James has acted as advisor to/researcher for a wide range of international and national bodies including Amnesty International, Canadian Council for International Cooperation, Centre for Labour and Social Studies (UK), Council of Europe, Department of International Trade (Canada, UK and Switzerland), European Parliament, The Trade Justice Movement, TUC (UK), UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Scottish Human Rights Commission and UK Parliament.

He is particularly active on trade and environment issues (see e.g. on Academic Statement on the EU-Mercosur Association Agreement which he led) and trade and labour issues (see policy brief on workers rights in EU trade agreements).

Evaluating Equality and Human Rights Impact Assessment in Scotland

The Centre for Human Rights in Practice was commissioned by the Scottish Human Rights Commission to undertake a study which critically evaluated both equality and human rights impact assessment across the full range of policy areas where studies have been undertaken. Human Rights Impact Assessment: Review of Practice & Guidance for Future Assessments (2010), written by James Harrison and Mary-Ann Stephenson, led to the Scottish Commissioner for Children and Young People reforming its methodology for conducting EHRIAs. Harrison has provided research evidence to the Scottish Government, the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives, the Scottish Council Equalities Network, the NHS/SG Health Directorate, Audit Scotland, the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland and the Scottish Prison Service. He has also drafted Guiding Principles based on his research for conducting future EHRIAs. He is currently acting as advisor to a project where the new approach advocated by his research will be piloted in two local authorities in Scotland (Fife and Dumfriesshire) over the next 18 months. Leicestershire County Council have also utilised the SHRC research as the basis for reforming their own EHRIA process.

Guiding Equality and Human Rights Policy for National and International Organisations

James Harrison has provided expert advice and guidance a wide range of national and international organisations. These include the UN Officer of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Scottish Human Rights Commission, the Canadian Government (Department for Foreign Affairs and International Trade), Canadian Coalition for International Co-operation, and the Alternative Trade Mandate. He has also been a key academic advisor to a number of organisations in relation to his work on equality and human rights impact assessment including Bristol Fawcett Society, Coventry Ethnic Minority Action Partnership, Coventry City Council, Coventry Trades Council, Coventry Women’s Voices, Disabled People Against the Cuts, East London Fawcett, Fife Council, GMB Equality Network, Illegal, International Institute for Labour Studies, Leicestershire County Council, Misereor, NHS Scotland, Public and Commercial Services Union, Parliamentary Labour Party Women’s Committee, Public Law Solicitors, UN Quakers Office, Renfrewshire Council, the Scottish Human Rights Commission, SixtyEightyThirty, the Spartacus Network and Trade Unions Congress.