Protecting children’s rights
Plans to progress Scotland’s ground-breaking children’s rights legislation have been announced by Deputy First Minister John Swinney.
The UNCRC (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill was backed unanimously by the Scottish Parliament in March 2021, but could not be implemented because of a legal challenge brought by the UK Government. In October, the Supreme Court ruled that certain parts of the Bill were outwith the legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament.
The Scottish Government has now set out how it will address this. Over the next few weeks, there will be targeted engagement with relevant organisations and children and young people on proposed changes to the Bill. These will then be brought before Parliament via the Reconsideration Stage.
Information about the Reconsideration Stage can be found on the Scottish Parliament website.
What is happening to UNCRC incorporation in Scotland?
Last week, the Deputy First Minister made an announcement to the Scottish Parliament outlining the next steps for the UNCRC (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill.
To help you get up to speed on the progress of UNCRC, Together policy officer Naomi Sutton has written a blog which summarises the announcement. You can read Naomi’s blog here.
The Scottish Government has started a 3-week consultation period to gather feedback on the proposed changes. Together will be holding an online meeting on 9th June from 09:30 – 11:00 to discuss these changes, and will be joined by a representative from the Scottish Government for part of the meeting for a question and answer session.
If you are interested in attending, please contact naomi@togetherscotland.org.uk, who will then send you more information and a link to the meeting.
