UK Preparation for the UN CRPD Engagement Process: A Three-Jurisdiction Approach

《联合国残疾人权利公约》(CRPD)是英国签署的一项重要国际人权条约。英国将很快接受CRPD条约机构(联合国残疾人权利委员会)的正式审查，以评估英国在遵守CRPD方面的进展情况。AHRC的这一影响和接触项目将支持英国为联合国接触进程做准备。它将确保英国代表了解与CRPD合规有关的法律和伦理问题的最新研究，并将协调一系列磋商，以就在英国实现CRPD合规的最佳途径达成广泛共识。该项目将重点关注三个不同法律管辖区(英格兰和威尔士、苏格兰和北爱尔兰)关于决策能力受损的法律条款。一些残疾人决策能力受损。痴呆症患者可能难以思考重要的财务信息；学习障碍患者可能无法做出关于医疗的决定；大脑损伤患者可能无法决定保险公司提出的和解方案等。在英国，管理此类情况的法律安排被下放。英格兰和威尔士有一项法规：2005年《精神行为能力法》(MCA)。在苏格兰，适用《2000年无行为能力成年人法案》(AWI)。在北爱尔兰，与成年人丧失工作能力有关的事项目前由判例法管辖，但正在起草一项新的立法，供北爱尔兰议会审议。这种法律多样性既是挑战，也是机遇。所面临的挑战是确保参与联合国参与进程的英国代表能够充分研究整个英国在遵守《公约》方面取得的进展。有机会利用这种法律多样性作为一种工具，确定处理丧失工作能力的情况的最佳方法，同时确保尊重残疾人的权利和遵守英国根据《残疾人权利公约》承担的义务。关于遵守《残疾人权利公约》的问题敏感而有争议，而且事关重大。例如，在英格兰和威尔士，MCA规定代表缺乏决策能力的人进行“最佳利益决策”。在苏格兰，AWI避免提及任何“最佳利益”。联合国残疾人权利委员会坚持认为，“必须废除最佳利益范式”。这是否意味着英格兰和威尔士必须废除或修改MCA？如果是这样，AWI是否提出了更好的替代方案？北爱尔兰应该采取什么战略，因为它准备就这一问题立法？AHRC资助的埃塞克斯自治项目(EAP)是一个跨学科的研究和公共政策倡议，其专业知识是尊重精神障碍或其他精神障碍患者的自主性的伦理和法律义务。它在教育政策制定者了解与遵守CRPD相关的法律和道德挑战方面发挥了关键作用。2014年，EAP协调了一次咨询工作，并向英国司法部提供了技术研究支持，以制定关于MCA是否符合CRPD的正式法律意见--以及如果不符合该如何处理。在这个项目中，EAP团队将与精神健康和丧失行为能力法律、权利和政策中心(爱丁堡纳皮尔大学)合作，以评估英国所有三个司法管辖区对CRPD-关于精神行为能力/成人无行为能力的遵守情况。该项目将确保英国为联合国参与进程做好准备，并为有关决策能力受损的人的法律和实践的国际改革做出贡献。

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) is a major international human rights treaty to which the UK is a signatory. The UK will soon be formally reviewed by the CRPD treaty body (the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities) in order to assess UK progress towards CRPD-compliance. This AHRC impact and engagement project will support the UK's preparation for the UN Engagement Process. It will ensure that the UK representative is informed by recent research on legal and ethical issues pertaining to CRPD-compliance, and it will co-ordinate a series of consultations to develop a broad consensus as to the best path towards CRPD-compliance in the UK.The project will focus upon the provisions of law in three distinct legal jurisdictions (England & Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland) as regards persons with impaired decision-making capacity.Some persons with disabilities suffer from impaired decision-making capacity. A person suffering from dementia may have difficulty thinking through important financial information; a person with a learning disability may not be able to make decisions about medical treatment; a person with a brain injury may not be able to make a decision about a proposed settlement from an insurance company, etc. In the UK, legal arrangements governing such circumstances are devolved. There is one statute that governs England and Wales: The Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). In Scotland, the Adults with Incapacity Act 2000 (AWI) applies. In Northern Ireland, matters pertaining to adult incapacity are currently governed by case law, but a new piece of legislation is being prepared for consideration by the Northern Ireland Assembly. This legal diversity presents both a challenge and an opportunity. The challenge is to ensure that the UK representative in the UN Engagement Process has the benefit of adequate research as regards progress towards CRPD compliance across the UK. The opportunity is to use this legal diversity as a tool in identifying the best ways to deal with circumstances of incapacity while ensuring respect for the rights of persons with disabilities and compliance with the UK's obligations under the CRPD.The issues around compliance with the CRPD are sensitive and contentious, and the stakes are high. For example, in England and Wales, the MCA provides for "best-interests decision-making" on behalf of persons lacking in decision-making capacity. In Scotland, the AWI avoids any mention of "best interests." The UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has maintained that "the best interests paradigm must be abolished." Does this mean that England and Wales must repeal or amend the MCA? If so, does the AWI present a better alternative? What strategy should Northern Ireland adopt, as it prepares to legislate on this matter?The AHRC-funded Essex Autonomy Project (EAP) is an interdisciplinary research and public policy initiative with expertise on the ethical and legal imperative to respect the autonomy of persons suffering from mental disorders or other mental impairments. It has played a key role in educating policy makers about the legal and ethical challenges associated with CRPD-compliance. In 2014, the EAP co-ordinated a consultation exercise and provided technical research support to the UK Ministry of Justice in developing a formal legal opinion as to whether the MCA is compliant with the CRPD -- and about what to do if it is not. In this project the EAP team will collaborate with the Centre for Mental Health and Incapacity Law, Rights and Policy (Edinburgh Napier University) in order to assess CRPD-compliance on mental capacity/adult incapacity across all three jurisdictions of the UK. The project will ensure that the UK is prepared for the UN Engagement Process, and contribute to the international reform of law and practice as regards persons with impaired decision-making capacity.