Keith Brown MSP, Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Clackmannanshire & Dunblane constituency, has hailed the commencement of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child Act as a “milestone for children’s rights”.

The UNCRC Act requires public authorities to protect children’s human rights in their decision-making when delivering functions conferred by Acts of the Scottish Parliament. It also allows for children, young people and their representatives to use the courts to enforce their rights.  

Speaking this morning, Keith said:

“The introduction of this Act into law is a milestone for children’s rights, not just in Scotland but across the UK, because we are the first part of the UK to incorporate the UNCRC into law, helping to make Scotland the best place in the world to grow up.

“This is the SNP putting children’s rights at the very heart of decision making in Scotland.

“The great shame is that, rather than seeing this as an opportunity to improve rights for children, the UK Government chose to act as a roadblock to progress by running to the Supreme Court, overturning a unanimous decision of the Scottish Parliament.

“Nevertheless, Scotland can now act as a beacon for children’s rights across the rest of the UK.  The challenge is now there to the new UK Government to allow the introduction of the parts of the original legislation that had to be dropped and to extend these same rights to all UK children.”