Supreme Court dismisses appeals of prisoners who wish to vote
The Supreme Court has unanimously dismissed two appeals from prisoners seeking voting rights.
In R (on the application of Chester) v Secretary of State for Justice; McGeoch v The Lord President of the Council [2013] UKSC 63, both appellants were prisoners serving life sentences for murder.
Seven justices held that the Supreme Court is required to “take into account” decisions of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), not necessarily to follow them. The ban is not a fundamental principle of UK law so the circumstances do not warrant a departure from Convention caselaw. However, they said this issue is being considered by Parliament so there would be no point in a further declaration of incompatibility.
The ECtHR previously ruled the UK’s blanket ban on prisoners voting to be incompatible with Convention rights, in Hirst (No 2) v UK [2005] ECHR 681.
