EIN Workshop: Implementation of ECtHR Judgments concerning Psychiatry, Mental Health and Disability Rights in Romania

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Last week, EIN held a workshop on the implementation of European Court of Human Rights judgments concerning psychiatry, mental health and disability rights in Romania, which took place on Monday, 27th March 2023.

This workshop focused on the implementation of ECtHR judgments concerning disability and mental health in Romania, specifically for Romanian civil society representatives. Civil society activists, lawyers, self-representatives, psychologists, and parents of children and adults with disabilities joined us for this workshop. 

We provided participants with an overview of the ECtHR implementation process focusing on the scope of implementation of key judgments and on evidencing issues. We discussed the following cases, which are all on the Committee of Minister’s Human Rights Meeting June 2023 agenda:

  • Centre for Legal Resources on behalf of Valentin Campeanu v. România, concerning the authorities’ failure to protect the right to life of Mr Câmpeanu, a young man with a severe intellectual disability.

  • N v. Romania (no. 2), concerning deficiencies in the current system of legal protection for vulnerable adults

  • Parascineti v. Romania, concerning the ill-treatment during involuntary placement in the psychiatric unit of a psychiatric Hospital, due to overcrowding, poor sanitary and hygiene conditions, including the absence of an individual bed, and the impossibility to spend time outdoors due to staff shortages.

  • Cristian Teodorescu v. Romania, concerning unlawful placements in psychiatric hospitals without compliance with the procedure prescribed by the Mental Health Act and without any justification relating to the applicant’s mental health condition.

  • N. v Romania, concerning the unlawful psychiatric confinement as a security measure and deficiencies in the judicial review proceedings regarding the applicant’s continued confinement.

  • R.D. and I.M.D. v. Romania, concerning the non-voluntary confinement of the applicants in a psychiatric hospital, for the purpose of compelling them to undergo medical treatment and about the obligation to undergo that medical treatment.

The workshop concluded with an open discussion with participants about developments at the national level and implementation challenges in these cases.

We thank everyone who joined the workshop, and we hope to see your submissions and engagement with the implementation of ECtHR judgments in the future.