NDA Submission to the Joint Committee on Justice

NDA Submission to the Joint Committee on Justice

In our submission, we included advice on relevant accessibility and procedural points, including:

• UNCRPD: The NDA highlighted the UNCRPD Articles most relevant to the work of the Joint Committee, including Article 13 (Access to Justice), Article 5 (equality and non-discrimination), Article 7 (children with disabilities), Article 9 (accessibility), and Article 12 (equal recognition before the law). The NDA also stressed the importance of Article 4(3) and encouraged the Committee to consider how it might engage with and capture the voice of persons with disabilities in its work.
• National Disability Inclusion Strategy: The NDA noted several NDIS actions that are relevant to the work of the Committee, and advised that the Committee seeks updates from the Departments and public bodies that are responsible for the implementation of those actions.
• Disability Act 2005: The NDA outlined obligations for courthouses and court services under the Disability Act 2005, including the obligation to make heritage sites and protected structures accessible, as far as practicable, and the obligation to ensure that the provision of access to a public service by persons with and without disabilities is integrated. The NDA highlighted its relevant Codes of Practice.
• Special Measures: The NDA outlined its work on the provision of intermediaries to persons interacting with the criminal justice system, which include a policy advice paper and its membership of the O’Malley Sub-Group on intermediaries. The NDA encouraged the Committee to embrace and endorse the progressive work being carried out in this area.
• Irish Sign Language Act 2017: The NDA explained the obligations of the Courts Service in respect of the provision of Irish Sign Language.
• Communications: The submission outlined various points in this respect, including the EU Web Accessibility Directive and the Customer Communications Toolkit.
• Training and Development: The NDA recognised the importance of continued training and development for the judiciary and Courts Service’s staff on emerging legislation, for example the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015. The legislation has significant implications for the courts system, including the review of almost 3,000 wards of court, and the interacting with new stakeholders, such as Court Friends and decision-making supporters.
• Data: The NDA emphasised the importance of continued collection, disaggregation and dissemination of data, to guide and inform future policy-making.