Making disability rights effective

On the International Day for Persons with Disabilities (3 December 2017), the Law Society has called on the Irish Government to prioritise implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) – 10 years after the State signed the treaty.

“The Irish Government signed the UNCRPD 10 years ago but still has to ratify it. At last count, 175 countries have ratified it and even the European Union itself has taken the profound step of ratifying it,” notes Director General Ken Murphy. “Ireland is the only country in the European Union yet to ratify the UNCRPD – and we believe there are no legal grounds impeding ratification. The Directive does not create new rights, but rather consolidates existing rights in one comprehensive treaty.”

• Read the 3 December press release: Law Society calls on Government to ratify disability rights treaty, 10 years overdue

Submissions on disability rights

To support the Government in the implementation process, the Law Society has made three submissions on this subject during 2017:

• Submission on the Disability (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2016
• Submission on Amendments Necessary to Existing Statutory Provisions to Comply with Ratification of the UNCPRD
• Submission on Additional Amendments to the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015

Gary Lee, a member of the Law Society’s Human Rights Committee and its Mental Health Law and Capacity Task Force, also wrote an article on the need to ratify the treaty in the March 2017 Gazette.