Human Rights

Lots of people sit around circular tables

August 16, 2018 0

User-led alliance set to raise concerns for second time with Mental Health Act Review

User-led groups and service-users are set to raise grave concerns about the work of the team reviewing mental health laws on behalf of the government, including its refusal to take a “full human rights-based approach” to reform. An alliance of user-led organisations, mental health service-users and survivors, and their allies, are to write for

Human Rights

Theresia Degener sits, talking, behind a name plate saying T Degener

August 9, 2018 0

UN’s ‘human catastrophe’ rights expert to deliver high-profile UK lecture

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The UN expert who told the government that its cuts to disabled people’s support had caused a “human catastrophe” is to visit the UK this autumn to deliver a high-profile lecture on disability rights. Theresia Degener, the professor of law and disability studies who chairs the UN committee on the rights of persons with

Human Rights

Two wheelchair-users protesting outside parliament, one of them (Dennis Queen) is holding a placard saying 'who will be next', and is wearing a Not Dead Yet UK tee-shirt

August 2, 2018 0

Supreme Court ruling ‘risks bringing in euthanasia by the back door’

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Disabled campaigners have warned that a Supreme Court ruling has removed a vital safeguard that protected the lives of brain-damaged patients who have been left unconscious. The Supreme Court ruled this week that families and doctors will no longer have to seek a court order if they agree to end the life of a

Human Rights

Two women and two men sit in armchairs on a stage

July 26, 2018 0

Global Disability Summit: Disability Rights UK ‘betrayed movement’ with speech

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A national disabled people’s organisation is facing accusations that it “betrayed” the UK disability movement after its deputy chief executive failed to condemn the government’s record on rights at a major international gathering of disabled people. Sue Bott was sharing the stage with a senior government civil servant less than a year after the

Human Rights

A large version of the Charter for Change resting against a wall

July 26, 2018 0

Global Disability Summit: DPOs from global south call for new beginning

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Disabled people and their organisations from the global south have called for a “new beginning” in the way that the UN disability convention is implemented and monitored. They were speaking at the Global Disability Summit, a major international disability rights conference co-hosted by the UK government in east London this week. Speaking at the

Human Rights

Ukur Yatani Kanacho speaking at a podium at the Global Disability Summit

July 26, 2018 0

Global Disability Summit: Mordaunt defends co-host Kenya despite its gay rights record

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International development secretary Penny Mordaunt has defended the decision to co-host a major international summit on disability rights with Kenya, a country where it is illegal to be gay. The UK government was co-hosting the Global Disability Summit in east London this week with Kenya and the International Disability Alliance, with Ukur Yatani Kanacho,

Human Rights

Sue Bott giving evidence to a parliamentary committee

July 19, 2018 0

Brexit bill ‘will give ministers power to exchange trade deals for rights’

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The government’s trade bill – which will give ministers powers to give up disability rights protections in exchange for deals with other countries – proves disabled people were right to be concerned about the impact of Brexit, say campaigners. Disability and human rights organisations have written to trade secretary Liam Fox to express alarm

Human Rights

Street sign showing Parliament Street and Whitehall

July 12, 2018 0

MPs’ approval of Seni’s Law provides hope for traumatised service-users

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Traumatised disabled people who have been restrained in mental health units have spoken of their hope that legislation approved by MPs will lead to greater protection and support for other service-users. The mental health units (use of force) bill has been guided through the House of Commons by the Labour MP Steve Reed in

Human Rights

An overhead view of the delegates in the chamber in Geneva

July 5, 2018 0

Rival international summit aims to highlight government’s ‘global hypocrisy’

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Disabled activists and their organisations are to host their own international “solidarity summit” in a bid to highlight the hypocrisy of the government’s decision to co-host a major “global disability summit” in east London later this month. The solidarity summit will also be held in east London, on Sunday 22 July, two days before

Human Rights

Two women in wheelchairs in front of a series of white gravestones erected outside the Royal Courts of Justice

June 28, 2018 0

Relief after court rejects latest assisted suicide legal bid and highlights law change dangers

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Disabled activists have welcomed the court of appeal’s decision to reject the latest attempt to legalise assisted suicide. They spoke out after three senior judges yesterday (Wednesday) rejected the judicial review brought by Noel Conway, who is terminally-ill with motor neurone disease. Conway had wanted the court to find that the Suicide Act –

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