Skip to main content

Whether the UK will be ratifying the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Disabled People and the effect on Jersey

The official version of this document can be found via the PDF button.

The below content has been automatically generated from the original PDF and some formatting may have been lost, therefore it should not be relied upon to extract citations or propose amendments.

1240/5(4208)

WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE CHIEF MINISTER BY THE DEPUTY OF ST. MARTIN

ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 3rd FEBRUARY 2009

Given that in R3/2009, presented to the States on 20th January 2009, reference is made to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and that Jersey has been asked to consider whether they wish to extend the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Disabled People to the Island, would the Minister advise –.

Question

(a) w h ether the Island Authorities have been notified whether the UK has ratified the Convention?

Answer

  1. The Governmentof Jersey has been informed that the UnitedKingdomsignedtheConventionon 30th March 2007. A target for the UK ratification was initially proposed for the end of 2008, which has now been delayed to early this year. Consideration has been given to a large number of reservations. However, a final date for ratification has not, as far aswe are aware, been agreed.

Question

  1. w h en andwho will beexamining the legislative and administrative implicationsfor the Island?

Answer

  1. The relevant Ministers and officers, together with relevant legal opinion, will be examining the legislative and administrative implicationsfor the Island. Initial consideration of the Conventionhas indicated that implementation is substantially dependenton the introductionof a new Discrimination Law in Jersey. The Home Affairs Minister's consultation paper in 2008 on a draft Discrimination Law proposed that disability Regulations might beincluded in phase 3 of theprogramme,following adoption of the principal Law and the introduction of Regulations to address race discrimination and sex discrimination. The position regarding the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities will therefore bereviewed when the Discrimination legislation is further advanced.

Question

  1. w h ether the public and States Members will be consulted?

Answer

c) T h e 2008 consultation paper on the draft Discrimination Law indicated that further consultation will take place regarding proposed Disability Discrimination Regulations.

Question

  1. w h o will be scrutinising the findings of any consultation process? Answer
  1. A n y consultation would necessarily be a public process, open to scrutiny by any appropriate individual or body.  A Scrutiny Panel review wouldbewelcomed.

Question

  1. w h ether States Members will be able toconsider the outcomeofany investigation into the legislative and administrative implications?

Answer

(e) If any Law or Regulations are required, these would be presented to the States for debate. Any significant administrative implications, particularly those that had resource requirements, would be included in the Annual Business Plan. All these would be subject to States consideration.