The Scottish Human Rights Commission (SHRC) is urged to investigate plans for coronavirus vaccine passports to examine whether the proposals violate equality laws.
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton wrote to the committee, calling for it to conduct a statutory inquiry, fearing the project would see some Scots “systematically excluded” from places and events.
The Scottish Government’s controversial vaccine certification scheme is due to go into effect on Friday 1 October.
People will have to prove that they have been doubly vaccinated before they can enter nightclubs or attend other big events.
READ MORE: Scottish Vaccine Passport Application: When Can I Download and How Will It Work?
Mr Cole-Hamilton said: ‘I have a real concern that these illiberal Covid ID cards will result in the systematic exclusion of Scots from ethnic minorities, young people and people in most disadvantaged areas from events and public spaces.
“The SNP / Green government is rushing in and does not seem to intend to share any evidence to support its plans.
“I think this is precisely the kind of situation in which the commission, set up by Labor and Liberal Democrats, should step into action.
“Their power to initiate an investigation may be the only way to close the curtain on this matter.”
This week, Judith Robertson, president of the SHRC, urged the Scottish government to demonstrate compliance with human rights demands.
While the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) confirmed last week that it plans to take legal action against the controversial project, which Labor, Conservatives and Liberal Democrats all voted against in Holyrood.
We wrote to @ScotGov Cabinet Secretaries, reiterating our call for a full and transparent assessment of the #Human rights problems addressed by #COVID #VaccinePassports
Read more: https://t.co/4s1XZKChVj pic.twitter.com/CVc6PeiJm1
– Scottish Human Rights Commission (@ScotHumanRights) September 23, 2021
The Scottish leader of Lib Dem called the program an “extremely important political decision” by Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon, which he insisted “goes against very basic freedoms at the heart of our society”.
Mr Cole-Hamilton said: ‘The SHRC has previously warned that the Scottish government should demonstrate that Covid ID cards are necessary, proportionate and effective.
“In my opinion, none of these tests were satisfied.
“Ministers should use all the resources devoted to this cruel policy and use them in the way we know how to fight Covid-19 – testing, tracing and vaccination. ”
He spoke after Ms Robertson told MSPs of Holyrood’s Covid-19 recovery committee ‘that the case has not been done at the moment’ for the program ‘or if it has, it is not in the public domain ”.
She said: “This is one of the key aspects of these human rights considerations: that the evidence on which decisions are made is made public so that not only the basis on which decisions are made is made. clear, but that can be questioned by a larger part of the population.
“There is no clarity on the evidence used to base the decisions.”
