Equality and Human Rights Commission

In 2009, Scotland celebrated ten years of devolution. Equality is a founding principle of the Scottish Parliament and successive Scottish governments have set out their vision for a fair and inclusive Scotland. Ten years on we ask: has devolution helped achieve a fairer Scotland and what are the opportunities for strengthening progress towards equality in the future?

To explore these questions and ensure that equality features in the current debate on the future of Scottish devolution, the Equality and Human Rights Commission in Scotland presents two commissioned research reports and a discussion paper:  

• An uncertain mix: equality and Scottish devolution – Equality and Human Rights Commission (Pdf)
• Equal opportunities and the Scottish Parliament: a progress review - Rona Fitzgerald, Fitzgerald Associates (Pdf)
• The place of equal opportunities in the devolution settlement: a legal analysis - Colm O’Cinneide, UCL (Pdf)

This research suggests that the Scottish Parliament’s impact in tackling inequality over the last ten years, while positive, has been limited. Identified barriers to progress include uncertainty about the scope of devolved equal opportunity powers and limited accountability and scrutiny. Also explored are current debates about whether the Scottish Parliament should have greater powers in this area and the implications for equality of different forms of constitutional change in Scotland.