Archive for the ‘Right to vote’ Category

October 28, 2011 2

European Court vs the UK: the consequences of ignoring judgments

By Leon Glenister in Human Rights Act, Right to vote

It is no secret that there has been a frosty relationship of late between the European Court of Human Rights (‘ECtHR’) and the British government. Dominic Grieve this week announced his intention to go to the ECtHR to fight their decision on prisoner voting. The question arising is: what happens where the European Court disagrees [...]

February 18, 2011 3

Prisoners’ Compensation – the real story

By Yaaser Vanderman in Right to vote

In the case of Tovey, the High Court today decided that the claimants, just a couple of the ‘rapidly expanding cohort of prisoners’ to seek compensation for being deprived of the vote in 2010, should not in fact receive any damages. Perhaps it is wise, before some of the anti-human rights brigade try and exploit [...]

February 16, 2011 5

Celebrated Decisions of the European Court of Human Rights

By Yaaser Vanderman in Freedom of expression, Human Rights Act, Right to vote

Last week we witnessed Politicians, plebeians and the press form an unlikely union in roundly condemning the European Court of Human Rights, and in no uncertain terms. It was the prospect of ‘surrendering’ the vote to prisoners that had everyone so flummoxed. This led to the remarkable statement of Jack Straw in the House of [...]

February 10, 2011 1

‘Keeping Human Rights at Home’? More like Keeping Human Rights at Bay

By Yaaser Vanderman in Freedom of information, Right to vote

On Monday, the think tank Policy Exchange published a Paper titled, ‘Keeping Human Rights at Home’. It has added fuel to the fire on an issue already proving so germane in the lead up to this Thursday’s House of Commons vote on prisoners’ voting rights: to what extent should we obey the European Court of [...]

January 20, 2011 2

Prisoners’ voting rights – the unholy alliance between Jack Straw and David Davis

By Yaaser Vanderman in Right to vote

UPDATED Convicts, it appears, now have two more names to add to their hit-list. An unholy alliance between Jack Straw and David Davis has emerged with the aim of defeating Government plans to award the vote to prisoners serving four years or less. David Davis argued that, ‘I yield to no-one in my defence of [...]

January 12, 2011 2

Prisoners’ voting rights – why others are just begging the question

By Yaaser Vanderman in Right to vote

In response to Norman Tebbit’s article in the Guardian declaring that prisoners’ voting rights is an ‘affront to democracy’, this blog suggests that there are good reasons to enfranchise convicted criminals.