Human Rights Act must stay, says Scottish Government

Date: 3rd October 2014
Category: Other human rights treaties and mechanisms

Responding to media speculation on a possible repeal of the European Human Rights legislation on 3rd October 2014, former Community Safety and Legal Affairs Minister Roseanna Cunningham said the Scottish Government was 'strongly opposed' to such a move.

Ms Cunningham highlighted that current legislation helps to protect the most vulnerable in society and warned that a possible repeal of European Human Rights legislation would have serious consequences both at home and abroad.

Ms Cunningham said:
"The Scottish Government is strongly opposed to any attempt by a future UK Government to repeal the Human Rights Act or to withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights. To do so would require the consent of the Scottish Parliament and, given our longstanding opposition, we would invite the Scottish Parliament to refuse this.

The safeguards in the Act have been actively used to protect the everyday rights of ordinary people in Scotland, in particular helping some of the most vulnerable in society to challenge policies like the bedroom tax.

Any attempt to water down or evade its obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights would seriously damage the reputation of the UK as a state and undermine its ability to provide international leadership, as well as damaging relationships with the Council of Europe regime."

Read the full article here.