law

North East Scotland Equalities Network (NESEN)

Grampian Racial Equality Council was established in the mid-1980s to tackle discrimination as defined by, and within the confines of, the Race Relations Act 1976, soon to be strengthened and complemented by the forthcoming Race Relations Act (Amendment) Bill and the Human Rights Act 1998. Although the Grampian Racial Equality Council was an autonomous, voluntary sector, organisation they work in partnership with the government body, the Commission for Racial Equality.

NESEN is a user-led Grampian wide Equality Network.

Meeting the best interests of children facing homelessness

Draft guidance is presented. Local authorities’ duties to homeless people are set out in the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987 as amended by both the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 and the Homelessness etc (Scotland) Act 2003. Section 32(8) of the 1987 Act sets out that a local authority, in exercising its functions under section 31 or 32 in respect of an applicant having a priority need for housing by virtue of a dependent child residing with them, must have regard to the best interests of the dependent children.

Mental Health (Public Safety and Appeals) (Scotland) Act 1999 (repealed)

The purpose of this Act of the Scottish Parliament is to add public safety to the grounds for not discharging certain patients detained under the Mental Health (Scotland) Act 1984; to provide for appeal against the decision of the sheriff on applications by these patients for their discharge; and to amend the definition of 'mental disorder' in that Act.

The Adoption Information (Scotland) Regulations and The Adoption (Disclosure of Information)(Scotland) Regulations

These regulations make provision concerning (a) the information which an adoption must keep in relation to adoptions and the form and manner in which such information must be kept and (b) the disclosure by adoption agencies of information relating to adoptions.

The child and family policy divide: tensions, convergence and rights

This report is an analytical study of the principle areas of social policy affected by the split between the needs of children on the one hand and parents on the other. It is a split that pervades family law, government planning structures for children and parents, and almost every service associated with family life, including health, education, criminal justice, financial support and child protection.

Public Appointments and Public Bodies etc. (Scotland) Act 2003

The purpose of the Act is to establish a Commissioner for Public Appointments in Scotland, to abolish 5 Non-Departmental Public Bodies (the Ancient Monuments Board for Scotland, the Historic Buildings Council for Scotland, the Scottish Hospital Trust, the Scottish Medical Practices Committee and the Scottish Conveyancing and Executry Services Board), to give certain notarial powers to independent qualified conveyancers and to conveyancing and executry practitioners, and to create a new statutory Non Departmental Public Body to succeed the Ancient Monuments Board for Scotland and Historic Bu

Advance decisions and advance statements

People who have been diagnosed with dementia, or who are worried that they may develop dementia in the future, are often concerned about how decisions regarding their medical treatment might be made should they lose the ability to decide for themselves. They may fear that life-sustaining or life-prolonging treatments would be provided long after they were able to achieve a level of recovery, length of life or quality of life that the person would at present consider to be acceptable or tolerable.

Adoption : national minimum standards : regulations, voluntary adoption agencies, local authorities, England and Wales

Document setting out the regulations and national minimum standards which apply to local authority adoption services and voluntary adoption agencies in England and Wales. These regulations and standards form the basis of the new regulatory framework under the 2000 Act for the regulation of adoption agencies in England and Wales.

Sexual Offences (Procedure and Evidence) (Scotland) Act 2002

This Act of Scottish Parliament has two main purposes. These are to prevent the accused in a sexual offence case from personally cross-examining the complainer; and to strengthen the existing provisions restricting the extent to which evidence can be led regarding the character and sexual history of the complainer. The first purpose will be achieved by requiring the accused to be legally represented throughout his or her trial.