Should prisoners have a right to vote? [ENDS 10/06/2012]

[Grig]

Should prisoners have a right to vote?
Ends: 10/06/2012

An interesting topic, propping up between the UK and Europe recently. Although recently the European Court of Human Rights declared that governments can decide, its previous stance was very different. The Court said that under European law prisoners should have a right to vote- as basic human right for anyone.

However, the UK ignored such laws and continued to disallow this right to prisoners. Their claim was that if one had convicted a crime, some rights should be removed, including the right to vote.

Tensions over this law still continue with a conflict over the law and there may be a major constitutional clash in the near future.

Now it's up to decide. Should prisoners in the UK or any other country for that matter have this right or not. Debate away!

[Logandyer45]

No, Because, if they can't stay out of trouble, then they should not be able to vote.

[Sublayer]

But it may influence them, if you have a politician who wants stricter laws they will want their opinions heard.

[GommeInc]

Voting isn't a human right, it's a legal right. The EU forgets its place and often mistakes trivial things as serious things. Prisoners should not be given the right to vote, they relinquished any such right when they broke the law and therefore removed the right of another. Voting is the last thing that is on their mind, and their views do not "mimic or represent to view of honest and reasonable people" - something British Criminal Law is based on. Just because half of Europe uses dreadful civil law doesn't mean the UK should follow through with it too, when our legal system is probably more fairer than theirs.

Having the right to vote does not effect a prisoner as a human being, it doesn't hinder their right to live which is the basic foundation of human rights, things that directly effect you as a human.

It's such a mute argument that keeps being dragged up by the ECHR, when prisoners have never needed to vote and never will. When they are either acquitted or released and free then they can be allowed to vote, because they are then seen as reasonable, honest people and may have views to reflect such basic demands of a voter or citizen. Until then they deserve such a miniscule punishment on their heads - the right to vote taken away from them. It's not a human right, and never will be - like this stupid belief that the internet should become a human right.

But it may influence them, if you have a politician who wants stricter laws they will want their opinions heard.

I'd rather hear from an ex-convict who has served their time and can better reflect the thoughts of prisoners. Ex-convicts can and should always be allowed to vote, they can what should be fair for a prisoner and have probably learnt from their time in prison.

[Chippiewill]

No, Because, if they can't stay out of trouble, then they should not be able to vote.

Hypothetically the government puts 99% of the population in jail for no reason, who gets to vote them out of office?

[Special]

nope they lost their rights when they committed the crime

[Chippiewill]

People keep saying they lose their right when they commit the crime but no-one has actually explained why.

[Conspiracy.]

If they can't abide by the laws and be a productive member of society then I don't see why they should have the right to change the country.

They pissed away their right to vote when they done whatever they did.

[lawrawrrr]

What about the people in jail for minor offences then? What about political activists who are put in for opposing the government (albeit in an illegal fashion).


Although I do think that many laws should not include the right for prisoners to vote, when it comes to more minor ones (especially concerning prison or the way crimes are dealt with), prisoners should perhaps have MORE of a right to vote as they have been through that system.

[-:Undertaker:-]

People keep saying they lose their right when they commit the crime but no-one has actually explained why.

Punishment, as I stated in the other thread and which I will reply to soon. The problem is, you keep confusing prison as a holding cell as opposed to a place of punishment, the loss of your voting rights is one method used in this country to punish criminals. If somebody does something considered to be evil or disruptive to others liberty or property then you must have a system in place to punish those who step out of line so that they fear doing so again - that is what punishment entails.

On the more general issue - we should be out the ECHR.

Hypothetically the government puts 99% of the population in jail for no reason, who gets to vote them out of office?

A government such as that would be de facto dictatorial anyway by putting nearly everybody in prison, so even if we could vote - they'd simply rig it.