Australian Human Rights Commission
Submission to the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities – 25 July 2019
use of restrictive practices, including data on the reported use of regulated
and non-regulated restrictive practices, be made publicly available.
71.
The Commission has been leading a civil society consultation to support
Australia’s ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention against
Torture (OPCAT) and implementation process, including the establishment
of a National Preventive Mechanism (NPM).68 A number of stakeholders
noted the importance of: (a) the NPM being disability aware and inclusive
of people with disability,69 and (b) OPCAT compliance to extend to
disability-specific institutions.70
Recommendation 32: The Australian Government work with State and
Territory governments to develop a national framework to monitor and
regulate the use of restrictive practices, against people with disability, with
a view to reducing and eliminating their use, in all settings and contexts
where they are used, including justice, education, health, mental health
and aged care facilities.
Recommendation 33: The Australian Government direct the NDIS Quality
and Safeguards Commission to report annually on the progress made
towards reducing and eliminating the use of restrictive practices and
publish data on the total number of reported uses of restrictive practices.
Recommendation 34: The Australian Government implement OPCAT with a
view to applying it to all places of detention where an individual is or may
be deprived of his or her liberty, including disability-specific settings, such
as mental health facilities, forensic psychiatric or disability units,
residential institutions (including group homes) and segregated
educational facilities.
4.11 Freedom from exploitation, violence and abuse (CRPD art
16, CO 37–38, LOI 19)
72.
The Commission commends the Australian Government for establishing
the Royal Commission and welcomes the broad scope of the terms of
reference, which recognises the human rights and fundamental freedoms
of people with disability under the CRPD.71 It is essential that the Royal
Commission is fully accessible and inclusive of people with disability.
73.
The Commission also welcomes the establishment of the NDIS
Commission. However, additional oversight, complaint and redress
mechanisms are needed for people with disability who are not NDIS
participants.
22