Judith Robertson

In its letter, the commission expresses its concern that the Scottish government has mandated Covid vaccination certification for entry to certain venues and events without adequately addressing the points set out in its April briefing, Covid Status Certificates: Human Rights Considerations.

The commission urged the Scottish government to demonstrate that the vaccine certification scheme complies with human rights requirements. In particular, the government should set out evidence to demonstrate that any scheme introduced meets the key human rights tests of necessity and proportionality.

Judith Robertson, chair of the Scottish Human Rights Commission, gave evidence on these concerns to the Scottish Parliament’s Covid-19 Recovery Committee.

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, aligning its practice with its stated commitment to embed human rights across all areas of the government’s work.”