A Legal Resource for the International Human Rights Community Human
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American University Washington College of Law Volume 19, Issue 2 (Winter 2012) Human RightsBriefCenter for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law Human Rights and the Protection of Persons With Disabilities 2 | Stanev v. Bulgaria: On the Pathway to Freedom OLIVER LEWIS 8 | Implementing Legal Capacity Under Article 12 of ROBERT D. DINERSTEIN the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: The Difficult Road From Guardianship to Supported Decision-Making 13 | When Treatment is Torture: Protecting People ERIC ROSENTHAL & LAURIE AHERN with Disabilities Detained in Institutions 18 | The Convention on the Rights of Persons with JENNIFER W. REISS Disabilities in the Post-Lisbon European Union Also in this Issue 24 | The Conflict Surrounding Universal Access KAILA C. RANdoLPH to HIV/AIDS Medical Treatment in South Africa 30 | Interview with Oliver Lewis, Executive Director of the Mental Disability Advocacy Center 32 | UN Committee Against Torture Chairperson Claudio Grossman’s Statement to the UN General Assembly Columns 38 | International Legal Updates 49 | Updates from the International and Internationalized Criminal Tribunals 58 | Updates from Regional Human Rights Systems 63 | Updates from Inter-Governmental Organizations 65 | Book Review 66 | Alumni Profile 68 | Center and Faculty Updates A Legal Resource for the International Human Rights Community DIRECTORS OF THE CENTER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AND HUMANITARIAN LAW | Hadar Harris, Executive Director Robert Goldman | Claudio Grossman | Diane Orentlicher | Herman Schwartz | Richard J. Wilson Letter from the Editors his issue of the Human Rights Brief draws attention to the inability to access treatment. She suggests that a conflict resolution rights of persons with disabilities in international law. As analytical framework may be helpful in addressing this issue, and pro- Ta staff, we intend not only to illuminate the hardship or vides concluding recommendations to the South African government. moments of adversity confronting persons with disabilities. Nor This issue of the HRB includes an interview with Oliver Lewis, do we report exclusively on the public and private actors whose ExecutiveThe Human Director Rights of Briefthe Mentalis a publication Disability of the Advocacy Center for Center. Human This treatment of persons with disabilities denies those individuals issueRights also includesand Humanitarian the remarks Law at theof AmericanClaudio UniversityGrossman, Washington Chair of the their right to dignity and autonomy. We also present this issue as a UN CommitteeCollege of Law. Against No portionTorture of and this Dean publication of the Washingtonmay be reprinted College tribute to the practitioners, advocates, stakeholders, and health of Law,without before the theexpress UN writtenGeneral permission Assembly. of theThis Human issue Rights concludes Brief. with professionals who — alongside persons with disabilities and their columnsAll correspondence,providing concise reprinting, legal analysisand subscription written requests, by HRB as staff well writ- as articles submitted for publication, may be sent to: Human families — campaign tirelessly to empower persons with disabili- ers that we hope our readers will find informative. We are extremely ties and remove the barriers to their complete and meaningful par- Rights Brief, Washington College of Law, American University, 4801 gratefulMassachusetts for the guidance Avenue, N.W.,of WCL Washington, faculty, D.C.especially 20016. Telephone:Juan Méndez, ticipation in society. Among other accomplishments, these efforts Fernanda Nicola, Susana SáCouto, and Katherine Cleary, and to have culminated in domestic reforms across the world and, inter- (202) 274-4023. Fax: (202) 274-4028. Email: [email protected]. Professoredu. Website: Meetali www.wcl.american.edu/hrbrief Jain of the University of. The Cape, views Town expressed Faculty in of nationally, the entry into force of the UN Convention on the Rights Law. thisThe publication work of theare HRBthose ofwould the writers not be and possible are not necessarilywithout the those unwav - of Persons with Disabilities. In this issue of the Brief, we offer eringof guidance the editors, of the the Center, Center or American for Human University. Rights Copyright and Humanitarian Human their insights into the field to which they are dedicated, in hopes Law Rightsand its Brief Executive, 2008. ISSN Director, 1533-6808. Hadar Harris. HRB of furthering their vision for a common humanity that embraces diversity and rejects discrimination in all its manifestations. Cite as 15 No. 2 Hum. Rts. Brief. We begin with an article by Oliver Lewis, who offers critical The Human Rights Brief is a publication of the Center for Human Rights and HumanitarianAn equal opportunity, Law at the American affirmative University action university. Washington College of Law. yet optimistic commentary on the recent European Court of No portion of this publication may be reprinted without the express written Human Rights case, Stanev v. Bulgaria. Rusi Stanev was brought permission of the Human Rights Brief. All correspondence, reprinting, and to a disability institution against his will, and deprived of legal subscriptionCO-EDITORS requests,-IN- CasHI wellEF as articles submitted for publication, may capacity. Although the Court did not address the issue of legal be sentMarisa to: HumanR. Bassett Rights Brief, WashingtonAngela Edman College of Law, American capacity, Lewis points out the significance of this case that has University, 4801 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20016. Telephone: (202) 274-4023. Fax: (202) 274-4028. Email: [email protected]. SENIOR ARTICLES EDITORS forged a path for the protection of the rights of people with Website: hrbrief.org. The views expressed in this publication are those of the Miya Saika Chen Zeenat Iqbal disabilities. The Court held for the first time that a person in a writers and are not necessarily those of the editors, the Center, or American disability institution was deprived of liberty, and that conditions of University. Copyright Human Rights Brief, 2011. ISSN 1533-6808 MANAGING EDITOR a disability institution may violate the right to be free from torture Cite as 19 No. 2 Hum. Rts. Brief and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Courtney E. Nicolaisen An equal opportunity, affirmative action university. Professor Robert Dinerstein provides a precise, in-depth exam- BLOG EDITOR CO-EDITORS-IN-CHIEF ination of Article of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons LindsayJessica Roberts Anna Cabot Christopher Tansey with Disabilities, which provides for full and unmitigated rights to legal capacity for persons with disabilities. In so doing, Professor MANAGINGARTICL EEDSIT EODITORSR Dinerstein argues that Article 12 reflects an encouraging policy KaitlinMorgan Brush M. Alen Katharine Marshall shift from substituted decision making to supported decision mak- MANAGINGAdrián OE.NLINE Alvarez ED ITOR Manbegerot Shimellis ing, and sets forth guidelines for implementing supported decision JessicaJennifer Portmess B. Benz Leslie M. Thompson making under Article 12. SENIOR SPECIAL COVERAGE EDITOR JessicaSTA LyndFF WRITERS Eric Rosenthal then highlights possible intersections between Alex Cheng Jennifer Jaimes the rights of people with disabilities and the right to be free from SENIAnnaOR A RTICLESKatherine ED DrakeITOR Ari Levin torture, and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. CarsonRukayya Osberg Furo Sara Ramey Drawing on his experience and accomplishments at Disability SPECIALMahreen CONTRIBUT GillaniO R Morgan E. Rog Rights International, Rosenthal provides illustrative examples TraceyJulie Begley A. Gryce Solomon Shinerock Brent D. Hessel Howard Shneider STAFF EDITORS from the United States and around the world in support of his Natalie M. Huls Matthew Solis legal analysis. Molly Hofsommer Anne Schaufele Lauren Nussbaum Jacob Schubert Jennifer Reiss discusses the ratification of the UN Convention AllisonFOUND RogneERS BOARD Katelyn Winslow on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities by both the European Vanessa Allen, Gillian Brady, Michelle Donme, Gabriel Eckstein, STAFFRobert WRITERS Guitteau Jr., Fernando González-Martín, Claudia Martín, Union and its member states, which, she argues, generates ques- Kyle Bates Saralyn Salisbury Mair McCafferty, Rochus Pronk, Ayesha Qayyum, Diego Rodríguez- tions about its implementation as a mixed agreement with shared Rachael Curtis Sarone Solomon Pinzón, and Shashikala Warrier. competences. To fulfill the principles and goals underlying the Christina Fetterhoff Marie Soueid Convention, the EU and member state institutions must embrace Michelle Flash Anna Taylor ClaireALU GrandisonMNI COMMITTEE Thais-Lyn Trayer a cooperative ethos and a sense of mutual responsibility, to both MatthewAnebi Lopas Adoga, David Baluarte, AnneMegan Briggs, Wakefield Fernando González- agree on their respective responsibilities and ensure that all parties AnnaMartín, Naimark Jennifer M. Hentz, RichardBenjamin H. Kamm, Watson Sarah Paoletti, follow through. Alejandro Ponce-Villacís, Amy Stern, Jaime Underwood, and Kristi FOUNSeverance.DERS BOAR D Also in this issue, Kaila Randolph explores some of the Vanessa Allen, Gillian Brady, Michelle Donme, Gabriel Eckstein, Robert challenges concerning refugees’ access to HIV/AIDS medical Guitteau Jr., Fernando González-Martín, Claudia Martin, Mair McCafferty, treatment in South Africa. Despite South Africa’s domestic and Rochus Pronk, Ayesha Qayyum, Diego Rodríguez-Pinzón,