However, it found justification for the departure from normal procedures in an analogy to the doctrines of necessity and self-defence.