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| Blackpool child murderer loses right to vote bid http://www.x404.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=11840 |
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| Author: | pcernie [ Fri Dec 17, 2010 1:45 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Blackpool child murderer loses right to vote bid |
A man serving life for raping and murdering his seven-year-old niece has lost his appeal over his right to vote. Three judges unanimously dismissed Peter Chester's case and refused him permission to go to the Supreme Court. Chester, 55, is serving life for raping and strangling Donna Marie Gillbanks in Blackpool in 1977. His legal team said denying him a vote was a "disproportionate" reaction and violated his human rights. The Court of Appeal hearing came the day after the government said it had no choice but to give "some prisoners" the vote following a European court ruling. The European Court of Human Rights had ruled the current blanket ban on serving prisoners going to the polls was incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights. Chester's lawyers argued the serious nature of his offence did not justify disenfranchising him. But Lord Justice Laws, Lord Justice Carnwath and the Master of the Rolls, Lord Neuberger dismissed his appeal. Chester, also known as Peter Chester Speakman, has served 33 years in jail. The High Court rejected his claim over voting last year. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-la ... e-12016984 |
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| Author: | belchingmatt [ Fri Dec 17, 2010 2:54 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Blackpool child murderer loses right to vote bid |
If he doesn't have the right to vote then we don't live in a democratic society. |
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| Author: | jonbwfc [ Fri Dec 17, 2010 3:32 pm ] | |||||||||
| Post subject: | Re: Blackpool child murderer loses right to vote bid | |||||||||
Well, there could well be an argument that in his specific case, he's not legally of sound mind. If that's the case he's effectively disbarred from anything which requires him to have a sense of responsibility. That includes voting. However if it was legally assumed to be the case that he wasn't of sound mind at the time, then he wouldn't have been sentenced, he'd have been committed. Jon |
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| Author: | JJW009 [ Fri Dec 17, 2010 3:35 pm ] | ||||||||||||||||||
| Post subject: | Re: Blackpool child murderer loses right to vote bid | ||||||||||||||||||
As far as I know, nutters have the vote in this country? |
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| Author: | rustybucket [ Fri Dec 17, 2010 3:35 pm ] | |||||||||
| Post subject: | Re: Blackpool child murderer loses right to vote bid | |||||||||
+1 Discrimination is always* distasteful. *There may be limits to this but I can't think of any right now. |
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| Author: | hifidelity2 [ Fri Dec 17, 2010 4:01 pm ] | ||||||||||||||||||
| Post subject: | Re: Blackpool child murderer loses right to vote bid | ||||||||||||||||||
Not when it favours me  
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| Author: | Amnesia10 [ Fri Dec 17, 2010 4:11 pm ] | |||||||||
| Post subject: | Re: Blackpool child murderer loses right to vote bid | |||||||||
I disagree. I do not think that everyone has the rights to vote. If you take it to its extreme you could argue that by imprisoning him you are also depriving him of his rights to a family life and of his rights of freedom of movement. I have no problems with suspension of voting rights while in gaol, though they should be restored the moment that they are released. Until someone is convicted they should have the right to vote even if on remand. |
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| Author: | belchingmatt [ Fri Dec 17, 2010 4:34 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Blackpool child murderer loses right to vote bid |
Current rights to a family life and rights of freedom of movement and voting are governed by a so called democratic policy, ie. majority rules. As much as I would wish this individual to not be able to vote, to deny him a vote would affirm that we do not live in a democratic society. Democracy is all about everybody having an equal say. An example scenario would be that if the majority of the population were paedophiles, if that was the case then children would be fair sexual game. This would be looked down upon my many people in the minority (rightly so by my opinion) but ignored by the majority.... Have a look outside the box. |
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| Author: | jonbwfc [ Fri Dec 17, 2010 5:03 pm ] | |||||||||
| Post subject: | Re: Blackpool child murderer loses right to vote bid | |||||||||
It seems a fair few of them get voted for, that's for sure. It's an interesting argument, the way criminals relate to the democratic principle. However in practice I suspect criminals aren't allowed the vote because it skews the system - you essentially have your incarcerated criminals concentrated in a handful of constituencies, rather than spread around among the less legally-challenged population. My personal opinion is it should be in some sense based around length of sentence - if you're going to be in gaol for the entire lifespan of a parliament, you don't get to vote in who is in that parliament as you're not a viable member of society for that period. This would mean that as people came to the end of their sentence they would have some incentive to be aware of what's going on in the real world and it adds some perceived value to the vote as well. Jon |
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| Author: | Amnesia10 [ Fri Dec 17, 2010 5:42 pm ] | |||||||||
| Post subject: | Re: Blackpool child murderer loses right to vote bid | |||||||||
That is a fair option but very tough to manage. |
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