UN’s guidelines on access to social justice for people with disabilities 

UN’s guidelines on access to social justice for people with disabilities 

Part of: GS-Prelims and GS-II – Global Groupings; Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections

In News:

• The first-ever guidelines on access to social justice for people with disabilities have been released.
• Released by: United Nations
• Objective: To make it easier for them to access justice systems around the world.

Key takeaways

• The guidelines outline a set of 10 principles
• Principle 1: All persons with disabilities have legal capacity. No one shall be denied access to justice on the basis of disability.

• Principle 2: Facilities and services must be universally accessible to ensure equal access to justice without discrimination.
• Principle 3: They have the right to appropriate procedural accommodations.
• Principle 4: They have the right to access legal notices and information in a timely and accessible manner on an equal basis with others.
• Principle 5: They 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: They have the right to free or affordable legal assistance.
• Principle 7: They have the right to participate in the administration of justice on an equal basis with others.
• Principle 8: They have the rights to report complaints and initiate legal proceedings concerning human rights violations and crimes, have their complaints investigated and be afforded effective remedies.
• Principle 9: Effective and robust monitoring mechanisms play a critical role in supporting access to justice for them.
• Principle 10: All those working in the justice system must be provided with awareness-raising and training programmes addressing the rights of persons with disabilities, in particular in the context of access to justice.