Summary – A Human Rights Bill for Scotland: Discussion Paper

2. Human rights

Human rights are the basic rights and freedoms that belong to every person in the world simply because they are human. This includes rights like the right to life and to a fair trial, as well as rights to education, health and social security. Since the end of World War Two, members of the United Nations (UN) have agreed a series of international treaties that set out what fundamental human rights are, and how countries should work to realise them. Over the years, the UK has signed up to ('ratified') many of these treaties. These treaties exist in what is known as 'international law'. Under the Ministerial code, the Scottish Government must comply with the human rights set out in these treaties.