THE UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) came into legal force in Scotland today.

Hailed as a “historic day,” it marks the end of a long journey for legislation first passed unanimously in Holyrood in March 2021 before being struck down in the Supreme Court on the grounds it breached devolution conventions by impinging on UK-wide law.

After a period of reconsideration and redrafting, the legislation was once backed by all MSPs in the Scottish Parliament last year, this time avoiding a constitutional stand-off and making it onto the statute book.