Call for MSYP candidates - #Stand4SYP

Date: 6th September 2016
Category: Respect for the views of the child, Civil Rights and Freedoms

The next Scottish Youth Parliament (SYP) elections will be in March 2017, and the call for candidates is now open.

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UN calls for more effective action against racism by the Scottish government

Date: 6th September 2016
Category: Non-discrimination

On the 26th August, CERD (the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination) published their Concluding Observations. Included in it, for the first time was thirteen mentions of Scotland and Scottish policies as well as a number of specific recommendations for Scotland on issues such as criminal justice, National Human Rights Institutions, racist hate speech and hate crimes, stop and search as well as access to justice.

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Survey findings on healthy relationships in early primary education published

Date: 6th September 2016
Category: Education, Leisure and Cultural Activities

New report by Zero Tolerance shows a growing need for relationship education in early primary and the early years.

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Mental health statistics in Scotland - continued rise in number of young patients

Date: 6th September 2016
Category: Mental health

The number of children and young people being seen by mental health services has risen by nearly a third in the last two years.

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‘Paying More to be Poor’ Scotland report

Date: 6th September 2016
Category: Child poverty

Families on lower incomes pay more than average costs for basic goods and services, according to new research published by Citizens Advice Scotland.

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Minimum Age of Criminal Responsibility – research briefing

Date: 6th September 2016
Category: Age of criminal responsibility

A research briefing for the House of Commons library looks at the Minimum Age of Criminal Responsibility across the UK. It notes the work of Scotland's Expert Advisory Group and states that "an increase of the age of criminal responsibility may happen soon in Scotland" .

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‘Doing referendums differently after the EU vote’

Date: 6th September 2016
Category: Civil Rights and Freedoms

This new report by the Electoral Reform Society evaluates the conduct of the EU referendum and makes suggestions for future improvement, including recommending votes from age 16 across the UK and the extension of citizenship education in schools.

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Legal challenge over safer alternatives to detention in police cells

Date: 6th September 2016
Category: Civil Rights and Freedoms

In England, a 14-year-old boy is launching a legal challenge against London's Metropolitan police and his local council over a failure to provide a safer alternative to detention in police cells.

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The Good Childhood Report 2016 UK

Date: 6th September 2016
Category: Best interests of the child, Mental health

The Children's Society's annual state-of-the-nation review of young people's well-being finds an estimated 283,000 girls aged 10-15 say they are not happy with their lives overall - one in seven of all girls in that age group.

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Justice Secretary confirms intent to scrap the Human Rights Act

Date: 6th September 2016
Category: Other human rights treaties and mechanisms

The new Justice Secretary Liz Truss has confirmed that the UK government will continue with plans to replace the Human Rights Act with a British Bill of Rights.

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