Announcing the Guardianship Convention Against Torture Project

by Janet Phelan 

While in Geneva, Switzerland recently I met with a number of disability rights oriented groups. It was suggested to me at that time that the guardianship victims bundle together our complaints and submit under the United Nations Convention Against Torture. The U.S. has both signed and ratified this international treaty and thus is bound to its conditions. Most of us who have faced off the guardianship system have come to the realization that there is no domestic recourse for us. The C.A.T. ofers an international venue which seems to be tailor made to our experiences and concerns.

Here is the link to the C.A.T.: http://www.hrweb.org/legal/cat.html
Please read it carefully to determine if your guardianship situation qualifies under the terms of the Convention. One thing to keep in mind is that the complainant must have exhausted his or her domestic remedies. Another thing to keep in mind is that the C.A.T. is about torture, not about loss of inheritance. So—if you have contacted the FBI or the US DOJ concerning your situation, you would qualify. As probate is a state issue, those who have contacted their State AG may also submit to this effort, per my understanding.
Please email me your submissions at writejanet@live.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Please keep your statements concise. All submissions will be confirmed so if you do not receive a confirming email, please re-send.