Civil society in Scotland has a vital role to play in the Brexit process and must make their voice heard, says Mhairi Snowden, Coordinator of the Human Rights Consortium Scotland and one of the organisers behind the Civil Society Brexit Project.

On the day that the EU Withdrawal Bill reaches Stage Two at Westminster, the Civil Society Brexit Project is being launched in Scotland.  This project is a collaboration between the Scottish Universities Legal Network on Europe (SULNE) and the Human Rights Consortium Scotland, and funded by the Legal Education Foundation. It will use events, resources and independent advice to make sure that civil society organisations in Scotland are able to influence Brexit as much as possible. The Project will also help organisations to prepare for Brexit consequences for themselves or their service users.

Mhairi went on to say, “The Brexit process is complicated, fast-paced and full of uncertainties.  It is no wonder then, that many organisations struggle to get to grips with it. 

“If civil society organisations don’t get heard in Brexit decision-making, then the voices of some of Scotland’s most vulnerable people risk being sidelined and their rights ignored.

“The Civil Society Brexit Project will give essential information and advice on Brexit, so that organisations can speak up loudly and confidently for the rights of those that they work with.”

Maria Fletcher, Director of SULNE and Senior Lecturer in the School of Law at the University of Glasgow, added: “Legal academics from across Scotland’s universities are keen to share their expertise with organisations that represent communities and interests the length and breadth of the country.

“The effects of Brexit will be considerable and far-reaching: pooling knowledge and working collaboratively in the common interest has rarely been so important. “ 

First published: 13 September 2017

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