Downing Street Says » Prisoner voting

» Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Prisoner voting

Asked whether the Prime Minister agreed with Kenneth Clarke that some prisoners would have to be given the vote, the Prime Minister’s Spokesman (PMS) told the assembled press that there was a process ongoing and we were looking at legal advice. There was a vote on the issue tomorrow and the PMS advised people to wait for the outcome of that vote.

On whether the outcome of the vote was crucial to how the Prime Minister would proceed on the issue, the PMS said that people would have their opinions on this issue, but we also had legal obligations.

Asked if the Prime Minister agreed with the comments made by the Archbishop of Canterbury when he said that prisoners were citizens and should be treated with dignity, the PMS said that prisoners were treated with dignity in prison, but they were there to be punished as well as rehabilitated in order to rejoin society.

Asked about a Commission on the application of the Human Rights Act, the PMS replied that we intended to establish a Commission in 2011 to investigate a UK Bill of Rights, that would incorporate and build on our obligations under the ECHR.

On whether that would make the Supreme Court the final arbiter, the PMS said that the Supreme Court was the final arbiter in terms of courts in Britain and that would continue to be the case.

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