Our Rights Stories

Every year the Scottish Women’s Rights Centre (SWRC) welcomes students from the University of Strathclyde Law Clinic as interns.  

Maya joined the SWRC on a placement over the summer and she is still a volunteer at our Scottish Women’s Rights Centre.  

Our Scottish Women's Rights Centre is a unique collaborative project between us, Rape Crisis Scotland and University of Strathclyde Law Clinic.  

They provide free legal information, advice, representation and advocacy support to self-identifying women in Scotland affected by violence and abuse. 

The SWRC’s services include legal and advocacy helplines, legal advice surgeries, advocacy support and legal representation. The team also produces accessible information regarding women’s rights and guides on women’s rights.  

You can read their latest blog about voyeurism and upskirting here: Voyeurism and upskirting: what are they and what are your rights? | News/Blog | Scottish Women’s Rights Centre (scottishwomensrightscentre.org.uk)  

Download their guidance here: Legal guide cover template.docx (scottishwomensrightscentre.org.uk) 

Read Maya’s blog post is available here: Insight series – Part 4: a JustRight Intern - JustRight Scotland 

To find out more about our SWRC and their latest vacancies, please visit their website: Vacancies | Scottish Women’s Rights Centre (scottishwomensrightscentre.org.uk)  

This is part 3 of our Scotland’s Human Rights Bill series of the Our Rights Stories podcast created and developed by the JustRight Scotland team.   

We also focus on some next steps which can follow this consultation process, and talk about our hopes for the future, including why the right to an effective remedy has to be included in this Bill framework.  

For more information, check out our website here: Scotland’s Human Rights Bill: the right to an effective remedy is essential to the new framework - JustRight Scotland  

Read our response to the consultation here: 23.10.09-updated-A-Human-Rights-Bill-for-Scotland-JRS-Response-.pdf (justrightscotland.org.uk)

This is part 2 of our Scotland’s Human Rights Bill episode of the Our Rights Stories podcast created and developed by the JustRight Scotland team.  

That was omitted from the Consultation proposals.  

For more information, check out our website: Scotland’s Human Rights Bill: the right to an effective remedy is essential to the new framework - JustRight Scotland  

Scotland’s Human Rights Bill: an opportunity to strengthen human rights and access to justice 

This is the first episode of the Our Rights Stories podcast season 2 - created and developed by the JustRight Scotland team.  

This episode looks at the proposal of a Human Rights Bill for Scotland - as it's being consulted on - with our guest speaker Barbara Bolton, Legal Director & Partner at JustRight Scotland.  

We are focusing on this topic as part of our national campaign, which aims to raise awareness about #AllOurRights in Scotland and why access to justice must be a fundamental aspect of this new Bill. We also provide other organisations involved in this consultation process with information and detailed analysis about the proposals and on how this represents an opportunity to build a better future for all in Scotland, together.  

Useful resources 

Our blog series by Barbara Bolton, Legal Director and Partner: Scotland’s Human Rights Bill: an opportunity to strengthen human rights and access to justice in Scotland (justrightscotland.org.uk) 

Our statement: JustRight Scotland: Our statement on the Scottish Human Rights Bill Consultation

Our legal analysis: The Journal: Vol-68 Issue-09 - September 2023 | Law Society of Scotland (lawscot.org.uk) 

Our CEO’s comment piece: You can't have a right without a remedy  - TFN 

This is part 2 of our Scottish Just Law Centre episode of the Our Rights Stories podcast created and developed by the JustRight Scotland team.  

For more information, check out our new and accessible webpage containing some video content about legal aid, our SJLC and the Equality Act: Access to Justice - JustRight Scotland  

Download our factsheets here: https://www.justrightscotland.org.uk/learn-more/legal-factsheets/  

This episode features our Scottish Just Law Centre (SJLC) which aims to reduce discrimination and disadvantage in Scotland by helping people use equalities and human rights law as an effective tool for social change. 

We talk with the team about their work, their recent case on access to higher education for migrant students in Scotland, about the current policy work they are focusing on including the Scottish Government’s consultation for the Human Rights Bill, their strategic trauma-informed approach to help and support people across our communities.  

Useful links: 

https://www.justrightscotland.org.uk/what-we-do/equality-disability/ 

https://www.justrightscotland.org.uk/2023/01/my-first-year-anniversary-as-legal-caseworker-for-the-scottish-just-law-centre/ 

https://www.justrightscotland.org.uk/2023/05/access-to-higher-education-for-migrant-students-is-now-a-real-right/ 

This episode features our CEO Emma Hutton, talking about her experience as a first time CEO and the first CEO of JustRight Scotland.  

By highlighting the highs and lows of her first journey as CEO, Emma reflects on the work the team at JustRight Scotland is doing and what we are focusing on to build a fairer and more equal Scotland for all.  

What are we doing next? Tune in to hear about the work that we do in Scotland, why it's so important and how we are making a difference in people’s lives across our communities! 

You can read more about Emma’s reflections on her blog here: https://www.justrightscotland.org.uk/2023/07/my-first-year/ 

You can read more about our latest news and campaigns on our website: JustRight Scotland 

Today we talk with our Associate Solicitor Francesca Sella who works in our Scottish Refugee & Migrant Centre about what the centre does, how the team helps and supports asylum seekers and refugees in Scotland, how important the initial stage of age assessment of unaccompanied children seeking sanctuary is and how the [Illegal] Migration Bill will negatively affect people and above all migrant children in our communities. 

We also joined forced with Liberty, NACCOM, Praxis, Rainbow Migration, Rene Cassin and Women for Refugee Women to collect signatures across UK through a joint petition against the new [Illegal] Migration Bill. 

Together with the British Red Cross, we have published a short guide on the initial stage of age assessment to assist local authorities in Scotland and improve practice in this area. Find out more here: Age assessment of young people: our new guidance to assist local authorities in Scotland (justrightscotland.org.uk) 

This episode features our Scottish Women’s Rights Centre (SWRC), a unique collaborative project between Rape Crisis Scotland, JustRight Scotland and the University of Strathclyde Law Clinic which provides free legal information, advice, representation and advocacy support to self-identifying women in Scotland affected by violence and abuse. 

We talk about our recently launched evening helpline which is staffed by our network of Pro-Bono Solicitors each Tuesday evening from 6pm-8pm. A new service in addition to our current outreach (helplines and surgeries). Our guest speaker Christy Foster, solicitor at Brodies LLP and pro-bono solicitor volunteer explains the value of this new service.    

Every year the SWRC welcomes students from the University of Strathclyde Law Clinic as interns. We will speak about this experience with Sasha Akavicis, who will join the centre over this summer as new intern! 

Tune in to hear about the incredible work that The Scottish Women’s Rights Centre does in Scotland and why their services are so important. 

Useful links: 

SWRC website: www.scottishwomensrightscentre.org.uk 

Rape Crisis website: Rape Crisis Scotland | Working to end sexual violence 

University of Strathclyde Law Clinic website: Law School | University of Strathclyde 

Brodies website: Brodies LLP | Scotland's leading lawyers 

In this episode we talk about the impact of #OurGradesNotVisas campaign – together with Maryhill Integration Network and JustCitizens, and our landmark legal case which brought to a policy change in Scotland by extending the right to access education for migrant students for over two years. 

What happened? What was changed? 

We speak about our successful legal challenge achieved by our legal team when deciding to take our client’s case to court as there was a clear “issue of fairness and human rights at stake”, with our special guests Andy Sirel, Legal Partner and Director at JustRight Scotland, and Maisie Wilson, Legal Caseworker at JustRight Scotland. 

Blog Post: https://www.justrightscotland.org.uk/2023/03/access-to-education-is-a-human-right-for-everyone-our-gradesnotvisas-campaign-is-working-to-make-this-right-real-for-all/

JustCitizens: https://justcitizens.scot/

Marryhill Integration Network: https://maryhillintegration.org.uk/our-grades-not-visas/