Devizes MP hits back on jail rights (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)
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Devizes MP hits back on jail rights
7:00am Saturday 5th February 2011 in News
Devizes MP Claire Perry appeared at the European Council in Strasbourg last week to speak up for Britain’s right to deny prisoners the vote.
She spoke at the debate on behalf of the European Democrat Group but she also has other interests in the subject.
She told the debate: “As a member of the cross-party Justice Select Committee in the UK Parliament, a keen supporter of my Government’s proposals to break the cycle of reoffending and as an MP with Erlestoke Prison in my constituency of Devizes, I take a keen interest in this matter.”
However, she said the European Court of Human Rights was wrong when it ruled in 2005 that the UK’s blanket ban on allowing serving prisoners to vote is unlawful.
Speaking about the judgement, she said: “It ignores the great differences between member countries in the definition of crime, sentencing and prison regimes.
“And it ignores the fact that these are matters for sovereign parliaments. Crime, sentencing and punishment, including the selective removal of voting rights, are constitutional matters for sovereign parliaments and courts to decide.
“It is this sort of judgment that creatively and, some would say, mischievously extends the reach of the original protocols while ignoring sovereign law that is doing so much to spoil the appetite in my country and in many others for more European unity or co-operation.”
The 2005 ruling was a result of a challenge by prisoner John Hirst, serving life for manslaughter.
Comments(2)
goodpuss
says...
11:15am Sun 6 Feb 11
Jailhouselawyer wrote:Because - like a lot of folk - she may be sick to death of having to ensure the rights of prisoners are protected. Ensuring the rights of those who make a habit or living from denying others their human rights - victims of violence, theft, intimidation etc.? Pretty sickening.
In you headline you state jail right but in your first sentence you refer to Britain's right. Just to clarify, Britain has no right to deny convicted prisoners human right to vote. The Debate & Vote on Wednesday 26 January 2011 was on the subject of Implementation of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights. The proposal was "The United Kingdom must put to an end the practice of delaying full implementation of Court judgments with respect to politically sensitive issues, such as prisoners’ voting rights". The vote was carried with 77 for, 8 against and 3 abstentions. Claire Perry abstained in the vote. It beggars belief that Claire Perry, who has no legal knowledge whatsoever, had the cheek to claim that her view is right and the highest court in Europe is wrong. What Claire Perry has so far failed to justify is why she is so against Human Rights, Democracy, and Rule of Law. She should be ashamed that she advocates ignoring a court decision. It used to be the case that the Tory party was the law and order party. Now it is the party of lawlessness and disorder.
Perhaps that should be part of the sentence.
ONCE CONVICTED, BEING MADE TO EARN YOUR RIGHT TO CLAIM HUMAN RIGHTS, AND LIVE AMONG HUMAN BEINGS.
No-one is against human rights or the rule of law - stop exaggerating.
The objection I have is that those who DON'T have any respect for the human rights of their victims or for the rule of law are being supported and protected to a level ABOVE & BEYOND
that afforded to their victims.
It would be such a bad thing to make those convicted earn their rights, and understand fully what it will mean to take away anothers' rights and flout the law?
Jailhouselawyer says...
1:14pm Sat 5 Feb 11
The Debate & Vote on Wednesday 26 January 2011 was on the subject of Implementation of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights. The proposal was "The United Kingdom must put to an end the practice of delaying full implementation of Court judgments with respect to politically sensitive issues, such as prisoners’ voting rights". The vote was carried with 77 for, 8 against and 3 abstentions. Claire Perry abstained in the vote.
It beggars belief that Claire Perry, who has no legal knowledge whatsoever, had the cheek to claim that her view is right and the highest court in Europe is wrong.
What Claire Perry has so far failed to justify is why she is so against Human Rights, Democracy, and Rule of Law. She should be ashamed that she advocates ignoring a court decision. It used to be the case that the Tory party was the law and order party. Now it is the party of lawlessness and disorder.