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Voluntary Sector North West
St. Thomas Centre
Manchester
M12 6FZ
Tel: 0161 276 9300
Fax: 0161 276 9301
Email: info@vsnw.org.uk
New ruling gives people with mental illness conditions the same human rights as others
21 September 2009
The Commission for Equality and Human Rights has welcomed a Court of Appeal ruling which found that people with mental illnesses are protected from discrimination by the European Convention on Human Rights.
The ruling clarified a grey area in the law. Article 14 states that ‘The enjoyment of the rights and freedoms set forth in this Convention shall be secured without discrimination on any such ground as sex, race, colour, language, political or other opinions, national or social origin, association with a national minority, property, birth or other status.’ The Commission argued that mental illness was a disability and constitutes “other status”.
The Court ruled in the N & G v Secretary of State for Health & Nottinghamshire Healthcare Trust that “other status” included discrimination on the basis of a personal characteristic including mental illness or other mental disability.
This ruling, together with the Government’s recent ratification of the United Nation Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities will help ensure disabled people have the same human rights as others.
Featured Event
Open Public Services - Passage of a bill workshop
This VSNW/Parliamentary Outreach Service event will explore the stages that the bill would go through, their relative importance and ways to engage and influence
Featured News
Transforming Local Infrastructure Fund results announced
The beneficiaries of the £30 million fund to help transform and modernise local charity support services have been announced by Nick Hurd, Minister for Civil Society.
Relaunch of Voluntary Sector Cuts Website
The Voluntary Sector Cuts website has now been relaunched with additional functionality to enable VCS organisations to records cuts to funding and their effects
Views sought on Department of Health draft statutory guidance
VSNW are requesting your views on draft statutory guidance as support for joint strategic needs assessments and health and wellbeing strategies
Events & Trainings
VSNW’s list of events & training opportunities for VCS groups in the North West
