Scottish Human Rights Commission

Scottish Human Rights Commission Scotland's human rights watchdog. We can't answer questions here. Email:[email protected]

The Scottish Human Rights Commission is an independent public body, accountable to the people of Scotland through the Scottish Parliament. The Commission has a general duty to promote awareness, understanding and respect for all human rights – economic, social, cultural, civil and political – to everyone, everywhere in Scotland, and to encourage best practice in relation to human rights. Our full

duties and powers are set out in the Scottish Commission for Human Rights Act 2006. The Commission is accredited as an ‘A Status’ National Human Rights Institution (NHRI) within the United Nations (UN) system. This means we can report directly to the UN on human rights issues. We are the only Scottish organisation that can make direct contributions to the UN Human Rights Council. The Commission has powers to recommend changes to law, policy and practice; promote human rights through education, training and publishing research; and to conduct inquiries into the policies and practices of Scottish public authorities.

Today was the COCAB Conference for Citizens Advice Scotland and leaders of Scotland's local Citizens Advice Bureaux. Our...
28/05/2026

Today was the COCAB Conference for Citizens Advice Scotland and leaders of Scotland's local Citizens Advice Bureaux. Our Chair was asked to give a speech, alongside Kezia Dugdale of the University of Glasgow Centre for Public Policy.

In her speech, Professor Angela O'Hagan recognised that Scotland's Citizens Advice Bureaux are at the coalface of human rights protections. They are often the first place people turn when something has gone wrong with their human rights, and we rely on their insight, evidence, and connection to communities to do our work effectively.

Data collected from local Bureaux has informed our human rights monitoring, particularly our spotlights on economic social and cultural rights in the Highlands and Islands, and more recently in the South of Scotland.

Last year we partnered with the Parkhead Citizens Advice Bureau to develop a plain English guide to human rights under the Scottish Prison Rules, which is now available in prisons across Scotland.

We look forward to continued collaboration with members of Citizens Advice Scotland to ensure that human rights are not just principles on paper, but something that people feel and experience in their everyday lives.

For more, read Professor O'Hagan's speech on our website:
https://ow.ly/wsKi50Z5jZV

Rosemary Agnew has been a Member of the Scottish Human Rights Commission since September 2025. How rights are applied an...
28/05/2026

Rosemary Agnew has been a Member of the Scottish Human Rights Commission since September 2025. How rights are applied and accessed in practice - particularly in relation to the under-represented or those experiencing vulnerability - is a thread running through all of Rosemary’s roles.

Prior to joining the SHRC, Rosemary was the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman, Scottish Information Commissioner, CEO of the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission, and held roles with the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman in England. She also sits on the World Bank’s Access to Information Appeals Board.

Her comprehensive leadership history means that Rosemary brings with her invaluable experience in raising awareness of rights, good human rights practice, and how to challenge constructively where practice falls below acceptable standards.

Rosemary has a keen interest in human rights in in relation to health and social care, places of detention, and how compliance with rights is embedded in governance and policy making.

Find out more about the Members of the Scottish Human Rights Commission on our website:
https://ow.ly/vjny50Z52Vg

We were in Manchester last week for the annual meeting of the four National Human Rights Institutions for the UK and Ire...
27/05/2026

We were in Manchester last week for the annual meeting of the four National Human Rights Institutions for the UK and Ireland.

These meetings are an opportunity to discuss shared human rights and equality issues, share learning and work together on solutions.

Thanks to Equality and Human Rights Commission for hosting and to all in attendance for another productive meeting.

Irish Human Rights & Equality Commission Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission

Dr Claire Methven O’Brien has been a member of the Scottish Human Rights Commission since September 2022.She has worked ...
21/05/2026

Dr Claire Methven O’Brien has been a member of the Scottish Human Rights Commission since September 2022.

She has worked internationally as a human rights researcher, practitioner and advocate for more than 20 years. She is Reader (Associate Professor) in Law at the University of Dundee.

Find out more about the Members of the Scottish Human Rights Commission on our website:
https://ow.ly/GTWU50Z2fQQ

21/05/2026

Human rights belong to everyone and we’re here to help all newly elected MSPs uphold them.

Read our letter:
https://ow.ly/xwMA50Z2IsE

Last week, our Chair Angela O'Hagan spoke at Scottish Care's National Care at Home & Housing Support Conference. In her ...
20/05/2026

Last week, our Chair Angela O'Hagan spoke at Scottish Care's National Care at Home & Housing Support Conference.

In her keynote speech, Professor O'Hagan spoke about the central role that care plays in realising many fundamental rights, and how telling the story of care through a human rights lens can help to make it more visible.



Read the speech on our website:
https://ow.ly/725a50Z27ax

Shelley Gray has been a member of the Scottish Human Rights Commission since September 2022. She has over twenty years o...
13/05/2026

Shelley Gray has been a member of the Scottish Human Rights Commission since September 2022. She has over twenty years of experience in the third sector working on human rights issues in roles spanning engagement, policy and strategy development.

Shelley is the Head of Policy and Communications at Corra Foundation, where she has focuses on human rights, racial justice and accessibility. She is the parent/carer of a disabled child and has previously specialised in the rights and participation of children and young people, particularly those with additional support needs.

She brings expertise on meaningful participation to the Commission, having worked alongside a range of communities on policy and legislative development, and experience supporting duty bearers to design inclusive, rights based approaches to participation.

Find out more about the Members of the Scottish Human Rights Commission on our website:
https://ow.ly/PkLn50YXACu

Meet our Members ✨Aaliya Seyal is a value-led leader and committed advocate for equity, social justice, and rights-based...
07/05/2026

Meet our Members ✨

Aaliya Seyal is a value-led leader and committed advocate for equity, social justice, and rights-based approaches. She has been a Member of the Scottish Human Rights Commission since September 2025.

Aaliya brings significant expertise on access to justice: She currently serves as Chief Executive of Legal Services Agency, a law centre promoting access to justice in Scotland, and she was recently appointed to the Independent Fee Review Mechanism Group which aims to improve access to justice through legal aid.

She has over two decades of senior leadership experience in the voluntary legal advice sector and her leadership is grounded in a trauma-informed, ethical framework and shaped by evidence-based practice rooted in community needs. With a longstanding focus on advancing justice for marginalised and racialised communities, the Commission benefits from her deep expertise in inclusive service delivery and systemic reform.

Find out more about the Members of the Scottish Human Rights Commission on our website:
https://ow.ly/ltCo50YVqCA

Meet our Members ✨ Professor Angela O'Hagan became Chair of the Scottish Human Rights Commission in August 2024. With a ...
05/05/2026

Meet our Members ✨

Professor Angela O'Hagan became Chair of the Scottish Human Rights Commission in August 2024. With a background spanning academia, civil society and public service, she brings experience in equality, human rights and fair decision‑making.

Her work has long focused on embedding human rights and equality into public policy and budgets, because decisions about how we raise and spend public funds shapes whether people in Scotland can live with dignity.

Professor O'Hagan is Professor Emeritus at Glasgow Caledonian University, where she introduced the current MSc in Human Rights. In 2019, she was awarded the Jo Cox Award for Public Service and Active Citizenship by the Political Studies Association.

Find out more about the Members of the Scottish Human Rights Commission on our website:
https://www.scottishhumanrights.com/about/people/

If you’ve ever spoken up about unfair treatment, shared your lived experience to improve systems, or supported others to...
28/04/2026

If you’ve ever spoken up about unfair treatment, shared your lived experience to improve systems, or supported others to understand their rights whether in your everyday life or at your job — you may already be a human rights defender.

Swipe through to learn what human rights defenders do, why their work matters, and how we work alongside them to help turn rights on paper into real change.

📖 Find out more about human rights defenders — and how we work with them — in our participation strategy on our website.
https://ow.ly/733L50YP0cl

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