By ADRIAN MWANZA –
HOME Affairs Minister Davies Mwila says the Government is concerned with the low guidance available for people living with psychosocial disabilities to allow them access to justice.
Mr Mwila said there was little guidance available on ensuring equal access to justice, especially for people with psychosocial or
intellectual disabilities.
He said in a speech read for him by Community Development, Mother and Child Health Minister Emerine Kabanshi in Lusaka yesterday during the launch of a report on people with psychosocial and intellectual disabilities in criminal justice system.
“Government will ensure it moves towards a new constitutional dispensation that enshrines the right to dignity, freedom and equality before the law for all its citizens,” he said.
The ministry has in the past two years been examining the legislation, policies and practice as well as collecting data from the public on
their view in the matter.
Mr Mwila called for partnership with stakeholders to help resolve challenges faced by people with psychosocial and intellectual disabilities caught up in the justice system.
In 2010, the Government ratified the United Nations Convention on Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and has since been working in partnership with civil society groups like the Mental Health Users Network of Zambia.
“We have recognised these difficulties, criminal justice health care and disability rights communities have rarely worked together to
understand the problems and look for solutions,” he said.
Open Society Foundations programme manager Louise Ehlers said at the same function that people with psychosocial and intellectual disabilities faced harsh treatment in the justice system because they failed to acclimatise to prison conditions.
Some of the challenges that people with psychosocial and intellectual disabilities face include over-detention as well as being detained
wrongly because they were unable to express themselves effectively.
“The justice system does not favour people with psychosocial and intellectual disabilities and in most cases they find it hard to cope with prison conditions,” she said.
