Next available backbench day in the Chamber

Next available backbench day in the Chamber

Motion relating to voting by prisoners (Members in charge: Mr David Davis, Mr Dominic Raab and Mr Jack Straw).

VOTING BY PRISONERS

Mr David Davis

Mr Dominic Raab

Mr Jack Straw

That this House notes the ruling of the European Court of Human Rights in Hirst v the United Kingdom in which it held that there had been no substantive debate by members of the legislature on the continued justification for maintaining a general restriction on the right of prisoners to vote; acknowledges the treaty obligations of the UK; is of the opinion that legislative decisions of this nature should be a matter for democratically-elected lawmakers; and supports the current situation in which no sentenced prisoner is able to vote except those imprisoned for contempt, default or on remand.

This subject has been raised following the judgement of the European Court of Human Rights that the UK’s ban on prisoner voting breached the European Convention on Human Rights. The Committee was told that a debate on this subject has significant support from backbench Members.

Comment: I will respond to this in due course...