Scottish plan to help ensure human rights

Nicola Sturgeon has announced plans to set up a taskforce as the first step in introducing a new statutory human rights framework in Scotland.

Creating the framework using a new law at Holyrood is a key recommendation of the First Minister’s Advisory Group in Human Rights Leadership’s final report.

The group, set up to ensure Brexit does not erode human rights in Scotland, wants the new law to include rights that already exist under the Human Rights Act and extra economic, social and cultural rights from United Nations treaties.

The report’s other recommendations include a public participatory process as part of creating the new legislation; a Scottish Government national mechanism to monitor, report and implement human rights; developing human rights indicators and the new taskforce.

The group also recommends developing a written constitution including a bill of Rights for Scotland in the event of Scottish independence.

Speaking on Human Rights Day, Ms Sturgeon said: “I set up the advisory group to offer advice on how we can further enhance human rights as I wanted to ensure Brexit does not harm human rights in Scotland and that we remain in step with future advances in EU human rights.

“I share the ambition in this report that Scotland should introduce a human rights statutory framework.

“As a first step, I will establish a national taskforce, early in 2019, to progress these plans.”

Group chairman Professor Alan Miller said: “We were delighted the First Minister asked us for recommendations on how Scotland can lead by example.”

Nicola Sturgeon with Professor Alan Miller.