The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Human rights group voices vaccine passport concerns
Plans by Nicola Sturgeon to introduce Covid vaccine passports have prompted concerns from the Scottish Human Rights Commission.
The group has written to Deputy First Minister John Swinney, who is responsible for Scotland’s recovery from Covid, to ask for a full assessment of how human rights issues will be affected.
Vaccine passports will come into effect from October 1, with Scots required to provide proof they have been double vaccinated to access nightclubs and large events like football matches.
Further details on the plan were revealed by Ms Sturgeon on Tuesday, with the first minister confirming under-18s will not be required to show proof of their vaccination status.
The commission is urging the Scottish Government to set out how the vaccine passport scheme will comply with human rights requirements.
In particular, it says the government should release evidence to demonstrate that it meets the key human rights tests of necessity and proportionality.
Commission chairwoman Judith Robertson gave evidence to the Scottish Parliament’s Covid-19 recovery committee yesterday.
Speaking beforehand, she said: “The Scottish Government has a duty to take reasonable steps to minimise the risk to life and protect health.
“However, the measures taken to do so must also comply with the UK’s, and in turn Scotland’s, human rights obligations.
“The commission is urging the Scottish Government to demonstrate compliance with human rights requirements.”
The government says it is taking an “equality and human rights approach” to ensure the policy “does not inadvertently disadvantage any community”.
A spokesperson said: “Ministers have had considerable engagement with equality, human rights and children’s stakeholders, representing each of the protected characteristics in the Equality Act.
“This includes the Equality and Human Rights Commission, Scottish Human Rights Commission, the Children and Young People’s Commissioner, Amnesty International, the Scottish Refugee Council, Age Scotland and more.
“Their views and evidence have been taken into account and reflected in our impact assessments, which we will publish in the coming days.
“In our view, a vaccine certification scheme is a proportionate measure, which can help us to reduce transmission risks and to encourage uptake of the vaccine, while keeping latenight venues and large events open for business.
“This is a very limited scheme and we hope this will allow businesses to remain open and prevent any further restrictions as we head into autumn and winter.”
It comes after we revealed how staff at one of Scotland’s largest care operators had been dismissed after refusing to have the Covid-19 vaccine.
Operator HC-One said that while 97% of staff have been vaccinated, those who have refused and who do not have an exemption on health grounds are being removed from their posts this week.