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News Archive

2012 Archive

October 2012 - Prof. Quinn in Washington at the conference "Toward a new US-EU Dialogue on Disability: the CRPD as a Transatlantic Bridge"

Prof. Quinn spoke in Washington on October 25th at the conference "Toward a new US-EU Dialogue on Disability: the CRPD as a Transatlantic Bridge". The event included a discussion of the opportunity for transatlantic dialogue and collaboration within the global disability agenda in the context of the CRPD.  Facilitating a new transatlantic conduit for dialogue can aid effective implementation of the CRPD on both sides of the Atlantic.  This bridge between the two continents can allow for disability policymakers and advocates to share knowledge and facilitate collaboration, ultimately driving solutions for the rest of the world.
 
Professor Quinn was joined in the discussion by international disability rights legal scholars and advocates Janet Lord and Eric Rosenthal.  

August 2012 - CDLP Releases volume 3 of the European Yearbook of DisabilityLlaw

The Centre for Disability Law and Policy, in association with the Maastricht Centre for Human Rights of Maastricht University, has recently released the third volume of the European Yearbook of Disability Law. The Yearbook reviews the significant developments at European level regarding disability law and policy on an annual basis. The Yearbook is available for purchase here, further information on Volumes 1 and 2 are available here.

July 2012 - CDLP Welcomes US Senate Hearings on UN Disability Treaty

A historic hearing on the UN Disability Treaty took place yesterday, 11th July 2012 in the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.  Please click here to read Professor Quinn's commentary on the hearings.

June 2012 - President Michael D. Higgins officially opens the 4th International Disability Summer School

President Michael D. Higgins launches the 4th International Disability Summer School
To read the President of the University's speech - please click here.
To read President Higgins' speech - please click here.

Further information and videos of the Summer School are available here.

June 2012 - CDLP PhD research showcased by IRCHSS

The research of CDLP PhD candidate, Aisling de Paor, on genetic discrimination features as a Research Showcase on the Irish Research Council for the Humanities and Social Sciences (IRCHSS) website.

Please click here to view this research. 

27th April 2012 - CDLP and irish human rights commission host seminar

The Irish Human Rights Commission (IHRC) and the Centre for Disability Law and Policy held a seminar on the 27th of April 2012. the Seminar was hosted by the Irish Human Rights Commission in Dublin. The aim of the seminar was to create a reflective space to explore the possible ways to develop a national "framework" in Ireland for the monitoring of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) after Ireland ratifies this international human rights treaty.

To read more on this event, please click here.

April 2012 - Legal Capacity Justice Committee Report

The Justice Committee of the Oireachtas chaired by David Stanton TD issued its report today based on hearings it held earlier in 2012.  The CDLP was closely involved in the hearings - see the below post from the 20/02/1012 for more details.

The Committee accepted the arguments presented by the CDLP and others (which were based on the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities) and issued this historic report. 

Please click here to view the report.

April 2012 - CDLP Memo Re: Vote on EU Structural Funds

Prof. Gerard Quinn, of the Centre for Disability Law and Policy, has released a memo on the upcoming vote on the EU Structural Funds. The purpose of this memo is to set out the legal and other implications that will predictably arise if the EU Council decides to remove the proposed ex ante conditionalities as they relate to disability from the draft General Regulation governing the Structural Funds.  
 
The analysis contained in this memo is based on an assessment of the legal obligations assumed by the European Union upon its landmark ’confirmation’ (’ratification’) of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD) in 2010.  
 
Fuller analysis is provided in a more detailed Study to be launched by the UN Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights (European Region) in May 2012: ’Getting a Life – Living Independently and Being included in the Community: A Legal Study of the Current Use and Future Potential of the European Structural Funds to contribute to the achievement of Article 19 of the UN convention on the rights of persons with disabilities’ (Quinn & Doyle).

Read the full memo here.

March 2012 - Centre for Disability Law and Policy host SOROS - Open Society Foundations convening  

In March 2012 the CDLP was honoured to host a convening of SOROS-Open Society Foundations disability grantees from around the world. SOROS-OSF funds law programmes on disability rights and scholarships at several law schools from South Africa, Argentina, Nepal, the US, the UK and Ireland and brought them all together for the first time at NUI Galway to explore continued and deepened collaboration.

The delegation and their grantees met with current LLM in Disability Law and Policy SOROS-OSF scholars and as well as students involved with the Disability Legal Information Clinic.

See photographs of the convening below:

03/04/2012 - Amnesty Ireland and CDLP launch legal capacity essential principles

Amnesty Ireland and the Centre for Disability Law and Policy co-chaired a process to develop human rights-based principles to underpin new legal capacity legislation. Fifteen civil society organisations have signed up to these principles which were launched at a national seminar on April 3rd.

The Legal Capacity Essential Principles document can be seen here.  Further information on this event, presentations and the video of proceedings are available here.

12/03/2012 - Proposed Disability Studies Association of Ireland

A meeting was held in University College Dublin on the 12^th of March to discuss the possibility of establishing a Disability Studies Association of Ireland. Professor Dan Goodley, lecturer in Manchester Metropolitan University and a member of the Disability Studies Association in the United Kingdom, spoke about the his experience and offered advice on how Ireland should take its first steps in establishing an association. 

There was a range of people in attendance, all with an interest in advancing disability studies. Various universities were represented, service providers, self advocates and interest groups. Break out groups discussed what an association would aim to do and how best these aims could be achieved. All groups agreed that Disability Studies should be promoted and the association should facilitate sharing of knowledge and networking.

The next Disability Studies Association of Ireland meeting will be held by Dublin City University. More details will follow.

2011 Archive

09/02/2011 - Vacancies for Senior Research Fellow

The National University of Ireland Galway, is seeking outstanding candidates for a Senior Research Fellow fixed term contract position at the Centre for Disability Law and Policy. The Centre for Disability Law and Policy (CDLP), National University of Ireland Galway, Ireland was founded in 2008 and is funded by philanthropy as well as research contracts mainly from the European Union. This appointment will be made initially on a one year basis with the possibility of extension for a further three years. The successful candidate will be expected to direct the research projects of the Centre, to play a leading strategic role with respect to the ongoing development/refinement of the Centre’s research agenda and to take a leading role in crafting suitable research bids.

Full information is available via the NUI Galway Job Vacancies Page, or consult this application information document.

07/02/2011 - Vacancies for Researchers/PhDs

Applications for Marie Curie Early Stage Researchers in the DREAM consortium (Disability Rights Expanding Accessible Markets) are now open at http://www.nuigalway.ie/dream.

2010 Archive

15/01/2010 - Launch of European Yearbook of Disability Law (Volume 1)

The European Yearbook of Disability Law (Volume 1), an annual collaborative project between NUI Galway and the University of Maastricht, will take place on Friday 29th January 2010.  Attendees will be welcomed by NUI Galway President, Dr. Jim Browne. Mr Hywel Ceri Jones will formally launch the Yearbook.  He is the co-chair of the Consortium of European Foundations (Philanthropies) on Human Rights Disability (Brussels), and the former Deputy Director General of DG Employment, Social Affairs & Equal Opportunities in the European Commission. Professor Gerard Quinn, Director of the Centre, will talk briefly about upcoming publications and events within the Centre and its international collaboration.

Proceedings will commence at 4.00pm sharp and will be held in room MY129, Ground Floor, Áras Moyola, North Campus, NUI Galway. ( http://www.nuigalway.ie/campus-map/). All are welcome to attend. If you have any special requirements, please do not hesitate to notify Mary McQuinn at nuigalway.ie">mary.mcquinnnuigalway.ie or SMS/Text Message: +353 (0) 87 6660634
 
Please note that parking is limited on campus.  For further details please see http://www.nuigalway.ie/buildings/parking.html

2009 Archive

10/10/2009 - Law Society of India - Gerard Quinn delivers annual Pandit Lecture on the new UN treaty on Disability

Professor Quinn delivered the G.V. Pandit memorial lecture at the Law Society of India in Pune (India) on 10th October.  The prestigious series is named after a former Principal of the Law College of the Law Society of India.  His paper, entitled ’ The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities – towards  a Unified Field Theory of Disability’, talks about the convergence of the different fields of disability – intellectual disability, mental health an physical and sensory disability – under one normative roof.  The text of the lecture is available in Microsoft Word format.

10/09/2009 - President McAleese Receives Copy of new Book on the United Nations Disability Treaty

President McAleese was presented with a copy of the first academic book on the new UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities . The book was co-edited by Professor Oddny Arnardottir of Reykjavik University in Iceland and Professor Gerard Quinn of the Centre for Disability Law & Policy at NUI Galway.  The Chancellor of the NUI and President of the Human Rights Commission, Dr Maurice Manning and Dr James J. Browne, President of NUI Galway, were also present at the event. 

Please see the full press release for further details.

04/06/2009 - Gerard Quinn delivers Keynote at Legal Capacity seminar of the European Foundation Centre, Brussels

Prof. Gerard Quinn delivered the keynote on “The legal capacity of person with disabilities in the light of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities”, which is now online. For further information, please consult the full programmeof the Symposium on the legal capacity of persons with disabilities in light of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

12/05/2009 - European Court of Human Rights uses UN Convention on Disability in a major judgment

In Glor v. Switzerland, the ECHR has held unanimously that there had been a violation of Article 14 (prohibition of discrimination), taken in conjunction with Article 8 (right to respect for private and family life), of the European Convention on Human Rights as regards the obligation for the applicant to pay a tax to be exempted from military service on medical grounds, despite having been willing to perform his service. The full judgment (in French only)is now online.

03/04/2009 - Mary Robinson Launches New Centre for Disability Law and Policy at NUI Galway

Former President of Ireland, Dr Mary Robinson launched the new Centre for Disability Law and Policy at NUI Galway on Friday, 3 April 2009. The Centre is one of the first of its type in Europe and it is timely given the recent adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities which Ireland has signed.

The primary purpose of the new Centre is to conduct research on best international practice to assist in the ongoing process of reform taking place here in Ireland and throughout the world.

The launch was followed by a Round Table discussion composed of a panel of distinguished international experts from China, the USA, Hungary, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the European Commission. The experts discussed the current global challenges in the field of disability followed by commentary from Irish specialists.

Pictured left at the launch the new Centre for Disability Law and Policy at NUI Galway were (left to right): Professor Gerard Quinn, Director of the Centre for Disability Law and Policy, NUI Galway; Dr James J. Browne, President of NUI Galway; and Dr Mary Robinson.

The advancement of the rights of persons with disabilities was one of the hallmarks of Dr Robinson's presidency and she also played a major role, in her capacity as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, in initiating the new UN Convention. According to Dr Robinson: “The Centre for Disability Law and Policy represents the best a university can offer in a democratic society by placing its research assets at the disposal of the process of change. This is nowhere more important than in the field of disability both here in Ireland and abroad”.

Dr Robinson praised the intention of the new Centre to benchmark Ireland against international best practice as well as for its wide international links, especially with the University of Syracuse and the Harvard Project on Disability. She also noted that the estimated 650 million persons with disabilities are now officially acknowledged as the world's largest minority and that the vast majority of them live in dire circumstances in developing countries. She commended the work done already by the Centre on development aid and disability and urged more efforts by Ireland and other countries in that regard. Dr Robinson gave specific mention to the role played by the Director of the Centre - Professor Gerard Quinn - in helping to negotiate the new Convention and for his longstanding work in this field.

The President of NUI Galway, Dr James J. Browne, spoke of the broad commitment of the University to 'civic engagement' which includes ensuring that its research prowess assists in the process of change by identifying innovative solutions. He noted that the new Centre will form part of a multi-disciplinary 'lifecycle research alliance' in NUI Galway, dealing with ageing at the Irish Centre for Social Gerontology and with families at the Child and Family Research Centre. It is envisaged that the three Centres will work collaboratively to bring their combined strengths to bear on lifecycle policy issues. Dr Browne acknowledged with special thanks the support of Atlantic Philanthropies in establishing the new Centre and indeed the two other Centres involved in the emerging 'lifecycle research alliance'.

The current research programme of the Centre for Disability Law and Policy focuses on the individualisation of services as well as the development of a Baseline Study on the state of Irish disability law and policy. It holds important research contracts with the European Commission on eAccessibility for blind people on the internet as well as the mapping of the UN disability Convention in EU law and policy. The Centre already has a vibrant PhD programme and plans a dedicated LLM programme in 2010 as well as an annual Summer School.

With its special emphasis on public policy analysis and law, the new Centre will also complement the excellent work of the National Institute on Intellectual Disability at TCD and the UCD Disability Studies Centre.

Professor Gerard Quinn, Director of the Centre for Disability Law and Policy at NUI Galway, says: "This Centre joins a handful around the world. Our aim is to generate research that marks a constructive contribution to the process of change. Ireland was a pioneer in the field of disability discrimination law and its National Disability Strategy shows great promise. Our hope is to make a constructive contribution to the implementation of that strategy to identify policy solutions to current challenges by drawing on a rich vein of comparative experience throughout the world. In this way we hope to enrich policy debates at home and expand the repertoire of policy options available to Government. We will work collaboratively with a wide variety of stakeholders in Ireland and build our international links to ensure access to legislative and policy solutions that offer promise in Ireland".

The materials from the event are available as follows:

• The video from the launch can be accessed here: http://videostream.nuigalway.ie/disability_law_launch
  • If the video above does not load, consult the Flash video version.
• CDLP launch speed text notes in Robobraille ( MP3 audio file)

2008 Archive

10/12/2008 - 6oth Anniversary of Landmark Human Rights Treaty, RI Stresses Universality of Disability Rights

The United Nations celebrates today the 60th Anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), affirming the inherent dignity and equality of all human beings. This year, the global disability community also celebrates the first human rights treaty of the 21st century, the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), which further articulates the rights enshrined in the UDHR for a large part of society that has historically been overlooked. Read the press release.

20/11/2008 - New Book Published

A new book, "The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: European and Scandinavian Perspectives" edited by Oddný Mjöll Arnardóttir and Gerard Quinn is now available. The International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is the first human rights treaty adopted by the United Nations in the 21st century. This collection of essays examines the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities from a global, European and Scandinavian perspective and the challenge of transposing its provisions into national law.