A convicted child killer appears before the High Court to argue for prisoners in the UK to have the right to vote
Replies sorted oldest to newest
Is this democracy gone crazy, or is it everyone's basic right. I don't think it's right
Anyone removed from society at HM pleasure should not be allowed to participate in anything outside . 
I think it's fair enough that they lose that privilege, whilst serving their term.
He should count himself lucky to live in a cvilised country without the death penalty. Not sure I'd want his vote taken into acount.
He should count himself lucky to live in a cvilised country without the death penalty. Not sure I'd want his vote taken into acount.
i wouldn't like the responsibility of the judge to decide the case, it could be a major turning point for this country.
The Ministry of Justice has been carrying out a consultation on the subject of prisoners and voting rights. The consultation, which asked for responses by the end of September, can be found on the MOJ website .
It appears that the present ban is in breach of the Human Rights protocol, so that the Government has been carrying out the consultation to see how to proceed to comply with Human Rights.
It appears that the present ban is in breach of the Human Rights protocol, so that the Government has been carrying out the consultation to see how to proceed to comply with Human Rights.
Reference:
It appears that the present ban is in breach of the Human Rights protocol, so that the Government has been carrying out the consultation to see how to proceed to comply with Human Rights.
Human Rights again IMO, ALL priviliges should be removed while serving a prison sentence, NO TV, NO Video Games and definately NO VOTE....I don't know why they bother with all these expensive consultations and things, it's probably costing the Taxpayer a fortune already, and I can have a guess at what the outcome will be.....why not just save the bloody money...
Reference:Real
Anyone removed from society at HM pleasure should not be allowed to participate in anything outside
Quite right
I believe in human rights for prisoners, but not voting rights.
I think you give up most of the normal rights of a civilised human being, if you stop behaving like one. Imprisoned child killers have the right to food and shelter and, as far as I'm concerned, nothing else.
I just don't understand how he should be able to vote for people to run the country and ultimately make the laws for this country, when he is living outside the law and imo technically outside of our country as in prison which I put as outside of community life.
Reference
emantoid
emantoidImprisoned child killers have the right to food and shelter and, as far as I'm concerned, nothing else.
Yes, yes and YES!
Reference:
Yes, yes and YES!
Ooo, you've gone all "Herbal Essences" on us
What about the obviously less emotive example of, say, people imprisioned for not paying their council tax? Should they have the right to vote? Or is it thieves - yes, killers - no, MP prisoners convicted of expenses fraud - no, other fraudsters - yes, and so on?
Also, when over 1 in 3 people who have the right to vote really can't be arsed to vote in a general election then does it actually matter?
Also, when over 1 in 3 people who have the right to vote really can't be arsed to vote in a general election then does it actually matter?
I was talking to a friend of mine about this last night, in his younger days he got into alot of trouble and spend time behind bars, for fighting & motoring offences. He is of the thinking that you SHOULDN'T be allowed to vote while serving time at Her Majestys Pleasure. He reckons they have it easy enough in prison 
He had his own room, games console, he could even make toast and stuff in his cell, at his pleasure, the lot, he even went as far as to say it was like a holiday camp (forest bank)....I'm sure some prisons are tougher than others but as far as he's concerned, they're NOT tough enough...bear in mind this is quite a few years ago, so i can only imagine it's even cushier now....
A guy who he got friendly with in prison served a long sentence for dealing. He got out about 6 months ago and his GF is still in Styal (sp) for the same offence. She live in a self contained 'house' in the grounds with a few other girls. Doesn't sound too tough to me.
I asked him what he thought about different crimes, you can hardly put a council tax offence in the same category as child abuse, rape, murder etc, but he still said anybody behind bars SHOULDN'T be allowed to vote, no matter what their crime....
He had his own room, games console, he could even make toast and stuff in his cell, at his pleasure, the lot, he even went as far as to say it was like a holiday camp (forest bank)....I'm sure some prisons are tougher than others but as far as he's concerned, they're NOT tough enough...bear in mind this is quite a few years ago, so i can only imagine it's even cushier now....A guy who he got friendly with in prison served a long sentence for dealing. He got out about 6 months ago and his GF is still in Styal (sp) for the same offence. She live in a self contained 'house' in the grounds with a few other girls. Doesn't sound too tough to me.
I asked him what he thought about different crimes, you can hardly put a council tax offence in the same category as child abuse, rape, murder etc, but he still said anybody behind bars SHOULDN'T be allowed to vote, no matter what their crime....
Reference:
He had his own room, games console, he could even make toast and stuff in his cell, at his pleasure, the lot, he even went as far as to say it was like a holiday camp (forest bank)....I'm sure some prisons are tougher than others but as far as he's concerned, they're NOT tough enough...bear in mind this is quite a few years ago, so i can only imagine it's even cushier now....
Why on earth are we out here at all? It sounds so lovely. I'd love a cushy cell, myself. In fact, it sounds so attractive I'm inclined to go and do over a post office, if I can actually find one, in the hope of getting caught. And if I don't then, well, I'd still have the pension money and a very large number of stamps to use to make my home and life a bit more prison-like. I think I've found a new vocation.Reference: Daniel
What about the obviously less emotive example of, say, people imprisioned for not paying their council tax? Should they have the right to vote? Or is it thieves - yes, killers - no, MP prisoners convicted of expenses fraud - no, other fraudsters - yes, and so on?
Well, you'd hope that the length of sentence would reflect the severity of the crime, and hence determine how many General Elections etc. that you miss out on.
Perhaps this is where the criminal justice system is going wrong? Instead of talking in years of incarceration, the judge should highlight the loss of privileges? "I sentence you to a period covering 2 general elections, 3 local council elections, and possibly, without good behaviour, a European election."
