New Human Rights Bill for Scotland
Plans to introduce world-leading human rights legislation have been announced by Equalities Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville.
A new Human Rights Bill would incorporate four United Nations Human Rights treaties into Scots law, including legislation that enhances human rights for women, disabled people and minority ethnic communities. The bill, which would be introduced in the next parliamentary session depending on the outcome of May’s election, would include specific rights, subject to devolved competence, from:
- the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
- the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)
- the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD)
- the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).
The National Taskforce for Human Rights Leadership, which was set up in December 2018, have also published their final report. In total 30 recommendations have been accepted by the Scottish Government including measures which will, for the first time, improve equality and human rights on an environmental, social, economic and cultural scale.
The recommendations from the taskforce will help underpin the new legislation and builds on previous ambitious human rights work.
Ms Somerville said: “These recommendations from the taskforce are bold and ambitious. A multi-treaty human rights bill of this nature, that will also contain a range of others rights on the environment, older people, and access to justice, is unprecedented and will make Scotland a world leader in human rights.
“This new bill sets out our clear commitment to reducing inequality and advancing the human rights of everyone. It shows our dedication to go further and aim higher to ensure human rights are embedded in every aspect of life in Scotland.”
Professor Alan Miller, who co-chaired the taskforce with Ms Somerville, said: “Scotland has become increasingly confident and internationalist throughout the past 20 years of devolution and this set of recommendations clearly shows the next step on its human rights journey.”
Welcoming the proposals, Judith Robertson, chair of the Scottish Human Rights Commission, and member of the National Taskforce, said: “Today’s taskforce recommendations, and the Scottish Government’s commitment to implement them, represent a major milestone for human rights in Scotland. This marks the beginning of a vital new era for all of our rights.
“The Commission and others have been advocating and laying the groundwork for this move for over a decade. We are delighted to see such a significant step towards achieving stronger implementation and legal protection for people’s rights in Scotland.”