On Monday, 12,  and Tuesday, 13 June 2023, the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Fundamental and Human Rights (LBI-GMR) organised a one and a half day Regional Consultation Workshop in Vienna within the framework of the project “Justice for All: Strengthening the Rights of Persons with Intellectual and/or Psychosocial Disabilities in criminal deprivation of liberty. EU Cross-Border Transfers, Detention and Alternatives”.

Among others the Regional Consultation Workshop brought together prosecutors, lawyers, probation officers, and representatives of NGOs and national oversight mechanisms. During the Regional Consultation Workshop, the LBI-GMR with the partner organisations presented relevant international and regional human rights standards, as well as preliminary findings, and draft recommendations stemming from the national and regional research. Thematic focus were cross border proceedings, procedural safeguards for deprivation of liberty as well as alternative sanctions and probation involving defendants and detainees with intellectual and/or psychosocial disabilities.

In various working groups, the participants engaged in fruitful discussions on the proposed recommendations as well as other relevant developments. During the discussions in the working groups, more promising practices from Member States emerged, leading to more tailored recommendations to strengthen the rights of persons with intellectual and/or psychosocial disabilities.

One focus of the project is to raise awareness and stimulate exchange about the rights of defendants and detainees with intellectual and/or psychosocial disabilities across EU Member States: The Regional Consultations Workshop is a follow-up event to a series of four virtual Regional Consultation Workshops. End of 2023 a Final Conference will conclude the project by presenting the final findings.