Supreme Court rules against Named Person scheme

Jul 29, 2016 by Jill

from BBC Scotland:

Judges at the UK’s highest court have ruled against the Scottish government’s Named Person scheme.

Opponents of the scheme appealed to the Supreme Court in London after their case was dismissed by the Court of Session in Edinburgh last year.

The system would appoint a named person – usually a teacher or health visitor – to ensure the wellbeing of every child.

Judges say some proposals breach rights to privacy and a family life under the European Convention on Human Rights.

The court said the aim of the Act, which is intended to promote and safeguard the rights and wellbeing of children and young people, was “unquestionably legitimate and benign”.

However, judges said specific proposals about information-sharing “are not within the legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament”.

And they said the legislation made it “perfectly possible” that confidential information about a young person could be disclosed to a “wide range of public authorities without either the child or young person or her parents being aware”.

Read here

Read also: Victory! Supreme Court rules Named Person scheme illegal from The Christian Institute

UK Supreme Court strikes down ‘defective’ and ‘disproportionate’ named person scheme from Family Education Trust

Read Summary of Judgment here