HUMAN RIGHTS & DOMESTIC VIOLENCE An Advocacy Manual February 2010 Prepared for the 14th Annual Domestic Violence Conference at Fordham University HUMAN RIGHTS CLINIC & SEXUALITY & GENDER LAW CLINIC For more information about this Manual, contact: Human Rights Clinic Columbia Law School 435 West 116th Street New York, NY 10027 (212) 854-4291 (212) 854-3554 fax [email protected] Table of Contents Table of Contents............................................................................................................................. i Preface............................................................................................................................................iii Acknowledgments........................................................................................................................... v I. Introduction to International Human Rights Law for Domestic Violence Advocates ................ 1 A. Treaties, Declarations, and Other Human Rights Instruments............................................... 2 1. International and regional treaties, declarations, and other human rights instruments....... 2 2. Monitoring bodies............................................................................................................... 6 B. Customary International Law............................................................................................... 10 1. United Nations Human Rights Council mechanisms........................................................ 11 2. Reports of international conferences ................................................................................ 13 C. Decisions of Foreign Courts................................................................................................. 14 II. Physical, Sexual and Psychological Abuse.............................................................................. 16 A. Domestic Violence under International Human Rights Law............................................... 16 B. Domestic Violence as a Sexual, Physical and Psychological Harm .................................... 17 C. State Responsibility.............................................................................................................. 18 1. Standard of due diligence.................................................................................................. 19 D. Individual Rights.................................................................................................................. 21 1. Freedom from gender-based violence............................................................................... 22 2. Discrimination against women ......................................................................................... 22 3. The right to a family ......................................................................................................... 22 4. Freedom from torture and right to humane treatment....................................................... 22 E. International Cases ............................................................................................................... 22 F. Foreign Cases........................................................................................................................ 26 G. Comparison to U.S. Cases.................................................................................................... 27 H. Conclusion ........................................................................................................................... 29 III. Child Custody ......................................................................................................................... 31 A. Relevant Instruments............................................................................................................ 31 B. State Obligations & Individual Rights ................................................................................. 31 1. Consideration of the best interests of the child – CRC..................................................... 33 2. Obligation of due diligence – CEDAW............................................................................ 36 3. Right to bodily integrity – UDHR, ICCPR, and CRC ...................................................... 36 4. Right to nondiscrimination – UDHR, ICCPR, CEDAW, and ICESCR ........................... 36 5. Economic and social rights – UDHR and ICESCR.......................................................... 37 C. Uses of a Human Rights Framework in the United States................................................... 38 1. Battered Mother’s Testimony Project............................................................................... 38 2. Inter-American Commission Petition ............................................................................... 40 3. U.S. state court cases ........................................................................................................ 40 IV. Housing Discrimination and Forced Eviction ........................................................................ 42 A. Relevant Definitions ............................................................................................................ 44 B. Individual Rights.................................................................................................................. 47 1. The right to adequate housing........................................................................................... 47 2. The right to privacy and non-interference ........................................................................ 49 3. Right to non-discrimination .............................................................................................. 49 4. Other potentially pertinent rights to be invoked ............................................................... 51 i C. States’ Obligations ............................................................................................................... 51 D. Examples from Practice ...................................................................................................... 52 1. Advocacy before the Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing of the United Nations High Commission on Human Rights .................................................................................... 52 2. Shadow reporting to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination....................................................................................................................... 53 V. Female Genital Mutilation ....................................................................................................... 55 A. Definition of Female Genital Mutilation under International Law...................................... 55 B. Individual Rights.................................................................................................................. 56 1. Right to be free from discrimination................................................................................. 57 2. Rights to life and security of person ................................................................................. 59 3. Right to be free from torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment....................... 60 4. Right to health................................................................................................................... 61 C. State Obligations .................................................................................................................. 62 1. Take all appropriate and effective measures to eradicate FGM ....................................... 62 2. Adopt special measures to protect girls from FGM.......................................................... 64 D. Relevant Legislation and Case Law..................................................................................... 65 1. United States law .............................................................................................................. 65 2. Foreign and international law ........................................................................................... 69 VI. Domestic Violence in the LGBT Community........................................................................ 71 A. Principle of Non-discrimination and the Right to Equality Before the Law ...................... 73 B. Definition of the Principle of Non-discrimination and the Right to Equality before the Law under International Law............................................................................................................ 75 C. States’ Obligations Concerning Non-discrimination Under International Law and the Right to Equality before the Law........................................................................................................ 75 D. Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity as a Prohibited Ground for Discrimination.......... 76 E. Distinctive Problems LGBT Domestic Violence Victims Face and How International Human Rights Law Principles Address Them.......................................................................... 78 1. Inappropriate police response to incidents of same-sex domestic violence ..................... 78 2. Failure to recognize LGBT-specific forms of abuse......................................................... 79 3. Custody and visitation rights ............................................................................................ 80 4. Right to housing...............................................................................................................