Life imprisonment and the prohibition of inhuman punishments in international human rights law: moving the agenda forward

Life imprisonment and penalties in general have been overlooked in international human rights law. Yet, with the gradual disappearance of the death penalty, life imprisonment is likely to become the next prominent issue. Taking the 2010 Graham v Florida US Supreme Court case as a starting point, this paper depicts life imprisonment as a human rights concern, explores the developing international standards on the issue and challenges its relative neglect by international human rights bodies.