State guardian scheme: Supreme Court to hand down ruling on Scot Govt’s intrusive Named Person scheme on Thursday 28 July

The Supreme Court will rule on the judicial review of Scotland’s controversial state guardian scheme next week.

The judgment will be handed down on the morning of Thursday, 28 July.

The case was taken to the Supreme Court after Scottish courts rejected evidence that the Scottish Government had exceeded its powers in passing the Named Person provisions contained in the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014.

The Christian Institute is spearheading the legal challenge to the Named Person scheme.

Institute Director Colin Hart said:

“We have long argued that the scheme breaches laws protecting privacy and contravenes the rights of both parents and children.

“The Scottish Government is rightly concerned about child protection, but by undermining parents it is going about it in completely the wrong way.

“The authorities do have a part to play of course – but a universal scheme is fatally flawed.

“If the scheme is given the go-ahead, fewer vulnerable children will get the help they need, and more innocent families face unwarranted state intrusion.”

The scheme is due to come fully into force on 31 August.

State officials will have the job of monitoring children’s ‘wellbeing’, which has been described in guidance as being another word for happiness.

Last month a poll showed almost two-thirds of Scots are opposed to the scheme.

According to the poll, 64 per cent of Scots believe the scheme, which appoints a state guardian to every child from before birth up to age 18, is an “unacceptable intrusion into family life”.

Fewer than one in five people (18.5 per cent) thought the scheme was not intrusive.

The Supreme Court hearing took place before five senior judges – Baroness Hale, Lord Wilson, Lord Reed, Lord Hughes and Lord Hodge.

ENDS

Notes for editors

The Christian Institute is a non-denominational registered charity, which seeks to promote the Christian faith in the UK.

It was founded in 1991 by Christian church leaders and professionals and it currently campaigns on a range of issues including marriage and the family, child protection, pro-life concerns, drugs, religious liberty and education, as well as Christianity and the constitution.