The obligation to ensure equal recognition before the law, including legal capacity, is enshrined in Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. As a fundamental human rights principle, it is essential for the realisation of other rights, such as personal liberty, security, access to healthcare, and engagement in political and public affairs.
However, many individuals with disabilities continue to face discriminatory restrictions on their legal capacity, particularly through substitute decision-making frameworks like guardianship, conservatorship, and mental health laws that authorise involuntary treatment.
This conference will facilitate exchange of examples on legal reforms needed to protect and promote the right to equal recognition before the law across various domains, including good practices for supported decision-making programmes.
The European Disability Forum, together with the Lithuanian Disability Forum and GoVilnius, will host this Conference on “The right to decide: legal capacity and pathways to reform” on June 21st 2025 from 09:00 to 13:00 (local time) in Vilnius, Lithuania, at the Radisson BLU Hotel Vilnius, Room Alfa and live-streamed (listen-only mode).
Agenda
08:00 – 08:45 Registration of participants
09:00 – 09:30 Official opening:
- Indrė Širvinskaitė, President, Lithuanian Disability Forum
- Rimantas Mockus, Minister of Justice of the Republic of Lithuania
- Inga Ruginienė, Minister of Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania
- Yannis Vardakastanis, President, European Disability Forum
09:30 – 11:00 Conference on ‘Legal Capacity: Legal reform’
Keynote: Markus Schefer, Committee on the Rights of persons with Disabilities
Moderator: Catherine Naughton, Executive Director, European Disability Forum
- Marine Uldry, Senior Policy Coordinator, European Disability Forum
- Indrė Širvinskaitė, President, Lithuanian Disability Forum
- Daniel Anibal García Diego, Spanish Committee of Representatives of People with Disabilities
- Niall Brunell, Principal Officer, Disability Policy Unit, Ireland (TBC)
Q&A
11:00 – 11:30 Coffee break
11:30 – 13:00 Conference on ‘Legal Capacity: Supported decision-making‘
Keynote: Tamara Byrne, Youth Committee, European Disability Forum
Moderator: Dovilė Juodkaitė, Board Member, European Disability Forum; International Cooperation Coordinator, Lithuanian Disability Forum
- Freddy Jussien, Advocacy Lead, Inclusion Europe
- Soufiane El Amrani, Self-advocate, Inclusion Europe
- Rosie Harding, Professor of Law and Society, Birmingham Law School
- Jonas Ruškus, Professor at the Department of Social Work, Vyautas Magnus University
Q&A
Objectives
- Participants have a greater understanding of the right to equal recognition before the law and its implications for persons with disabilities across various domains (e.g., mental healthcare, bodily autonomy and healthcare, independent living).
- Participants improve their understanding of legal reforms and supported decision-making programmes that support equal recognition before the law for persons with disabilities, across various domains.
- Participants feel more empowered to engage in advocacy for legal capacity reforms at the national level.
- Facilitate exchange between policy makers, experts and organisations of persons with disabilities to advance the right to equal recognition before the law.
The Conference will provide International sign interpretation, Lithuanian sign interpretation, real-time captioning in English, audio interpretation in English-French and English-Lithuanian.