Rights’ Commissions report on progress

The Scottish Human Rights Commission has published their annual report. The 11th year of the Commission has seen significant developments, including:

• a human rights outcome within the National Performance Framework;
• a review of mental health and incapacity law based on protecting human rights;
• UN review into UK implementation of women’s rights, with the Commission making 27 recommendations for further action;
• debate and an inquiry into use of cyber kiosks – means to take data from mobile phones – by Police Scotland;
• a first court intervention by the Commission, in a case related to Serco lock-changes.

Judith Robertson, Chair of the Scottish Human Rights Commission said:

‘… we remain grounded in the reality that too many people in Scotland still do not have their rights met in many aspects of life. While our vision of a rights-respecting Scotland is shared by an increasing range of stakeholders, much more needs to be done in practical terms to translate that vision into reality.’

Meanwhile, the Children’s Commissioner for Children & Young People’s annual report looks at a year where the law changed to give children equal protection from assault, and the age of criminal responsibility was raised. The Commissioner published a report into restraint and seclusion in Scotland’s schools revealed serious inconsistencies in the governance and monitoring of incidents, in violation of children’s human rights. They have also supported children and young people as human rights defenders, taking part in UN discussions and urging the Parliament to better support young human rights defenders.

Image credit: Rick Payette, Flickr