UN Principles for People with Disabilities

31-Aug-20

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The United Nations (UN) has released its first-ever guidelines on access to social justice for People with Disabilities (PwD) to make it easier for them to access justice systems around the world.
The guidelines outline a set of 10 principles and detail the steps for implementation.
Principle 1: PwD shall not be denied access to justice on the basis of disability.
Principle 2: Facilities and services must be universally accessible without discrimination of PwD.
Principle 3: PwD, including children with disabilities, have the right to appropriate procedural accommodations.
Principle 4: PwD have the right to access legal notices and information in a timely and accessible manner on an equal basis with others.
Principle 5: PwD are entitled to all substantive and procedural safeguards recognized in international law on an equal basis with others, and States must provide the necessary accommodations to guarantee due process.
Principle 6: PwD have the right to free or affordable legal assistance.
Principle 7: PwD have the right to participate in the administration of justice on an equal basis with others.
Principle 8: PwD have the right to report complaints and initiate legal proceedings concerning human rights violations and crimes.
Principle 9: Effective and robust monitoring mechanisms play a critical role in supporting access to justice for PwD.
Principle 10: All those working in the justice system must be provided with awareness-raising and training programmes addressing the rights of PwD.
The UN Convention on the Rights of PwD, which was adopted in 2006, defines persons with disabilities as those “who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which in interaction with various barriers may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others”.
India ratified the Convention in October 2007.
The Parliament enacted the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 with a view to fulfilling the obligations under the UNCRPD.