NEW legislation is being considered by the Scottish Government which would see Scotland taking a global lead on human rights.
On International Human Rights Day tomorrow, the First Minister’s Advisory Group will recommend that internationally recognised human rights are incorporated into Scots law.
It is intended that a new Act would establish a human rights framework setting out in one place for the first time the rights belonging to everyone in Scotland.
It would include rights already provided by the Human Rights Act and additional rights drawn from UN treaties including economic, social, cultural and environmental rights.
The announcement will be made to mark the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights alongside a programme of events at the Scottish Parliament, where key speakers will include rights campaigner Bianca Jagger.
“There is an urgent need of human rights leadership in today’s world, so we were delighted that the First Minister asked us for recommendations on how Scotland can lead by example,” said the advisory group’s chair, Professor Alan Miller.
READ MORE: Make the right to food part of Scots law
“The leadership steps that Scotland needs to take are clear. The internationally recognised human rights belong to everyone in Scotland and must be put into our law. As importantly, they must then be put into everyday practice. In this way people are empowered to lead lives of human dignity, to have a sense of self-worth.”
Operating independently from the Scottish Government, the Advisory Group was set up by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon as part of the 2018 Programme for Government. The announcement has been welcomed by campaigners who believe it is a “huge step forward”.
“It is a big deal to say we are going to put this into law rather than just policy,” said Pete Ritchie, director of Nourish Scotland which has been advocating a right to food to be set in law. “It is a massive step forward and will put Scotland in the lead – the Scottish First Minister is so much more positive than the people at Westminster.”
However he said that rather than wait for the right to food to be included in the new Act, which may not come into being until the next Parliament, it should be incorporated into the new Good Food Nation Bill which is expected to go out for consultation before the New Year.
He said this would mean UK policies like the hated Universal Credit could be challenged in court.
“Universal Credit is clearly retrogressive: it is making many people destitute so they simply can’t afford to buy food,” he pointed out. “But at the moment it can’t be challenged in a UK court because the right to food has not been brought into domestic law. If it were in UK law, then the Government could be taken to court.
RITCHIE added: “This Bill will be a first in Europe to create a legal framework for a cross-cutting food policy which can tackle the multiple challenges of our current food system. It must have the right to food at its heart.
READ MORE: There is potential for Scotland to take bold action on human rights
‘‘This is a right established in international law which provides the foundation for a fair and sustainable approach to food in Scotland. It means that Government is committed to and accountable for tackling the injustices in our food system.
‘‘We can’t tolerate a system where in our land of food and drink tens of thousands of households can’t afford to put food on the table every day, while so many jobs in food are insecure and poorly paid.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said the new Good Food Nation Bill was due to go out for consultation in the “next couple of weeks”.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel