Good Practice in COVID-19 Review: Lessons from Scotland and Wales

Introduction Research conducted by the CVRO one year on since the pandemic started, suggests that the Westminster Parliament has insufficiently engaged with human rights and equality considerations in respect of the pandemic, whether in PMQs or parliamentary debates. In terms of COVID-19 related committee inquiries, out of 61 inquiries launched since the beginning of the … Continue reading “Good Practice in COVID-19 Review: Lessons from Scotland and Wales”

Devolution and Emergency Measures in Response to COVID-19

The UK has a multi-layered constitution, which raises questions of how powers to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic have been divided across its four governments and parliaments. In this post, we outline how the emergency measures taken in response to the pandemic are affected by the UK’s broader constitutional settlement, devolution, and the policy decision … Continue reading “Devolution and Emergency Measures in Response to COVID-19”

Protecting Parliament’s Place in the Announcement of Covid-Related Policies: New Restrictions announced in Scotland

On 4 January First Minister of Scotland (“FMS”) announced additional restrictions for mainland Scotland, which had been on level 4 restrictions. The FMS pointed out that these new restrictions imposed a “temporary lockdown”, with “a legal requirement to stay at home except for essential purposes”. The new regulations were made on 4 January under the … Continue reading “Protecting Parliament’s Place in the Announcement of Covid-Related Policies: New Restrictions announced in Scotland”