UK’s highest court to rule on SNP ‘state snooper’ plan

CAMPAIGNERS will today try to make the Scottish Government scrap its Named Person scheme at the UK’s highest court.

They will argue that forcing a ‘state snooper’ on every family in Scotland is a breach of both EU law and the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).

The Scottish Government, which has committed more than £61million of taxpayers’ money to the wider Getting It Right For Every Child policy, won two previous legal battles at the Court of Session.

But campaign group No to the Named Person (NO2NP), believes those cases failed properly to consider the levels of data sharing involved.

NO2NP director Simon Calvert said: ‘When it comes to data- sharing, this scheme just does not take account of EU laws. The previous courts have not engaged with this argument and we are confident the Government has big problems here.

‘The blanket appointment of named per-

‘The Government has big problems here’

sons for all children is also a breach of ECHR right to a private family life.’

Even if the Scottish Government wins in the Supreme Court in London, it could face further challenges at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg or the EU court in Luxembourg. But the scheme is due to launch in August and this could be the last chance to stop it.

Dr Gordon Macdonald, parliamentary officer at Christian charity CARE for Scotland, said: ‘ The Scottish Government’s Named Person scheme is very dangerous and will undermine parents and their role as the best guardians of their children.’

A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘The Court of Session has twice ruled in favour of our Named Person legislation and we are confident the Supreme Court will uphold these rulings.

‘The rulings recognised the Named Person service was developed carefully over more than a decade, with extensive input and wide support from experts.’

Graham Grant – Page 14