Tender – International Legal Consultant, Victims’ Rights

Voices for Justice: Communicating with Victims of Crime with Disability

Information and Communications: Cornerstones of Justice for Victims of Crime with Disability (878604 — InfoComPWDs)

International Legal Consultant, Victims’ Rights

Title: International Legal Expert with expertise in the UN CRPD and the EU Victims’ Rights Directive (2012/29/EU).

Project: Information and Communications: Cornerstones of Justice for Victims of Crime with Disability (878604 — InfoComPWDs). Funded by the European Union’s Justice Programme (2014-2020)**

Duration: October/November 2020 to June 2022

Location: Home based, with travel to attend international symposium in Brussels.

Fee: Fixed fee (inclusive of all costs, including all taxes) in EUR; plus travel and associated costs to attend international symposium in Brussels

Project Summary

Access to information and effective communication are essential for persons with disabilities who are victims of crime to participate effectively in criminal justice processes. This project will analyse victims’ access to their rights in Europe and create practical tools for key stakeholders in the justice system., alongside national and international reports.

The two-year project, from July 2020 to June 2022, is being implemented by a consortium of nine organisations. The work is taking place in seven EU countries (Czechia, Slovakia, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Lithuania, Croatia) with Validity Foundation as the Coordinator, and an academic team based in Slovenia supporting a research component in the initial phase of the project. A key innovation of the project is its focus on the nexus between the obligations set out in European Union Directive (2012/29/EU) together with the more recent EU Strategy on Victims’ Rights 2020-2025, the EU Disability Strategy 2010 – 2020, the European Accessibility Act, and the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). The Expert Consultant will ensure that the national level project activities bring added value to European and international practice and standards on access to justice for persons with disabilities.

Role and Tasks of Expert Consultant

The consultant will help the project to achieve EU added value and ensure that the project deliverables contribute to evolving European and international norms in the areas of victims’ rights, access to justice and disability. The consultant will contribute to the project through the following specific tasks, listed below with an indication of the due dates for the deliverables:

1. Create a 100-page international synthesis report with a comparative overview of the national findings and analysis vis-à-vis European and international law, and a 10 page executive summary (April 2022);

2. Provide advice and guidance to Validity’s Project Manager and the research team on the development and implementation of the research methodology and tools, and the national findings reports (November 2020 to June 2021);

3. Co-produce a set of four practical tools (the Toolchest) together with Validity’s Project Manager for key stakeholders in the criminal justice system, including persons with disabilities victims of crime (September 2021); and

4. Participate in an international symposium in Brussels in 2022 to launch the synthesis report and publicise the project outputs with EU and international stakeholders and policy makers (May/June 2022).

Requirements and Expertise

The consultant (may be an individual or team) should meet the following requirements. Preference will be given to qualified candidates who self-identify as having a disability:

· Current or former academic, practising lawyer or legal expert in an international organisation or DPO/NGO;

· Possess a postgraduate degree (or equivalent) in disability law, criminal justice, EU law, victims’ rights or a similar field of relevance to this project and research;

· Minimum of 10 years experience in EU and disability law;

· Published in a relevant field;

· Knowledge of or experience in litigating criminal law preferred, especially in a civil law jurisdiction;

· Appreciation of the disability rights movements and victim perspective;

· Experience working collaboratively with networks of organisations;

· Fluent in written and spoken English with ability to produce high-quality publications targeting multiple audiences;

· Understanding and experience of European Union policy making an asset;

· Knowledge of and experience in Central and Eastern Europe an asset;

· Central/Eastern European language an asset;

· European Union citizenship or right to work in the European Union.