Human Rights

Freedom of speech and the views of elected lawmakers will be given greater weight in law under the controversial Bill of Rights introduced to Parliament today, the UK government claims. The bill aims to help prevent "trivial human rights claims from wasting judges’ time and taxpayer money". A

An academic human rights lawyer is calling for a change in the law in order to allow those suffering from fuel, food or housing inadequacies to hold the government to account. Professor Katie Boyle, chair of international human rights law at the University of Stirling, says new research reveals that

Deficiencies in Scots law around advance choices and medical decision-making in intensive care situations put human rights in jeopardy, according to a Law Society of Scotland report. A Law Society working group of legal experts, medical practitioners and academics authored the report, published toda

Growing up in care should be a “protected characteristic” in equality legislation, the UK government’s care tsar has said. Josh MacAlister, a former schoolteacher who founded social work charity Frontline, was tasked by the government with leading a review of children’s socia

A Scottish Green Party MSP today launched a consultation on her legislative proposal to designate protest free ‘buffer zones’ outside abortion clinics across the country. Gillian Mackay said that intimidation and harassment outside these healthcare facilities must end, and that legislati

The United Nations Security Council must renew its arms embargo on the territory of South Sudan amid the state’s failure to ensure accountability for conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) and to protect survivors, witnesses and judicial actors, Amnesty International said today in a new repor

Scouts will now be able to work towards obtaining a human rights badge in Scotland. Cubs and Scouts aged between eight and 14 can undertake challenges towards gaining the badge, the logo for which was designed by 10-year-old Scout, Christopher, from Lenzie in East Dunbartonshire.

A 90-year-old Catholic cardinal was detained by police in Hong Kong under the region's national security law. Joseph Zen, a former bishop of Hong Kong, was arrested over his trusteeship of a humanitarian fund established to assist demonstrators who took part in the pro-democracy protests in 2019.

The Scottish Human Rights Commission has expressed concern over UK government plans to bring forward legislation to replace the Human Rights Act with a new Bill of Rights. The commission is strongly opposed to these "deeply regressive proposals" which it believes are based on false premises and a fl

A new Centre of Expertise in Equality and Human Rights to "put human rights and equality at the heart of economic policy development" is being established. The centre, an action from Scotland’s National Strategy for Economic Transformation, will see government "working with experts to build kn

More than 50 human rights organisations have written to the UK government ahead of an expected announcement on the scrapping of the landmark Human Rights Act 1998. A bill allowing judges to disregard case law from the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) is expected to be included in the Queen's S

Britain must relieve the pressures on its education, health and social care systems following the coronavirus pandemic, the country’s human rights watchdog says in a report to the UN today. A widening educational attainment gap for children on free school meals and concerns about safety in the

Law students and graduates in the UK have been invited to submit essays on "eco-anxiety" and human rights to a new competition named in memory of Lord Kerr of Tonaghmore. Organised by the Human Rights Lawyers Association (HRLA) young lawyers' committee, the competition invites essays on the question

Human rights protections are at risk from the UK government’s proposals to replace the Human Right Act, according to a new evidence report submitted to the United Nations (UN) by the Scottish Human Rights Commission. In its “report card” to the UN’s latest Universal

Italy violated Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights after it failed to protect a woman and her children, one of whom was murdered by the applicant's partner. Ms Landi alleged that the Italian state had failed to take the requisite action to protect her and her two children from the d