New members appointed to Commission

Two new part-time Commissioners have been appointed to the Scottish Human Rights Commission, bringing with them significant experience in governance of public bodies and expertise in the third sector and human rights.

Following an open appointment process by the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, Rosemary Agnew and Aaliya Seyal have been appointed for six years and are due to begin work on Monday 1 September 2025.

Rosemary Agnew was most recently the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman. During her time in office Rosemary led on the introduction of child-friendly complaints approaches, enabling Scottish public bodies to handle complaints from and about children in line with their UNCRC rights.

Before her Ombudsman role, Rosemary was the Scottish Information Commissioner, CEO of the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission, and held a senior role with the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman in England. She was also vice-chair to the Administrative Justice Council and sits on the World Bank’s Access to Information Appeals Board.

Aaliya Seyal brings over two decades of senior leadership in the third sector, with a career dedicated to advancing legal rights and embedding human rights in policy and practice, particularly for communities facing systemic disadvantage.  She is currently Chief Executive of the Legal Services Agency, a law centre committed to protecting legal rights and promoting social justice.

She currently serves as a lay member of the Law Society of Scotland’s Access to Justice Committee, is a Trustee of the Baring Foundation, and a member of the Consumers in Vulnerable Circumstances Committee of Consumer Scotland.

The Commission will have a full team of five members including a Chair leading the strategic direction of the Commission. Claire Methven O’Brien and Shelley Gray, appointed in Sept 2022, will continue as part-time members until 2028.

Professor Angela O’Hagan, Chair of the Commission says:

"The Scottish Human Rights Commission is delighted that the Scottish Parliament has appointed two new members of the Commission.

“We look forward to warmly welcoming Aaliya Seyal and Rosemary Agnew, both of whom will make a valuable contribution to the Scottish Human Rights Commission in addressing the pressing need to ensure real changes in access to justice and human rights in practice in the everyday lives of people in Scotland. "

“We will benefit from their significant expertise and experience in how human rights are applied in practice and embedded in public bodies and across the voluntary sector.”

ENDS

For media enquiries, please contact Judy Fladmark on 07880 398530 or judy.fladmark@scottishhumanrights.com

Notes to editors:

  1. The Scottish Human Rights Commission is an independent public body with a statutory remit to promote and protect all human rights for everyone in Scotland. The Commission is accredited as an ‘A Status’ national human rights institution within the UN system.
  2. Part-time Commissioners are appointed by the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body through an open and independent process. 
  3. Members of the Commission meet regularly to set the strategic direction of the Commission and oversee delivery of its Strategic and Operational Plans. Commissioners are also accountable for ensuring effective and efficient use of Commission resources in delivering the Strategic Plan.
  4. The time commitment for Commissioners is four days a month, 48 days a year.