Have The Echr Heard Of Common Sense?

[ToraToraTora]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-31356895
Who in their right mind can possibly conclude that prisoners should have the vote? Only the European court of Anti British c0bbl3rs! (ECABC)!

[jno]

why on earth shouldn't prisoners vote? You may disagree; but it's a matter of opinion - common sense has nothing to do with it either way

[retrocop]

Those who are incarcerated for their crimes should have the right to breath (in most cases) eat and reflect on their misdeeds and perhaps to work inside to earn money for small comforts like snout etc. Any other rights are one right too many.
Don't suppose they thought of the rights of their victims .

[retrocop]

jno
I suppose you can call it part of the punishment process. If you are a naughty boy you get sent to bed and forfeit the right to play with your toys. Prison isn't supposed to be comfy.

[jim360]

It's a court of law, common sense doesn't come into it.

[ToraToraTora]

I refuse to accept that criminal lowlives behind bars should have the vote. End of.

[jim360]

That's fair enough, but I don't agree that it's common sense. "Common sense" might also suggest that, as criminals end up behind bars for a variety of crimes from the grotesque to the mundane, it seems unfair to treat them all equally.

[janbee]

Sensible ECHR ? Mmmmm, an oxymoron surely?

[youngmafbog]

Right behind you TTT, but the hand wringing lefty liberal luvvies wont rest until all prisoners get the best money can buy and more rights than the tax payer or their victims.

A total joke in my opinion.

[ToraToraTora]

One of the aims of custodial sentencing is to remove freedoms enjoyed by the law abiding populace. If they suffer no inconvenience whats the point?

[Gromit]

Many people in prison are there for arguably trivial crimes. Not paying council tax for example. It seems draconian to take those people's right to vote, for not paying a fine.

The numbers are trivial also. If a postal vote to the place they are registered to vote was allowed, it would be unlikely to make any difference to the result.

[Old_Geezer]

There are arguments both for and against. I think the main one is to allow a sovereign nation to decide for itself and not stick one's damned nose into someone else's business.

[jno]

you seriously think people in prison suffer no inconvenience, TTT? You should try it, then.

[retrocop]

Those who are victims of rape or burglary and returning to see their houses trashed are quite considerably inconvenienced also. Where does one direct their sympathy?

[Brenden]

No exceptions, no vote for anyone in prison, they are supposedly removed from society -full stop.

[brionon]

What difference can a few prisoner votes make ?

[B00]

Quite a substantial one brionon id have thought if Google is to believed....

"This week there are 85,280 people in prisons and young offender institutions in England and Wales."

[andy-hughes]

Gromit - "Many people in prison are there for arguably trivial crimes. Not paying council tax for example. It seems draconian to take those people's right to vote, for not paying a fine."

I am minded to agree.

The punishment for prisoners is just that - loss of liberty.

But for those that are going to be released into wider society, continuation of basic rights will hopefully assist in their re-joining society as useful and productive members of that society.

If you start building loss of voting rights into a punishment tariff, that can be the top of a slippery slope - what other basic rights should be denied on an ascending scale of criminal behaviour, and who is going to decide what liberties are removed for what crimes.

So I would argue, as others have done, that this is a matter of law, not common sense, and that is a better approach.

[ToraToraTora]

"What difference can a few prisoner votes make ? " - irrelevant.

[jim360]

I agree with TTT that the difference prisoner votes make is immaterial. The only thing that matters is the principle.

[ichkeria]

There is a world of difference between a rapist or murderer on a life sentence and someone in for a few weeks over the date of a general election for non-payment of a fine etc.
With a whole array of others in between.
Common sense, never mind the law, might suggest that they should not all be treated equally, or any other of that leftie stuff :-)