CRPD recommended incorporated into human rights legislation

Today, the expert committee handed over its report on the incorporation of the CRPD into Norwegian law, commissioned by the government. The expert committee has consisted of Supreme Court judge Hilde Indreberg, professor Kjetil Mujezinovic Larsen and former government lawyer Sven Ole Fagernæs.

The CRPD stands for UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities). Incorporating the CRPD into Norwegian law will give the convention precedence if Norway breaches the convention.

No one in the expert committee has a background in disabled people's rights, and they have therefore previously invited organizations to make their comments and input. The lion mothers participated in this input meeting, and you can read about both the meeting and our input here. The lion mothers have always been clear that the CRPD must be incorporated into Norwegian law, and that this must happen in human rights legislation.

It was committee leader and Supreme Court judge Hilde Indreberg who explained the investigation and the recommendation from the expert committee. She explained that the majority of the expert committee concludes that the CRPD must be incorporated into human rights legislation, i.e. the Equality and Discrimination Act. Indreberg was clear that considerations of democracy and consideration of municipal self-government are not sufficient grounds for treating the CRPD and other already incorporated core conventions and human rights differently. We at Løvemammaene are very happy about this clarity and recommendation!

Now the job of realizing this incorporation remains.

Not shockingly, but still somewhat surprising, the proposal was divided where one of the committee's members dissented (had a separate and different proposal from the majority). It was committee member and former government lawyer Sven Ole Fagernæs who dissented.

In conclusion, the Minister for Culture and Equality Lubna Jaffery received the report and informed that the way forward will now be about familiarizing herself with the expert committee's investigation and getting the CRPD incorporated.

The lion mothers are looking forward to this. The time is ripe.