Mackenzie takes IBA disability access message to Zero Project congress

Scotland's Andrew Mackenzie has taken the message of an International Bar Association report into access to justice for persons with disabilities to an international conference of a United Nations-affiliated body focusing on disability rights.

Mr Mackenzie, chief executive of the Scottish Arbitration Centre and co-vice chair of the IBA's Access to Justice & Legal Aid Committee, was invited to speak at the UN-affiliated Zero Project Conference at the UN HQ in Vienna last Friday.

As co-vice chair Mr Mackenzie coordinated the committee’s report into access to justice for persons with disabilities, which was researched and written by the Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law.

The Zero Project was initiated by the Essl Foundation in 2008 and focuses on the rights of persons with disabilities globally.  It is a platform where the most innovative and effective solutions to problems that persons with disabilities face, are shared.  Its mission is to support the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and to work for a world without barriers. 

The IBA report found that that crime against people with disabilities is significantly underreported; that litigation can help overturn discriminatory laws, but lawyers also have a role in helping prevent the passing of laws that impact negatively; that there are particular issues for people with mental disabilities; and that stronger codes of practice relating to people with disabilities during judicial proceedings are needed to ensure consistent treatment.

Peter Charles, project and process manager at the Zero Project, described the report as “an incredibly valuable and innovative piece of work (particularly given the lack of other studies of such scale into the topic)”, adding that “the case studies within the report would likely be considered” for future Zero Project awards. 

Mr Mackenzie spoke on a panel to discuss various aspects of access to justice for persons with disabilities with experts from England, the USA, Mexico and Zambia. He said: “It was an honour to represent the IBA at this prestigious international conference and to discuss and promote the IBA Access to Justice & Legal Aid Committee’s report into access to justice for persons with disabilities. The platform also allowed me to focus on a positive example from Scotland in the form of the SCTS’s plan to improve measures supporting jurors who present with hearing and sight impairments. It was good to see some other representatives from Scotland involved in the conference, with ENABLE Scotland and NeateBox winning awards for their initiatives.

“It is clear that more needs to be done to break down some of the additional barriers to access to justice often faced by those with disabilities and we hoped that the IBA report would raise awareness of these issues. Clearly being invited by the Zero Project to speak to the report at its prestigious conference assists with that goal and provides the legal profession with a key role in discussions on access to justice in this area. Ultimately we hope our work will lead to enhanced access to justice for some of the more vulnerable in our society.”