Council of Europe accepts UK’s prisoner vote offer

Around 100 prisoners will be given the right to vote after the UK’s offer to extend the franchise was accepted by the Council of Europe this week.

Under the deal, created by Justice Secretary, David Lidington, prisoners at home under curfew and those on temporary release will be able to vote.

The dispute between Britain and Strasbourg began in 2005 when the European Court of Human Rights ruled that a blanket ban on prisoner voting fell foul of the European Convention on Human Rights.

However, despite similar subsequent judgments, the UK refused to adhere to the ruling.

While accepting that member states had a “margin of appreciation” in enforcing the ruling, the court nevertheless said there were some identifiable categories of prisoners who should be able to vote.

A note to the court from the UK government stated: “We will work with the judiciary to change the warrant of committal to prison to ensure that prisoners are individually notified of their disenfranchisement.”

It added that the government would “change its policy and guidance to prisons to make clear that prisoners can register to vote, and can vote, while released on temporary licence. Most prisoners eligible to vote under this proposal would likely be on short sentences, and will have been granted temporary release, primarily for employment-related reasons.”

The Council of Europe said it “noted with satisfaction the package of administrative measures proposed by the authorities, in particular the change in policy and guidance in relation to prisoners released on temporary licence and on home detention curfew.”