CCPR/C/125/D/2684/2015
United Nations
International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights
Distr.: General
8 May 2019
Original: English
Human Rights Committee
Decision adopted by the Committee under the Optional
Protocol, concerning communication No. 2684/2015*, **
Communication submitted by:
T (represented by counsel, Tony Ellis)
Alleged victim:
The author
State party:
New Zealand
Date of communication:
2 June 2015 (initial submission)
Document references:
Decision taken pursuant to rule 97 of the
Committee’s rules of procedure, transmitted to
the State party on 20 November 2015 (not issued
in document form)
Date of adoption of decision:
29 March 2019
Subject matter:
Trial of a defendant with intellectual disability
Procedural issues:
Exhaustion of domestic remedies; abuse of the
right of submission; admissibility ratione
temporis
Substantive issues:
Cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or
punishment; arbitrary arrest – detention; fair trial
Articles of the Covenant:
7, 9 (1), 10 (1), 14 (1) and (3) (a) (d) (f) and (g)
Articles of the Optional Protocol:
3 and 5 (2) (b)
* Adopted by the Committee during its 125th session (4–29 March 2019).
** The following members of the Committee participated in the examination of the communication:
Tania María Abdo Rocholl, Yadh Ben Achour, Ilze Brands Kehris, Christopher Arif Bulkan, Ahmed
Amin Fathalla, Shuichi Furuya, Christof Heyns, Bamariam Koita, Marcia V.J. Kran, Duncan Laki
Muhumuza, Photini Pazartzis, Hernán Quezada Cabrera, Vasilka Sancin, José Manuel Santos Pais,
Yuval Shany, Hélène Tigroudja, Andreas Zimmermann and Gentian Zyberi.
GE.19-07594(E)