COVID-19: Scottish Government’s recognition of taking a human rights approach to pandemic

Date: 1st May 2020
Category: Disability, Basic Health and Welfare, Civil Rights and Freedoms, Education, Leisure and Cultural Activities, Family Environment and Alternative Care, General principles

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Scottish Government has recently published a framework which will guide its decision-making when transitioning out of the current lockdown arrangements. The framework focuses on balancing the requirement to suppress the virus and the need to safeguard human rights and uphold human dignity throughout the transition.

To guide the Scottish Government’s decision on whether to maintain, tighten or relax lockdown, according to the framework it will:

• Consider the advice from experts across science, public health, the economy, and beyond.
• Examine what other countries within the UK are doing so they can potentially align their responses as far as possible
• Assess the evidence, using figures of hospitalisations, number of COVID-19 cases, ICU admissions and deaths.
• Ask how the measure impacts different groups in society.
• Examine how ethical the measure is.
• Analyse whether the measure is necessary and proportionate.
• Examine whether the measure promotes solidarity, equality and align with the Scottish Government’s legal duties to protect human rights.

Read the Scottish Government’s COVID-19 framework for decision-making in full here