Should Prisoners Be allowed To Vote - Essay Example

However, the ban is still not lifted in the country despite growing pressure from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) to allow the prisoners to vote. This research paper presents evidence based discussion to illustrate the reality of the claim that “the UK prisoners should be allowed to vote because first, breaking a law does not deter a person’s right to vote and second, such a blanket ban is an infringement on ECHR.” ECHR works to preserve and promote human rights. This law was formed so that the suffering parties would be able to seek justice or plead for enforcement of rights.

Now, the European Court has protested against the UK’s blanket ban on voting right of prisoners labelling it an unlawful action. But, the UK president, David Cameron, strongly opposed everything ECHR had to say on the subject. It is recently claimed by ECHR that “UK ban on prisoners voting ‘breaches their human rights” (Withnall 2014). This decision of the European judges is not respected in the UK because it is strictly believed by the parliament that prisoners should not be given right to vote.

Previously, ECHR has released similar statements opposing the role played by the UK on prisoners’ voting rights. For example, a ruling passed by ECHR in 2005 based on a claim made by a convicted felon, John Hirst, said that all prisoners should be allowed to vote in the UK and no compensation should be made to them by the government. In contrast to this, the UK parliament’s stand on the subject is that the powers of ECHR should be restricted because they have regularly become a hurdle in the imposition of ban on prisoners’ voting rights.

It is claimed that the final decision must be made by the UK, not by the Europe (Press Association 2013). But, that condition should only be respected if it does not violate human rights. As the ban does in deed violate human rights, so the UK should not be given the freedom to prevent its prisoners from