Gove to crack down on human rights and build more prisons| The Canary

Last Updated: November 11, 2015By

mr-gove-lays-down-the-law-cover

The UK government’s plans for a British Bill of Rights have been leaked to the Sunday Times, the newspaper claims. This is a new bill that, if passed, would replace the current 1998 Human Rights Act, which incorporates the European Convention on Human Rights into UK domestic law.

The article in the Sunday Times claims the plans include allowing UK judges to defy European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) rulings, exempting soldiers from legal challenges for military behaviour abroad, and placing limits on the amount of compensation that can be claimed in human rights violation cases.

In reality, UK judges can already choose whether to follow the ECtHR rulings or not. This is why, despite the ECtHR ruling that prisoners should be entitled to the right to vote, the UK has not done so.

That this leak in the Sunday Times happened shortly before Gove’s announcement to start a ‘prison building revolution’ is telling. These plans to close old inner-city prisons, sell off the lucrative buildings, and have nine new prisons built to replace them are partly financially driven. The relentless push by the UK government to cut budgets does not falter, no matter what rights are at stake, or on what side of the bars you stand.

Source: Gove to crackdown on human rights, and build more prisons instead | The Canary

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10 Comments

  1. Barry Davies November 11, 2015 at 3:59 pm - Reply

    Having worked in Victorian Prisons I do not have a problem with their closure and replacement per se, what does concern me is the continued idiocy of PFI money to build them and the almost certainty of G4S getting more prisons to run badly. The ECHR has made a few stupid decisions, where they seem to think that a criminals rights come above those of the victim, and this is a difficult situation to deal with.

    • Mike Sivier November 11, 2015 at 4:04 pm - Reply

      They’re not criminals until they’ve been convicted. Until then, they’re as innocent as anybody else, in the eyes of the law.

      • Barry Davies November 12, 2015 at 9:21 am - Reply

        I didn’t say non convicted I said criminals.

        • Mike Sivier November 12, 2015 at 12:37 pm - Reply

          So you’re saying they have more consideration for the person who has been convicted, rather than the victim, when making directions in the immediate aftermath of a guilty verdict – which is the only time when that is possible?
          I suppose they might. Can you quote examples?

  2. mili68 November 11, 2015 at 4:49 pm - Reply

    Tweeted @melissacade68

  3. The Porcelain Doll November 11, 2015 at 5:43 pm - Reply

    I feel like these prisons are going to be more like concentration camps.

  4. David Bacon November 11, 2015 at 6:25 pm - Reply

    How very Goveian this all seems. There ought to be a system which weeds out the likes of Gove and disqualifies them from standing for public office.

  5. Thomas November 12, 2015 at 4:08 am - Reply

    More prisons are needed but without taking away everyone’s human rights and legal aid to help fill said prisons.

  6. Barry Davies November 12, 2015 at 9:24 am - Reply

    As an aside to this situation does anyone else find it annoying that before these laws are made it gets released to the media, is this to see what the outcry will be prior to enactment, or just saying this is going to happen get used to it. No leaks from the government should occur without full investigation as to who leaked it surely?

    • Mike Sivier November 12, 2015 at 12:37 pm - Reply

      It’s known as kite-flying.

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