Should prisoners have the right to vote?

[The Large One]

From the BBC

The government is in the final stages of negotiations over a European Court ruling that it must allow prisoners the right to vote. But government sources denied reports that the coalition was planning to introduce a draft law to allow some inmates to vote as "nonsense".

The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that a blanket ban on voting for anyone sent to jail is illegal. The government has until the end of November to decide how to react.

The UK has been on a collision course with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) (which is not part of the EU) since the Strasbourg court ruled in 2005 that it was a breach of human rights to deny prisoners a vote.

The court ruled it was up to individual countries to decide which prisoners should be denied the right to vote from jail, but said a total ban was illegal. In May of this year, it gave the UK six months to outline how it proposed to change the law on prisoner votes.

At the time, David Cameron said it would make him "sick" to change that, and that he would resist the ECHR ruling, saying the ban on voting from jail "should be a matter for Parliament... and not a foreign court".

Downing Street sources said the prime minister still believed that "when people go to prison, they lose their right to vote".

The coalition has to decide whether to comply with the ruling, seek a further delay or do nothing and risk a fine or maybe more. Of the report that prisoners could get the vote, a government source told the BBC: "It is completely untrue. It's not happening. It's complete nonsense."

They said the discussions were "legally complicated" but declined to elaborate further.

BBC political correspondent Robin Brant said one Tory backbench MP said any change would be made "over my dead body", and another that the justice secretary should get on with his day job and show the ECHR that "two can play at interminable delay".

Labour has previously said it would back the prime minister's stance.

But Liberal Democrat backbencher Stephen Williams, a member of the constitutional reform select committee, has said prisoners serving short sentences should be allowed to vote as part of their rehabilitation.

At present, the only prisoners allowed to vote in Britain are those on remand.

 

[User removed 4]

From the BBC

The government is in the final stages of negotiations over a European Court ruling that it must allow prisoners the right to vote. But government sources denied reports that the coalition was planning to introduce a draft law to allow some inmates to vote as "nonsense".

The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that a blanket ban on voting for anyone sent to jail is illegal. The government has until the end of November to decide how to react.

The UK has been on a collision course with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) (which is not part of the EU) since the Strasbourg court ruled in 2005 that it was a breach of human rights to deny prisoners a vote.

The court ruled it was up to individual countries to decide which prisoners should be denied the right to vote from jail, but said a total ban was illegal. In May of this year, it gave the UK six months to outline how it proposed to change the law on prisoner votes.

At the time, David Cameron said it would make him "sick" to change that, and that he would resist the ECHR ruling, saying the ban on voting from jail "should be a matter for Parliament... and not a foreign court".

Downing Street sources said the prime minister still believed that "when people go to prison, they lose their right to vote".

The coalition has to decide whether to comply with the ruling, seek a further delay or do nothing and risk a fine or maybe more. Of the report that prisoners could get the vote, a government source told the BBC: "It is completely untrue. It's not happening. It's complete nonsense."

They said the discussions were "legally complicated" but declined to elaborate further.

BBC political correspondent Robin Brant said one Tory backbench MP said any change would be made "over my dead body", and another that the justice secretary should get on with his day job and show the ECHR that "two can play at interminable delay".

Labour has previously said it would back the prime minister's stance.

But Liberal Democrat backbencher Stephen Williams, a member of the constitutional reform select committee, has said prisoners serving short sentences should be allowed to vote as part of their rehabilitation.

At present, the only prisoners allowed to vote in Britain are those on remand.

No,I dont think so, whats your view ?

 

[Brovion]

On the actual issue of prisoners voting I don't care either way. Prison curtails people's liberties, should that curtailment also include removing their right to vote in a free and democratic election? Don't know, don't care, it really is a minor issue.

What I DO care about is that the decision is ours and ours alone to make; no supra-national authority should have any say in the minutiae of our judicial and penal system. We're not some country on probation because of past or ongoing violation of basic human rights, we're a mature democracy who can handle these things in a fair and just manner ourselves. If a British political party wants to include prisoners' right to vote as a manifesto pledge then fair enough - that's how we change laws here. Well it should be how we change laws here.

 

[ditchy]

No ..End of !

 

[W.C.]

be fun if they published the voting patterns of prisoners and see how the 'winning' party reacts

 

[hans kraay fan club]

If someone is due to be released from jail, before the end of the term of the government being elected, then yes, I think they should have a right to vote on it.

Otherwise no.

 

[ditchy]

If someone is due to be released from jail, before the end of the term of the government being elected, then yes, I think they should have a right to vote on it.

Otherwise no.

Agree with this .. Give it back when released.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

On the actual issue of prisoners voting I don't care either way. Prison curtails people's liberties, should that curtailment also include removing their right to vote in a free and democratic election? Don't know, don't care, it really is a minor issue.

What I DO care about is that the decision is ours and ours alone to make; no supra-national authority should have any say in the minutiae of our judicial and penal system. We're not some country on probation because of past or ongoing violation of basic human rights, we're a mature democracy who can handle these things in a fair and just manner ourselves. If a British political party wants to include prisoners' right to vote as a manifesto pledge then fair enough - that's how we change laws here. Well it should be how we change laws here.

THIS - although I'll add that laws change and how are prisoners who think they have been incorrectly jailed meant to lobby for law changes if they can't vote ?

 

[Nibble]

On the actual issue of prisoners voting I don't care either way. Prison curtails people's liberties, should that curtailment also include removing their right to vote in a free and democratic election? Don't know, don't care, it really is a minor issue.

What I DO care about is that the decision is ours and ours alone to make; no supra-national authority should have any say in the minutiae of our judicial and penal system. We're not some country on probation because of past or ongoing violation of basic human rights, we're a mature democracy who can handle these things in a fair and just manner ourselves. If a British political party wants to include prisoners' right to vote as a manifesto pledge then fair enough - that's how we change laws here. Well it should be how we change laws here.

Agree

 

[bluenitsuj]

Nope.

If its murder. manslaughter, paedo etc then they should lose all human rights for life. End Of.

 

[James Bond's body double]

Nope why should they get the right, this was taken away from them when they were convicted.

 

[Brovion]

THIS - although I'll add that laws change and how are prisoners who think they have been incorrectly jailed meant to lobby for law changes if they can't vote ?

You can still lobby. Prince Charles can lobby to have laws changed and he can't vote either!

 

[The Large One]

No,I dont think so, whats your view ?

Removal of liberty ought to mean removal of certain, if not most, rights.

Voting, while an under-appreciated (and often under-used) right in our society, ought to be a right removed from those in prison.

But then, in certain extreme cases, I'd consider removing the voting rights of some people whose prison sentences have been served and spent as well.

 

[User removed 4]

Removal of liberty ought to mean removal of certain, if not most, rights.

Voting, while an under-appreciated (and often under-used) right in our society, ought to be a right removed from those in prison.

But then, in certain extreme cases, I'd consider removing the voting rights of some people whose prison sentences have been served and spent as well.

Thats a pretty extreme standpoint !

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Thats a pretty extreme standpoint !

Very.

Convictions are either spent, or they're not.

 

[Brovion]

Some good arguments as to whether prisoners should vote or not, but I think most of you are now missing the point: should an outside body have the authority to tell us whether to give 'em the vote or not?

To the barricades people!

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Some good arguments as to whether prisoners should vote or not, but I think most of you are now missing the point: should an outside body have the authority to tell us whether to give 'em the vote or not?

To the barricades people!

Not missing that point - its two entirely different discussions. I'm answering the one posed in the thread title.

 

[User removed 4]

Some good arguments as to whether prisoners should vote or not, but I think most of you are now missing the point: should an outside body have the authority to tell us whether to give 'em the vote or not?

To the barricades people!

Absolutely not.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

No because once prisoners get the right to vote , the next campaign on human rights grounds will be patients in psychiatric hospitals and persons with severe mental health issues.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Once prisoners get the right to vote , the next campaign on human rights grounds will be patients in psychiatric hospitals and persons with severe mental health issues.

That's a very silly extrapolation.
One are denied the vote because they are considered incapable of sufficient mental capacity. The other are denied it as part of an exclusion from society, incurred as a punishment. Totally different, and utterly no reason why one should lead to the other.