Monday, November 26, 2012

UK increasingly isolated on prisoners votes

UK increasingly isolated on prisoners votes

Only 6 Member States, alongside the UK, of the Council of Europe, still have blanket bans on prisoners votes. They are;

Bulgaria, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Liechtenstein and Russia. 

Hungary and Liechtenstein both have blanket bans but there are moves in both nations to change the law to comply with Hirst v UK (No2).

Source

The Interlaken Declaration requires Member States to amend their laws, even though they are not parties to the ruling, where their laws are not compatible with the ruling.

Iceland confines its ban to serious offenders, arguing that such people have lost their civic right to vote by committing a crime that is "considered heinous by public opinion". However, it is contended that the law is incompatible with Hirst No2 which expressly excludes public opinion.

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