Advocacy and Scholarship

💻 Tips on using the site: Use our Search function to find specific content. And use DeepL or Google Translate or another translator of your choice to translate files and external links.

Read the arguments made by survivors of psychiatry, mad people, people with psychosocial disabilities and our allies for the abolition of forced psychiatry and related human rights issues. These are some highlights in the development of our positions and work that has influenced the development of global standards.

This graphic is divided into four quarters Each quarter has a cream-colored background and the text is black. Each quarter has stylized bars behind a hand holding a torch, in black; these are of varying sizes.

The left top panel has text which reads 'Advocacy, they say - a lark, a phase, paid to rattle cages and stir the malaise. Not a real job, not a suit, not a grind,' continuing in smaller letters, 'Just heart and fire and a stubborn mind' The hand with torch and bars are smallest here.

The right top panel has text that reads, 'But who else names the harm, draws the line,' followed in smaller writing by 'holds the torch in the storm and spine? If shaking the system means' and it ends there. The hand and torch and bars are larger here.

On the left bottom panel, the text reads (continuing from the second panel): 'That justice isn't handed down, it's hauled up, fistful by fistful, by those unpaid enough for the labour the they do to make the world liveable for me and you' - the hand and torch and bars are midway between those in the size of the left and right top panels.

The right bottom panel has a very large hand and torch and bars, taking up most of the panel, and at bottom there is text reading 'For me and you' — by Ailsa Rayner

Pre-CRPD

10th International Conference Principles (1982)

Richard Gosden, Shrinking the Freedom of Thought

Judi Chamberlin: interview with Paul Engels: On the ex-patients movements (50), ca. 1990 (Judi, author of widely translated movement classic On Our Own, is interviewee)

Linda Joy Morrison, Talking Back to Psychiatry: Resistant Identities in the Psychiatric Consumer/Survivor/Ex-Patient Movement (1995)

Report of Mental Hygiene Law Court Monitoring Project: Do Psychiatric Inmates in New York Have the Right to Refuse Drugs? An Examination of Rivers Hearings in the Brooklyn Court (1998)

Stastny, Involuntary Psychiatric Interventions: Breach of Hippocratic Oath? (2000)

Repeal Article 9 of NY’s Mental Hygiene Law (2001) – Statement at press conference, Campaign flyer, Original flyer

WNUSP human rights position paper (2001)

Letter to Mary Robinson opposing MI Principles (2001)

Madness Network News (1972-1986) and Phoenix Rising (1980-1990) archives

In Our Own Voice: African-American stories of oppression, survival and recovery in mental health systems by Vanessa Jackson (2002)

CRPD Development and Early Advocacy

WNUSP paper for Mexico City expert meeting (2002)

WNUSP text proposals for CRPD (2003/2004)

IDC information note – Forced psychiatry meets criteria for torture (2005)

WNUSP Legal capacity advocacy note (2005)

Psychosocial disability in Kenya (2005)

PO-Skåne and supported decision-making (2005)

Kate Millett intervention on torture (2005)

Lobbying letter on the Convention (2005)

‘Imagine’ special edition of International Disability Caucus newsletter (2006)

WNUSP contributions to Ad Hoc Committee in Negotiation Archives (2002-2006)

Tina Minkowitz presentation to expert meeting on torture and disability (2007)

IDA Position Paper on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and Other Instruments (2008)

WNUSP Definition of psychosocial disability (2008)

WNUSP CRPD Implementation Manual (2008)

IDA Position paper on CRPD and other instruments (2008)

IDA CRPD Forum submission to OHCHR Thematic Study on Legislation to Implement CRPD (2008)

News article on CRPD adoption (as a taste of how it was received) (2008)

WNUSP Kampala Declaration (2010)

NOUSPR advocacy report (2011)

WNUSP newsletter March 2011

PANPPD – Pan African network of People with Psychosocial Disabilities Cape Town Declaration (2011)

TCI – Transforming Communities for Inclusion Bali Declaration (2018)

RedEsfera Latinoamericana de Diversidad Psicosocial Lima Declaration (2018) in Spanish

Legal Capacity Interpretation

IDA Legal Opinion on Article 12 in English and Spanish (2008)

IDA CRPD Forum Principles on Article 12 in English and Spanish (2008)

Minkowitz, Norms and Implementation of Article 12: Notes for Discussion on Oct. 21, 2009 (first CRPD Day of General Discussion on Article 12, as panelist)

IDA letter on Functional Capacity in English and Spanish (n.d., likely 2011)

IDA Submission to Day of General Discussion on Article 12 (n.d., likely 2011)

CHRUSP-WNUSP Submission to Day of General Discussion on Article 12 (n.d., likely 2011)

WNUSP: Legal Capacity as Right, Principle and Paradigm (Submission to CRPD Committee) (2011)

Minkowitz, Alternative to Functional Capacity (2014)

Minkowitz, Legal capacity from psychosocial disability perspective (2014)

Analysis of Peru’s legal capacity reform (2018)

Alternative Declaration developed at Seoul World Congress on Adult Guardianship 2018

Minkowitz, Support in Crisis to Replace Forced Psychiatry (slides) (2019)

Minkowitz, Discernment as process, not precondition (2019)

CHRUSP Amicus to Colombian Constitutional Court supporting Ley 1996, legal capacity reform (2020)

Prohibition of Involuntary Hospitalization and Involuntary Treatment: Countering Misapprehensions (2020)

For more, see Legal Capacity page and Reframing Madness page

Torture and Arbitrary Detention Interpretation

CHRUSP Paper – Why Mental Health Laws Contravene the CRPD (2011)

CHRUSP/WNUSP/IDA Recommendations for OPCAT Monitoring of Psychiatric Institutions (n.d., likely 2011)

WNUSP Submission to Thematic Discussion on Monitoring Psychiatric Institutions and Prisons (2012)

ENUSP/MDAC/IDA/WNUSP Submission to Special Rapporteur on Torture related to torture in healthcare settings and Exec Summary (2012)

Minkowitz expert submission and recommendations on torture in healthcare settings (2012)

CHRUSP submission to CRPD Committee on Accessibility (for Article 9 General Comment) (2012) – addressing legal and social barriers created by forced psychiatry system

Alliance Against Torture in Psychiatry (2013)

WNUSP summary of CAT standards and advocacy paper (2013)

WNUSP submissions to Human Rights Committee for General Comment on liberty and security of the person- First joint submission with IDA, II and DSI (2013), and Joint Response on draft Paragraph 19 with alternative language – Full and Executive Summary (2013)

WNUSP/IDA press release Human Rights Committee still tolerates mental health detention (2014)

Minkowitz Affidavit on CRPD standards for Rohrer case (US) (2014)

WNUSP submission to Working Group on Arbitrary Detention for stakeholders consultation (2014)

Tina Minkowitz presentation to CRPD side event on Article 15 (2015)

List of References for further reading on torture and nonconsensual psychiatric interventions (2015)

Hege Orefellen on reparations at CRPD Art 15 side event (2015)

Jolijn Santegoeds information at CRPD Art 15 side event (2015)

Experience of forced drugging and electroshock, NN at CRPD side event (2015)

CHRUSP Submission to OHCHR on implementing human rights in relation to mental health (2016)

Workshop in Seoul on model bill on inclusion (2016)

CHRUSP submission to Day of General Discussion on Article 19 pdf and word (2016)

CHRUSP on access to justice for disability-related arbitrary detention and torture (2017)

CHRUSP Third-Party Intervention in Daniels v Australia under CRPD Optional Protocol (n.d., likely 2017)

Minkowitz commentary on 2020 report by Special Rapporteur on Torture

CHRUSP Deinstitutionalization Briefing Paper (2020) – our first advocacy for the Guidelines on Deinstitutionalization

Tina Minkowitz, CRPD Consultation on Deinstitutionalization: A Reparations Approach (2021) (blog post)

CHRUSP submission to Special Rapporteur on Torture, on victim’s experiences and perspectives (2025)

For more, see Abolishing Forced Psychiatry page and Reframing Madness page

Equal Standards in Criminal Process and Prisons

WNUSP discussion paper on mental health and prisons (2010)

WNUSP advocacy in the process to revise Standard Minimum Rules on the Treatment of Prisoners – NB the revised SMR continues to provide for transfer to mental health setting of persons deemed non-responsible:

WNUSP advocacy for revision of the Standard Minimum Rules on the Treatment of Prisoners (2011)
Minkowitz presentation to expert meeting on SMR revision (2012)
WNUSP/CHRUSP submission on SMR revision (2012)
WNUSP/PANUSP/CHRUSP statement to 2nd meeting on SMR revision (2012)
WNUSP/CHRUSP submission to Special Rapporteur on Torture, on the Standard Minimum Rules on the Treatment of Prisoners (2013)
WNUSP/CHRUSP January 2014 Submission on Revision of the Standard Minimum Rules on the Treatment of Prisoners (2014)
WNUSP/CHRUSP How can a revised Standard Minimum Rules on the Treatment of Prisoners best reflect up to date international law on the rights of persons with disabilities? (2014)

WNUSP/IDA submission to SPT on ‘mental health and places of deprivation of liberty‘ (2012)

Minkowitz and Fleischner ICC amicus brief (2021), see also Barsky and Stein criticism of our brief and Fleischner’s reply

Access to Justice Knowledge Hub Policy Brief – Implementing CRPD in criminal justice systems (2022) – English, Spanish, Chinese

Minkowitz/Fleischner amicus brief to Mexico City Criminal Court (2023) Spanish and English – arguing for abolition of insanity defense and the forced psychiatric interventions imposed as security measures

See in full on Access to Justice page

CHRUSP Work on Indicators

CHRUSP/Absolute Prohibition Indicators on Articles 12, 24, 15, 19 and 25 (2019)

CHRUSP revised Indicators on Articles 12, 14, 15, 19 and 25 (2019)

Women and Psychiatric Oppression

Laura Prescott speech ‘Shattering the Silence’ (2010) – at WNUSP/MFI COSP side event

CHRUSP paper on Forced Psychiatry as Violence Against Women (2010)

Minkowitz, Legal Capacity from a Gender Perspective (2014)

CHRUSP comments on Human Rights Committee draft General Comment on right to life, from gender and disability perspective (dealing with abortion rights, and suicide) (2016)

Minkowitz, Individual submission for the CRPD Draft Guidelines on Addressing Multiple and Intersectional Forms of Discrimination Against Women and Girls with Disabilities (2025)

For more, see Intersectional Oppressions page

Rights of Older Persons