MSPs vote for children’s rights
‘Quakers in Scotland have a proud history of advocating for children’s rights, from scrutinising military visits in schools to campaigning for equal protection from assault.’
Friends in Scotland are celebrating the Scottish Parliament’s incorporation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) into Scottish law.
Long campaigned for by Quakers in Scotland, the UNCRC (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill first passed – unanimously – in March 2021, but was referred to the UK Supreme Court by Westminster.
The bill was then amended to comply with devolution rules, and passed – again unanimously – last week.
Shirley-Anne Somerville, the Scottish cabinet secretary for social justice, said the legislation would ‘change the way we think about children’s rights’.
Quakers in Scotland have been working on the bill with Together – Scottish Alliance for Children’s Rights for several years.
Elizabeth Allen, clerk to General Meeting for Scotland during the campaign, said: ‘Quakers in Scotland have a proud history of advocating for children’s rights, from scrutinising military visits in schools to campaigning for equal protection from assault.’
Britain Yearly Meeting also hailed the bill as a ‘historic moment for children’s human rights.’
The UNCRC grants all people under the age of eighteen a comprehensive set of rights, including rights to health, education, family life, play and recreation, and protection from abuse and harm. It also sets a legal requirement for all public authorities to comply with these rights. In November 2020, Scotland banned the physical punishment of children.
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