Thursday, February 10, 2011

European Court of Human Rights forces Britain to give the vote to prison convicts

Despite David Cameron again outlining his personal abhorrence at allowing prisoners to take part in elections, it became clear that Downing Street and the Ministry of Justice accept that the measure will, in some form, have to be adopted because Britain is bound by European human rights laws.

After a six hour debate MPs voted by 234 to 22 to reject a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights that Britain must let some prisoners vote.

The Daily Telegraph first disclosed in November that the Prime Minister had been told by Government lawyers that he faced a welter of compensation claims from inmates if he did not agree to abide by the European ruling. Mr Cameron reluctantly admitted defeat.

He has since repeatedly talked of his distaste for the plans and yesterday again set out why he believed it was wrong.

Mr Cameron said: “I just think that if you are sent to prison and you have committed a crime then you give up the right to be able to vote.
Read the rest here.

3 comments:

The Anti-Gnostic said...

A society that accepts positive rights must inevitably become a tyranny, with the decent and law-abiding forced to make concessions to the sociopathic.

Of course, Cameron need only point out that the court lacks any means to enforce its appalling rulings. If he can't or won't, his nation has only herself to blame.

Doodler said...

How does a defeat of 234 votes to 22 mean that the EU is 'forcing' Britain to accept its silly ruling?

The Archer of the Forest said...

And Europeans are baffled as to why the US is adamant about not coming under the thumb of any European court system like this.