Decision Time

Decision Time: Activating the rights of adults with cognitive disability aims to ensure Australia fully meets its United Nations obligations for people with disability within five years.

The report recommends all prisoners entering facilities across the country be screened for cognitive disabilities as well as supported to understand and participate in their criminal justice journey, receive support services in prison, and provided with supported housing if found unfit to stand trial or not guilty for reasons of mental impairment.

The 25 recommendations in the landmark report also include:

• carers to be legal ‘decision-supporters’ of their adult children with disability.
• broad powers for public advocates and public guardians to investigate abuse, neglect and exploitation
• fines for people who abuse their legal power to make decisions for others, and compensation for those affected
• people to be able to make advance medical decisions, including about their end-of-life, which are binding on healthcare professionals
• changes to laws about decision-making for people with disability to reflect what they want - their will and preference and rather than their ‘best interests’— where this is not yet available.