UPSC Articles
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.
