Disabled Justice? Access to Justice and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

This book serves as an important and timely reminder of the need to broaden the scope of analysis of the CRPD and to consider the interaction between the various Articles in the Convention. The approach in Disabled Justice? is to hone in on Article 13, which enshrines the right to access to justice. This has been a relatively underexplored aspect of the Convention, despite its importance. As Degener points out in the foreword, “it is sad knowledge that access to justice in most countries is usually available to those who have financial, political or cultural power, whereas minorities or other groups experiencing discrimination and subordination are excluded from it. The paradox that those most in need for access to justice are the least likely to receive it remains one of the most compelling human rights issues of the 21st century”. In tackling this issue, however, Flynn takes a much-needed holistic approach to access to justice, which looks beyond the traditional questions surrounding this area, and explores the way that barriers operate in a variety of contexts.