Promoting Access to Justice for Defendants with Disabilities – International Event in the Ministry of Justice of Lithuania

While the right to justice is an essential element of the guarantee and realisation of all human rights, some barriers prevent persons with disabilities’ access to justice on an equal basis with others.

On 4 October 2023, together with a consortium of organisations representing 8 European Union countries, brought together by our long-standing partner organisation Validity Foundation, we presented the results of a joint study on the inclusion of defendants with intellectual and/or psychosocial disabilities and the guarantee of the right to a fair trial. Read our Lithuanian National Briefing Paper here.

As many as 316 people from at least 8 EU countries attended the hybrid event. This international network of experts, lawyers, and advocacy activists is important for developing and providing recommendations and practical guidance for professionals working in the criminal justice system.

Lithuania has not yet transposed the EU Directive on the protection of vulnerable persons in criminal proceedings into its national legal framework. As a result, such persons are not systematically identified and do not receive the necessary assistance and support. There is no legal definition or requirements for due process in the Lithuanian criminal justice system, and the concept of “vulnerability” itself is not defined in legislation.

Meaningful cooperation with the Ministry of Justice allows for the identification of practical, structural, and legislative gaps that are important to overcome to guarantee human rights for all.

The event was organised in the context of the project “Enable – Enabling inclusion and access to justice for defendants with intellectual and/or psychosocial disabilities”, funded by the European Union.