Scottish PEN joins Human Rights Day civil society letter

On global Human Rights Day over 110 groups from across the UK issue an open letter to the Prime Minister and political leaders, urging them to respond proportionately to Covid-19, protect people’s rights and the rule of law, and stand by the Human Rights Act.

The open letter, which was coordinated by the British Institute of Human Rights and signed by Scottish PEN alongside organisations including Amnesty UK, Children in Scotland, Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights, English PEN, Stonewall and Human Rights Consortium Scotland, highlights the extraordinary events of 2020, noting that “human rights must not be an afterthought in times of crisis; human rights were born of disaster and must guide the Covid-19 response and recovery”.

In the week that the UK Government launches a review of the Human Rights Act; today, the letter urges UK leaders to stand up for the “shared values of equal dignity, respect, fairness and decency; to protect people’s rights and the rule of law, to stand for the Human Rights Act.”

Download the letter as a PDF here, and as a plain text Word document here.

The letter in full

Dear Prime Minister and UK political Leaders,
 
2020 has seen the world face the biggest crisis in generations. Tackling this global health emergency must uphold the dignity and worth of all individuals, without discrimination. Human rights must not be an afterthought in times of crisis; human rights were born of disaster and must guide the Covid-19 response and recovery.
 
The mother of the UK’s Human Rights Act, the European Convention on Human Rights, emerged from WW2 exactly 70 years ago. These rights, which belong to us all, are part of our law – rights to life, liberty, freedom from harm, non-discrimination, family, well-being, and choice. These protections offer powerful, but under-used, tools to guide the response to the pandemic. A human rights lens puts everyone in the picture, implores us to ensure that no one is left behind, and shines a spotlight on who is suffering, and on what must be changed to ensure people’s rights are upheld.
 
Whilst the virus does not discriminate, we have all seen that its impact and responses do. Too many people have suffered disproportionately, including BAME communities, older people, disabled people, children, women, carers and many more. The UK’s response to the pandemic must protect the equal human dignity of us all; our human rights legislation offers a way to navigate this maze, to balance risk with rights
 
Today, we stand together, proud of our human rights standards in the UK but worried that political rhetoric is again turning towards questioning our laws, with increasing concerns that people’s ability to seek accountability will be reduced. We call on the Prime Minister and our political leaders to stand with us and stand for our shared values. To stand with us for the equal dignity of all people, for respect, fairness, and decency. To stand with us for a proportionate response to these extraordinary times that focuses on protecting people’s rights and the rule of law. To stand with us for our Human Rights Act.
 
Sincerely,

1. British Institute of Human Rights
2. Access Social Care
3. Advocacy Focus
4. AIRE Centre
5. All Wales People First
6. Alzheimer Scotland
7. Alzheimer’s Society
8. Amnesty UK
9. Article 12 in Scotland
10. Article 39
11. Asylum Link Merseyside
12. AVA (Against Violence and Abuse)
13. Birthrights
14. brap
15. Bristol Mind
16. British Association of Social Workers (BASW)
17. Campaign for Freedom of Information
18. Carers UK
19. Centre for Women’s Justice
20. Certitude London
21. Changing Our Lives
22. Child Rights Alliance for England
23. Children in Scotland
24. Sally Holland, Children’s Commissioner for Wales
25. Childrens Law Centre
26. Choice Support
27. Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights
28. Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ)
29. Compassion in Dying
30. Detention Action
31. Disability Wales
32. Discrimination Law Association
33. EachOther
34. End Violence Against Women
35. English Pen
36. Every Child Protected Against Trafficking
37. Friends, Families and Travellers
38. Garden Court Chambers
39. Grandparents Plus
40. Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland
    (the ALLIANCE)
41. HEAR Equality and Human Rights Network
42. Helen Bamber
43. HIV Scotland
44. Hourglass
45. Human Rights and Equality Group of the Law Society of Northern Ireland.
46. Human Rights Consortium Scotland
47. Human Rights Watch
48. Humanist Society Scotland
49. Humanists UK
50. Inclusion London
51. INQUEST
52. Judith Trust
53. Juno Women’s Aid
54. Just Fair
55. Just for Kids Law
56. JUSTICE
57. Latin American Women’s Rights Service (LAWRS)
58. Law Centres Network
59. Learning Disability England
60. Legal Action Group
61. Legal Aid Practitioners Group (LAPG)
62. Leigh Day
63. Liberty
64. Marie Curie
65. Mary Ward Legal Centre
66. Mental Health UK
67. Migrants Organise Ltd
68. Mind
69. n-compass
70. National Alliance of Women’s Organisations
71. National Care Forum
72. National Development Team for Inclusion (NDTi)
73. National Survivor User Network (NSUN)
74. nia
75. Heléna Herklots CBE, Older People’s Commissioner for Wales
76. POhWER
77. Prison Reform Trust
78. Public Law Project
79. Quakers in Britain
80. RAMFEL (Refugee & Migrant Forum of
    Essex and London)
81. REDRESS
82. Refugee Action York
83. Refugee Council
84. Relatives & Residents Association
85. René Cassin
86. Restorative Justice for All International Institute
87. Rethink Mental Illness
88. Scottish Care
89. Scottish Commission for People with Learning
    Disabilities (SCLD)
90. Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance
91. Scottish Pen
92. Shared Lives Plus
93. SMK Law Solicitors
94. Southall Black Sisters
95. Stonewall
96. Suffolk Law Centre
97. Tai Pawb
98. The British Geriatric Society
99. The Challenging Behaviour Foundation
100. The Law Society of Scotland
101. Tower Hamlets Law Centre
102. UNISON
103. Unlock Democracy
104. Voiceability
105. Voluntary Organisations Disability Group
106. Wish
107. Women’s Aid
108. Women’s Budget Group
109. York Human Rights City Network
110. Youth Access
111. ForcesWatch
112. ROTA – Race on the Agenda
113. tide – together in dementia everyday
114. Turning Point