International Human Rights and Mental Disability Law

When the Silenced Are Heard
1. Auflage 2011
ISBN: 978-0-19-539323-1
Verlag: Oxford University Press

Buch, Englisch, 336 Seiten, Format (B × H): 161 mm x 240 mm, Gewicht: 757 g

Reihe: American Psychology-Law Society Series

Examines and summarizes the growing field of international mental health law
Authored by Michael L. Perlin, an award-winning writer on mental disability law and insanity defense

Society is largely blind-often willfully blind-to the ongoing violations of international human rights law when it comes to the treatment of persons with mental disabilities. Despite a robust set of international law principles, standards and doctrines, and the recent ratification of the United Nations' Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, people with mental disabilities continue to live in some of the harshest conditions that exist in any society. These conditions are the product of neglect, lack of legal protection against improper and abusive treatment, and social attitudes that demean, trivialize and ignore the humanity of persons with disabilities.

International Human Rights and Mental Disability Law: When the Silenced are Heard draws attention to these issues in order to shed light on deplorable conditions that governments continue to ignore, and to invigorate the debate on a social policy issue that remains a low priority for most of the world's nations. Examining the mistreatment of persons with mental disabilities around the world, Michael Perlin identifies universal factors that contaminate mental disability law, including lack of comprehensive legislation and of independent counsel; inadequate care; poor or nonexistent community programming; and inhumane forensic systems.

Using examples from Western and Eastern Europe, South America, Africa and Asia, Perlin examines and summarizes the growing field of international mental health law, arguing that governmental inaction demeans human dignity, denies personal autonomy, and disregards the most authoritative and comprehensive prescription of human rights obligations. As Perlin argues, these issues pertain to all citizens of the world who value human rights and who care about how we treat those of us who may be most vulnerable. International Human Rights and Mental Disability Law is an indispensable resource for scholars, policymakers, governmental officials, and mental health professionals who care about the treatment of those with disabilities, and to human rights advocates and activists worldwide.

Zielgruppe

Researchers and policymakers involved in mental disability law, as well as professionals in the fields of law, psychology, criminology, ethics, public policy, and social theory.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Perlin, Michael L.

Fachgebiete

• Rechtswissenschaften Internationales Recht und Europarecht Internationales Recht Internationale Menschen- und Minderheitenrechte, Kinderrechte
• Rechtswissenschaften Internationales Recht und Europarecht Internationales Recht Internationales Verwaltungs-, Umwelt- und Gesundheitsrecht
• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Politische Kultur Menschenrechte, Bürgerrechte

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Chapter 1: Introduction and overview
Chapter 2: International human rights: Legal issues and social constructs
International human rights in legal perspective
Sanism and pretextuality
Dignity
Chapter 3: Mental disability law in a comparative law context
Chapter 4: The use of mental disability law to suppress political dissent
Chapter 5: The universal factors
Chapter 6: The application of international human rights law to mental disability law: specific contexts
Law school pedagogy
Expert evidence law
Psychotherapist-patient law
Corrections law
Chapter 7: The UN Convention: The impact of the new UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on international mental disability law
Chapter 8: The UN Convention: The role of counsel
Chapter 9: A Disability Rights Tribunal for Asia and the Pacific
Chapter 10: Therapeutic Jurisprudence
Chapter 11: Conclusion
References
Index

Über Autor(innen)

Perlin, Michael L.
Michael L. Perlin, Professor of Law and Director of the Mental Disability Law Program, New York Law School

Michael L. Perlin is a professor of law at New York Law School, where he is also Director of the International Mental Disability Law Reform Project and Director of the Online Mental Disability Law Program. He has taught and done advocacy work on six continents and is the author of 20 books and over 200 articles on all aspects of mental disability law. He spent eight years as director of the New Jersey Division of Mental Health Advocacy, where he provided legal services to individuals in cases involving civil commitment, institutional rights, and community care issues.

Michael L. Perlin is a professor of law at New York Law School, where he is also Director of the International Mental Disability Law Reform Project and Director of the Online Mental Disability Law Program. He has taught and done advocacy work on six continents and is the author of 20 books and over 200 articles on all aspects of mental disability law. He spent eight years as director of the New Jersey Division of Mental Health Advocacy, where he provided legal services to individuals in cases involving civil commitment, institutional rights, and community care issues.