We are pleased to engage in academic debate about gender self-identification and women’s sex-based rights. Over the past 16 months, we have published two journal articles, as well as our response to a critique of our @ScottishAffairs published last August. euppublishing.com/doi/story/10.3…
In August 2019, we published ‘Losing sight of women’s rights: the unregulated introduction of gender self-identification as a case study of policy capture in Scotland’ in @ScottishAffairs. The article has been downloaded over 10k times. research.ed.ac.uk/portal/files/1…
In May 2020, we published ‘Reform ‘under the radar’? Lessons for Scotland from the development of gender self-declaration laws in Europe’ in the Edinburgh Law Review. mbmpolicy.files.wordpress.com/2020/05/reform…
Kath and Lucy both have track records of publishing in academic journals. Lucy’s doctoral research is focussed on higher education funding and factors affecting the distribution of student borrowing in Scotland. Lucy has published widely on aspects of higher education funding.
Kath has published extensively on aspects of criminal justice policy and in particular policing policy and practice. scholar.google.com/citations?user…
Kath’s doctoral research on police stop and search rates sparked a wide debate, resulting in new legislation, major changes in police practice and a 93% drop in stop searches and seizures. She was awarded @ESRC Outstanding Early Career Impact Award in 2016
To date, our academic writing has been undertaken on an unpaid basis in our own time. This is work we would like to continue to do. We have been approached to write another paper and are currently crowdfunding to enable us to sustain our work in this area. crowdfunder.co.uk/womens-rights-…
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This morning the Justice Committee will take evidence on the Hate Crime and Public Order Bill from women's groups For Women Scotland, Engender and Scottish Women's Aid. The session starts at 10am and you can watch the livestream here: scottishparliament.tv/channel/commit…
Adam Tomkins welcomes the witnesses.
Annabelle Ewing: wants to ask about the non-inclusion of sex as a protected characteristic. Wants to understand views of the witnesses and whether the working group on misogynistic harassment is right approach.
Engaging with the media is an important part of the work we do. Since we formed in November 2018, we have been quoted in over fifty press articles and written over a dozen opinion pieces for a range of mainstream and specialist outlets: murrayblackburnmackenzie.org/media/
Today we are launching our third crowdfunder to enable us to continue to research the weakened recognition in UK law and policy of sex as the basis for women's experiences of discrimination and disadvantage. crowdfunder.co.uk/womens-rights-…
Over the past two years, we have researched and written about women’s sex-based rights and gender self-identification across different areas of public policy in the UK. All of our work can be found on our website: murrayblackburnmackenzie.org
We engage regularly with key decision makers and, within a short period of time, have established a strong record of impact based on careful research and analysis.
We have today received confirmation that we will be providing oral evidence to @SP_Justice on the Scottish Government's Hate Crime and Public Order Bill on Tuesday 17 November. Our submission on the bill can be read here: mbmpolicy.files.wordpress.com/2020/08/mbm-ha…
We will participate in the session along with a number of other organisations (to be confirmed) which will be broadcast on the Scottish Parliament's live stream: scottishparliament.tv
All panellists have been invited to submit a short written statement in advance of the session, setting out some background information which will be made available to MSPs on the Committee in advance.
Tory MSP Liam Kerr says goal should be "unambiguous law without unintended consequences" and notes the "extraordinary timetable in the middle of a pandemic".
The Justice Committee has received 2,000 submissions which is the highest number received in this session of Parliament.
The Faculty of Advocates supports the principles behind the Hate Crime and Public Order Bill, but raises concerns, including the impact on freedom of expression. The Faculty conclude "that there is no alternative but to reconsider the draft Bill.” advocates.org.uk/news-and-respo…
In relation to freedom of expression, the Faculty states that is unclear why only 2 of the characteristics (sexual orientation & religion) are selected for statutory protection. (We discuss this omission in our own submission, with particular reference to transgender identity).
Noting that there is no statutory definition of 'hatred' in the Bill, and that the concept of hate is contentious, the Faculty consider that there is scope for unfounded complaints to the police, and that such allegations may be used to ‘shut down’ matters of legitimate debate.