CONSTITUTIONAL AND INSTITUTIONAL LAW | ICELAND

Iceland is in the process of adopting an act that will change certain politically incorrect terms used in the Icelandic law, as part of the country’s obligations arising from the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Apparently, Icelandic laws are still full of questionable terms that might be offensive to persons with disabilities. For example Article 222 of the General Icelandic Penal Code currently uses the word fáviti, or imbecile in Icelandic, and reads as follows: “Anyone who on purpose or by recklessness hands a dangerous object or chemical to a child younger than 15, mentally ill person or an imbecile shall be fined or imprisoned…”. Instead of this term, the term “individuals with developmental disability” will be used if the act is passed in the parliament.

In addition to the penal code, many other acts and regulations are to be amended and references to the fatlaður (“handicapped”) and daufblindur (“deaf and blind”), for example, will be changed to more appropriate terms such as “individuals with disabilities” and “individuals with combined vision and hearing impairment”.

The substance of the law is not going to be changed, only the terms, as stressed by the Icelandic government.