Justice denied for people with disability

People with disabilities face extraordinary barriers to justice, experts have warned at an Australian Human Rights Commission meeting held at UNSW.

The Commission held its first roundtable on the issue, hearing from those with first-hand experience as well as other experts, including UNSW Professor Eileen Baldry.

Professor Baldry told the roundtable about her research in the criminal justice system: “In both juvenile and adult prisons the over-representation of people with cognitive and mental disabilities is marked, with around half of the prison population having significantly lower levels of cognitive skill or, at some point, a mental health disorder.”

Disability Discrimination Commissioner Graeme Innes says there are a number of barriers which prevent people with disability from receiving the justice they deserve.

For the full story, go to the AHRC website.