Alex Procope Chaired Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities Program


Alex Procope Chaired the Ontario Bar Association Program on UN Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities which took place online on November 23, 2020. This was the first OBA program dedicated to the CRPD and it focused on it’s implications and limitations for individuals with cognitive disabilities. The panel included Kerri Joffe from Arch Disability Law Centre, Judith Wahl from Wahl Elder Law and Brendon Pooran from PooranLaw. The program was hosted by the Elder Law Section of the OBA.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) promotes the rights of persons with disabilities, including the right to make their own decisions. Canada ratified the CRPD in March 2010, subject to a reservation regarding Article 12. Join us to explore the impact of the CRPD in Ontario and the opportunities for utilizing it to better represent and access justice for persons with disabilities. Topics covered included:

  • Key provisions of the CRPD

  • How the CRPD has been implemented domestically in Ontario

  • The tension between supported decision making and substitute decision making: Understanding Canada’s reservation on Article 12

  • Practical strategies for incorporating the CRPD and its concepts in your practice to provide greater access to justice for persons with disabilities