New guidelines aim to dismantle barriers blocking people with disabilities from access to justice

A ‘practical handbook’ for countries

The International Principles and Guidelines on Access to Justice for Persons with Disabilities are the product of joint work by the three UN bodies that deal with disability rights.

Principles for inclusion

The guidelines outline 10 principles of access to justice for people with disabilities – such as “people with disabilities have the right to participate in the administration of justice on an equal basis with others” – and detailed steps for implementation.They have been endorsed by the International Disability Alliance and the International Commission of Jurists.“We believe we have supplied one pillar that many justice systems were lacking – disability inclusion,” said María Soledad Cisternas Reyes, Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General on Disability and Accessibility.“This should be a valuable tool for everyone in the justice system. We want to ensure that people with disabilities are part of the system in the same way they are part of society, that they can fully exercise the human rights they have by virtue of being human.”

About UN rapporteurs

The Special Rapporteurs and Independent Experts are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. The experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity.