Scottish Catholic Observer

by Shannon McGurin

Implementation of the act was halted after the Supreme Court ruled that it’s data sharing policies were unlawful.

Education Secretary, John Swinney, told the Scottish Parliament this afternoon the Government is ‘committed’ to amending and enforcing the system and suggests there will be an opt-out clause for parents.

“We want to ensure that there is a clear consensus across Scotland on how information sharing should operate,” he said. “That must include the essential principle of consent and the rare occasions when this is not appropriate to require or to seek it. “It provides us with the opportunity to continue in the spirit of shared purpose and consensus – to getting it right for every child.” Swinney added.

The child protection policy, which would assign a named person to everyone under the age of 18 in Scotland, was planned to be rolled out across the country on August 31 2016.

However, in July, the Supreme Court found the information sharing provisions incompatible with the rights of a child under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Bishop John Keenan of Paisley at that time urged the government to rethink the legislation.

“While acknowledging the Scottish Government’s desire to protect vulnerable children, legislation must always balance protection with the right of parents and children to live a family life in private,” the Co-President of the Catholic Church’s Marriage and Family Office, said. “While this legislation failed to strike a reasonable balance, hopefully the Scottish Government will now amend the legislation to get that balance right.”