Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland
People at the Centre

Become a member

A Human Rights Bill for Scotland: consultation launched

  • Area of Work: The ALLIANCE
  • Type: News Item
  • Published: 21st June 2023
A line of placards with the title reading 'Human Rights'

The Scottish Government has published its consultation on proposals for a new Human Rights Bill for Scotland.

The proposed bill plans to enshrine international human rights, including the right to health and an adequate standard of living, into Scots law.

The bill looks to reduce inequality and would place a broader range of human rights at the centre of how Scotland’s frontline public services are delivered. Enshrining rights in law also aims to empower individuals to understand and claim them, and to ensure there is more effective monitoring and accountability when things go wrong.

Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said:

“Our ambitious proposals will protect and promote these rights in every aspect of life in Scotland – from government and parliament through to the everyday interactions people have with frontline services – and ensure they apply equally across society.”

The Human Rights Bill proposes to incorporate four UN human rights treaties into Scots law:

  • International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ISESCR)
  • International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD)
  • Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)
  • Convention on the Right of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)

The public consultation will run for 16 weeks, closing on Thursday 5th October 2023.

The full consultation is available here. A number of accessible and alternative formats have also been published.

End of page.

End of page.

You may also like:

Back to all news