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Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) emphasises full and equal legal capacity of all citizens to participate in decisions. This paper examines whether the principles of Article 12, also reflected in other reform documents, were evident within 12 guardianship hearings conducted in Victoria, Australia from 2001 to 2016 involving adults with cognitive disability. The issues this study raises resonate loudly across the globe as multiple signatory nations to the CRPD grapple with the complexities of implementing Article 12.

Reports of VCAT decisions with written reasons of Guardianship List hearings from 2001 to 2016 were selected from the Australasian Legal Information Institute site and analysed thematically.

Thematic analysis of proceedings revealed three consistent trends. Firstly, a presumption of incapacity based on disability excluded …