Press Release: Remaining legacy prisoner voting cases: ECHR finds violation of the right to vote but awards no compensation or legal costs

Report of the ECHR judgment in McHugh and Others v. the United Kingdom (no. 51987/08 and 1,014 others) on the 10 February 2015.

The case concerned 1,015 prisoners who, as an automatic consequence of their convictions and detention pursuant to sentences of imprisonment, were unable to vote in elections between 2009 and 2011.

The European Court of Human Rights considered there had been a violation of Article 3 of Protocol No. 1 (right to free elections) to the European Convention on Human Rights because the case was identical to other prisoner voting cases in which a breach of the right to vote had been found and the relevant legislation had not yet been amended.

It rejected the applicants’ claim for compensation and legal costs.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: Firth and Others v. the United Kingdom (no. 47784/09 and nine other applications): Court finds violation of the right to vote in ten follow-up prisoner voting cases but awards no compensation or legal costs http://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-firth-and-others-v-the-united-kingdom-no-47784-09-and-nine-other-applications-court-finds-violation-of-the-right-to-vote-in-ten-follow-up-prisoner-voting-casesbut-awards-no-compen/

ESO: Background information: Prisoners' voting rights http://www.europeansources.info/record/prisoners-voting-rights/

EurActiv, 10.02.15: UK breached prisoner voting rights http://www.euractiv.com/sections/uk-europe/uk-breached-prisonersright-vote-311983

BBC News, 10.02.15: UK prisoner voting rights breached, European judges rule http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-31356895

The Telegraph, 10.02.15: Voting rights of 1,015 UK prisoners were breached, Strasbourg rules http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-order/11402325/Voting-rights-of-1015-UK-prisoners-were-breached-EU-court-rules.html

The Guardian, 10.02.15: UK prisoners banned from voting not entitled to compensation http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/feb/10/uk-prisoner-voting-ban-breached-human-rights-european-court-rules

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