What will human rights be in an independent Scotland?

Protection of human rights in an independent Scotland

Stephen Richard — Mon, 18 Oct 2021 21:21:43 +0000

Protection of human rights in an independent Scotland Stephen Richard Mon, 10/18/2021 - 22:21

Author or Creator

Scottish Government

Human rights are the basic rights and freedoms that everyone has. They are what allows us to walk down the street, speak to our friends and go to work. In fact, almost everything we do in our daily lives is because we have our human rights.

The rights themselves are based on core principles like dignity, fairness, equality, respect and autonomy. When they are properly put in place in society they allow us to live a dignified human life.

Here, we’re lucky that Scottish and UK law means that human rights should be part and parcel of the way government and services behave and do their job. Acting as a cornerstone of a healthy democracy, human rights make sure that the government plays fair by giving people a voice. They’re a safety net for everyone.

So what are my human rights?

Human rights cover things that we probably all take for granted. They allow us to live, marry and have families. They also include civil and political rights. They let you have an opinion and voice it, they let you vote, celebrate your beliefs and get a fair hearing should you ever need one. And they cover economic, social and cultural rights which covers things that are much more day to day. They are there to make sure you have an adequate standard of living, don’t go hungry, ensure you have access to water and sanitation and have access to healthcare.

All of this is built on an original document called the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948.

Learn more about your rights

And how are they protected?

Here in Scotland, your human rights are protected in a number of different ways. Some rights are protected by the Human Rights Act, which incorporates most of the European Convention of Human Rights into our legal system. The Convention is also embedded into the Scotland Act, which makes sure that the people in charge act according to those rights in any action they take. In Scotland, we also have access to other human rights because the UK has signed up to various international human rights treaties. The way it works is that most civil and political rights are protected under the Human Rights Act, whilst Economic, Social and Cultural Rights are covered by international treaties. It’s worth noting that while Economic, Social and Cultural Rights can’t be claimed through the courts, the Government has a responsibility to make sure you still enjoy these rights as far as they possibly can.

Sources and Links

https://www.gov.scot/policies/human-rights/

Keywords

Human rights

Human Rights Act

Convention on the Rights of the Child

Human Rights Policy

Stephen Richard — Wed, 29 Sep 2021 18:40:40 +0000

Human Rights Policy

Primary Author or Creator

Scottish Government

Stephen Richard Wed, 09/29/2021 - 19:40

Additional Author(s) / Creators

Add additional Authors and/or Publisher

Alternative Published Date

2021

Category

Human Rights

Type of Resource

Government policy paper

Fast Facts

A description of existing human rights in Scotland and their application to international, governmental, and individual circumstances.

Resource Address (URL)

https://www.gov.scot/policies/human-rights/

Keywords

Human rights

Language English

HUMAN RIGHTS IN SCOTLAND

Stephen Richard — Wed, 29 Sep 2021 18:36:00 +0000

HUMAN RIGHTS IN SCOTLAND

Primary Author or Creator

Amnesty International

Stephen Richard Wed, 09/29/2021 - 19:36

Additional Author(s) / Creators

Add additional Authors and/or Publisher

Alternative Published Date

2019?

Category

Human Rights

Type of Resource

Fact sheet

Length (Pages, words, minutes etc...)

2pp

Fast Facts

A description of the Human Rights Act 1998 and its implementation.

Resource Address (URL)

https://www.amnesty.org.uk/files/the_human_rights_act-_amnesty_speaker_programm…

Keywords

Human rights

Language English

Human Rights [in Scotland]

Stephen Richard — Wed, 29 Sep 2021 18:31:13 +0000

Human Rights [in Scotland]

Primary Author or Creator

One Scotland

Stephen Richard Wed, 09/29/2021 - 19:31

Additional Author(s) / Creators

Scottish Government

Alternative Published Date

2019?

Category

Human Rights

Type of Resource

government report

Fast Facts

A description of the current state of human rights in detail and how to exercise them.

Resource Address (URL)

https://onescotland.org/equality-themes/human-rights/

Keywords

Human rights

Language English

Women of an Independent Mind: The Future of Women’s Equality in Scotland

Stephen Richard — Sun, 12 Sep 2021 20:10:20 +0000

Women of an Independent Mind: The Future of Women’s Equality in Scotland

Primary Author or Creator

Angela O’Hagan

Stephen Richard Sun, 09/12/2021 - 21:10

Additional Author(s) / Creators

Common Weal

Alternative Published Date

September 2020

Category

Women

Human Rights

Type of Resource

Policy Paper

Fast Facts

This policy paper outlines a series of proposals for how to work towards women’s equality in an independent Scotland

More details

― Women’s unequal economic, financial, and social status compared to men’s is persistent and enduring. Women earn less, drive less, and are less visible in political and public life.

― The lack of gendered analysis that captures and dismantles constraints of gender relations means public policy decisions on taxation, skills and employment, economic policy, welfare, health, housing, and transport, for example, will continue to impact differently on women and men, generally to women’s disadvantage. None of these issues falls into the stereotypical category of “women’s issues” but they are all women’s issues.

― This report argues for such a gendered analysis in multiple aspects of policy-making in Scotland.

― Areas of particular concern examined by the report include: care (including childcare), immigration, economic development, taxation, economic wellbeing and the allocation of public resources.

― A future Scotland has the opportunity to recast gender roles and relations, creating a more progressive and equal society no longer defined by out-dated and harmful stereotypes of what it means to be a woman or man or the roles we play in work, in families, and in politics.

Resource Address (URL)

https://commonweal.scot/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Women-of-an-Independent-Mind…

Keywords

Language English