COVID-19

“COVID-19 is a test for our societies, and we are all learning and adapting as we respond to the virus.  Human dignity and rights need to be front and centre in that effort, not an afterthought”

Michele Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

These are unprecedented times, and all of us are dealing with very significant impacts on many of our basic human rights. 

Human Rights Consortium Scotland Priorities

During this time, as Scotland begins to recover from the Coronavirus pandemic, we have three strategic priorities:

1. To ensure that civil society organisations have platforms to raise human rights concerns with policy makers
2. To provide clear messaging about the importance of public authority/government consideration of human rights during and after the pandemic
3. To ensure that civil society has the resources that it needs around understanding COVID-19 through human rights lens
   

COVID-19 Public Inquiry

• Scottish Government announces Terms of Reference and Chair of upcoming public inquiry– December 2021
• Scottish Government announcement that a public inquiry will investigate the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic-  August 2021
• Feedback sought on draft aims and principles– Link to the public call for views on the draft aims and principles of the inquiry. The call for views closes on the 30th September 2021
• Submission on the Aims and Principles of the Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry– the Consortium’s response to the call for views on draft aims and principles of the COVID-19 public inquiry

 

Delivering Human Rights in Scotland During COVID-19: A 2020 Survey of Public Authorities

• Read the Consortium and Amnesty Scotland’s joint report ‘Delivering Human Rights in Scotland During COVID-19: A 2020 Survey of Public Authorities’
• Read the Executive Summary of the report, in Easy Read Format

 

The Scottish Parliament Equalities and Human Rights Committee Inquiry into the Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Equality and Human Rights

• Read the Consortium’s letter to the Convenor of the Scottish Parliament Equalities and Human Rights Committee, Ruth Maguire MSP, asking the Committee to begin an urgent inquiry into the equality and human rights impacts of the coronavirus crisis in Scotland. 
• Read about the inquiry here
• Read our joint submission to the inquiry, setting out 34 urgent questions the Committee should ask
• Read all the published submissions to the inquiry here 
• Read the final report on the outcome of the inquiry

   

The UK Parliament Joint Committee on Human Rights Inquiry into the Government’s Response to COVID-19: Human Rights Implications

• Read about the inquiry here
• Read the Consortium’s joint submission to the inquiry
• Read all the published written evidence
• Read all the published oral evidence transcripts
• Read the inquiry report
• Read the UK Government’s response to the report

 

Briefings and reports from our members on coronavirus impacts:

Amnesty International:

• What Just Happened? The need for a public inquiry into COVID in Scotland, March 2021
• Joint Letter to the First Minister asking for a public inquiry, March 2021
• The Government must address fear and mistrust around vaccination, February 2021
• Care Homes Report, October 2020
• Joint call for UK-wide public inquiry, July 2020
• Joint call for public inquiry into care home deaths in Northern Ireland, June 2020
• Nobody is safe until we’re all safe: blog on the impact of COVID-19 on migrants, May 2020
• Reports of intimidation of hospital PPE whistleblowers ‘very alarming’, May 2020
• Briefing for MSPs for Holyrood emergency coronavirus legislation March 2020
• 2006 report: Delivering Human Rights in Scotland
• 2010 report: Delivering Human Rights in Scotland, an update

Howard League Scotland:

• Letter to Cabinet Secretary, Humza Yousef MSP, on release of prisoners
• Joint call with Prison Reform Trust for early release of prisoners
• Prisoner house-holding – the latest threat from COVID-19

Health and Social Care Alliance (the ALLIANCE)

• Response to Scottish Government COVID-19 Framework for Decision-making

Inclusion Scotland:

• Coronavirus and Social Care Support
• Briefing for MSPs on Holyrood emergency coronavirus legislation March 2020
• Briefing for MSPs on Legislative Consent Motion for UK emergency coronavirus legislation March 2020
• Mental health of disabled Scots hit hard

Engender:

• Briefing on Women and COVID 19
• Criminal trials during COVID-19 outbreak

Campaign for Freedom of Information in Scotland:

• Blog on freedom of information and COVID19
• Briefing for civil society

Scottish Women’s Aid:

• Statement on COVID19

Together: Scottish Alliance for Children’s Rights:

• Briefing for MSPs on emergency coronavirus legislation March 2020
• Information about Committee on Rights of the Child COVID-19 statement & Together collation of concerns

British Institute for Human Rights:

• Briefing for MPs on UK emergency coronavirus legislation March 2020
• Human Rights & Coronavirus Hub

Justice:

• Briefing for MSPs on Holyrood emergency coronavirus legislation March 2020

Poverty Alliance:

• Community organisations, activists & the Coronavirus: Poverty Alliance briefing, 6th April 2020

Scottish Refugee Council:

• Joint letter to the Prime Minister – Coronavirus; policy recommendations to protect people who are experiencing homelessness and insecure migration statuses

 

Other briefings/reports on coronavirus and human rights

• Joint international statement between NGOs on respecting human rights around surveillance during COVID19
• Equality and Human Rights Commission Scotland: Briefing for MSPs on emergency coronavirus legislation March 2020
• Scottish Human Rights Commission: COVID-19 page including briefings and statements, and reference paper with international human rights guidance and principles related to coronavirus
• Letter from National Preventative Mechanism to Cabinet Secretary Humza Yousef MSP on COVID19 and prisons
• SPICE Spotlight: Coronavirus and Human Rights