[JURIST] South Africa's Supreme Court of Appeal [official website] ruled Thursday that evidence obtained through torture is inadmissible in court, even when it is found to be reliable and vital for conviction. In doing so, the court overturned the convictions and set aside the sentence of a former police officer who was found guilty of auto theft and armed robbery based on testimony obtained under torture from an accomplice.

The ruling marks the first time the court has prohibited evidence obtained through torture since the adoption of the South African constitution [text] in 1996. From Johannesburg, Business Day has more.