In a letter to First Minister John Swinney, the organisations express their frustration at the bill’s exclusion from the current legislative programme, warning that this delay risks weakening crucial human rights protections for Scotland’s most vulnerable communities.

The bill seeks to incorporate key international human rights treaties into Scots law, ensuring stronger legal protections for economic, social, and cultural rights. The coalition argues that, amid rising poverty, social care crises, and barriers to healthcare, this bill is urgently needed to safeguard the rights of people across Scotland.

Lucy Miller, policy and communications lead at the Human Rights Consortium Scotland, said: “The delay is a major setback for human rights in Scotland. People are struggling – families are being pulled deeper into poverty, disabled people are being denied the care they need, and many Scots can’t access basic health services. Human rights need to be at the heart of how decisions are made in Scotland. The government must act now.”

The organisations are calling on the Scottish government to publicly commit to introducing the bill by February 2025 at the latest, stressing that further delays will only worsen existing human rights challenges.

“The Scottish government has made repeated promises on human rights. This Bill is about turning those promises into action. Further delay would be a serious breach of trust,” Miller added.