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Global Conversations, from Scotland

The Scottish Human Rights Bill - writing international human rights into Scots law.

Season 1, Ep. 4

Dr David Scott talks with Laura Pasternak from Who Cares? Scotland and Mhairi Snowden from the Human Rights Consortium Scotland about the Scottish Government’s plans to write international human rights into Scots law.

 

On 15 June 2023, the Scottish Government published the long-awaited consultation on its plans to incorporate various UN human rights treaties into Scots law, subject to the limits of the devolved competence of the Scottish Parliament. Alongside putting rights like the right to housing and the right to a healthy environment into Scots law, the Bill proposes wide-sweeping changes for public authorities in Scotland, including enhanced human rights reporting and outcome monitoring and increased access to the courts for legal accountability.

 

On this episode of the SCGA podcast, Dr David Scott (Postdoctoral Research Associate in International Law and Governance at the Glasgow Centre for International Law and Security, University of Glasgow, and the Scottish Council on Global Affairs) is joined by Laura Pasternak (Policy & Public Affairs Manager at Who Cares? Scotland) and Mhairi Snowden (Director of the Human Rights Consortium Scotland) to discuss a new report on the Scottish Government’s human rights plans and the need to include Care Experienced people in its implementation.

 

The full report, ‘Incorporating International Human Rights: The protection of Care Experienced People’s Rights in the Scottish Human Rights Bill’.

 

The Human Rights Consortium Scotland’s response to the Consultation: https://hrcscotland.org/2023/10/09/consortium-publishes-scottish-human-rights-bill-consultation-responses/

 

Who Cares? Scotland’s response to the Consultation: https://www.whocaresscotland.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/WCS-Scottish-Human-Rights-Bill-consultation-response-Oct-2023-Final.pdf

 

Human Rights Consortium Scotland - @HRCScotland

Who Cares? Scotland - @whocaresscot

Dr David Scott - @David_M_Scott_

SCGA - @scga_scot

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