SCOTLAND could become the first part of the UK to lift a blanket ban on prisoners being allowed to vote.
The prospect of some offenders serving custodial sentences being enfranchised emerged yesterday when Tory frontbencher Murdo Fraser asked for the First Minister’s views on a report by MSPs recommending all prisoners should have the right.
Nicola Sturgeon said her view was that it should not be extended to prisoners who had been convicted of the most serious crimes – suggesting she was minded to give the right to those who had committed less serious offences.
She said: “I am not of the view that that should lead to the enfranchising of all prisoners. I am sceptical, to say the least, that complying with the European convention on human rights requires all prisoners to have the right to vote.”
Pressed by Fraser, she added: “I am certainly not persuaded of the case for enfranchising prisoners who are in prison for the most serious and heinous crimes and for lengthy periods.”
The UK is one of the few places in Europe not to allow any inmates the right to vote in local and national elections. Of the 47 member states in the Council of Europe the others which have a blanket ban are Armenia, Bulgaria, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary and Russia. The Netherlands, Belgium, Slovakia, Poland, Cyprus, Romania and France have a partial ban, allowing prisoners who have committed less serious offences to vote or giving judges the discretion to say whether a prisoner should be allowed to vote.
Ireland, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Sweden and Spain have no or minimal restrictions.
Referring to the committee’s report, which raised the concern the ban may breach human rights legislation, Sturgeon added: “I do not think [allowing all prisoner the right to vote] is required in order for us to comply with the European convention on human rights.” She went on to say “a proper, mature debate” was needed to reach a “sensible” decision.
Green MSP John Finnie said the right to vote is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and that the Prison Reform Trust says that voting is a basic human right. Finnie added that there is evidence from groups who work former prisoners that allowing them to vote can help rehabilitation and address offending issues.
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