Prisoner Rights Blogger wins for Human Rights
Congratulations to TDB Blogger Arthur Taylor and this astounding win in the Supreme Court…
Supreme Court upholds decision saying ban on prisoner voting inconsistent with Bill of Rights
Denying New Zealand’s prisoners the right to vote is inconsistent with the Bill of Rights, the country’s highest court has ruled.The Supreme Court released its decision today upholding an earlier High Court decision and saying the courts had jurisdiction to make a “declaration of inconsistency”.
A majority of the five Supreme Court judges, comprising Chief Justice Sian Elias, Justice Susan Glazebrook and Justice Ellen France, dismissed the Attorney-General’s appeal.
Justice William Young and Justice Mark O’Regan dissented.
Arthur Taylor, known as a jailhouse lawyer for his litigation skills, has fought through New Zealand’s highest courts against a 2010 law by the then-National Government which banned all prisoners from voting.
Prisoners could previously vote in elections if they were incarcerated for less than three years.
Taylor and four inmates from Christchurch Women’s Prison took their case to the High Court.
…what a powerful win for human rights you have dealt to Parliament Arthur.
You have been fearless, relentless and prepared to fight for social justice in a way very few of us have the courage to see through.
Your tenacity and intelligence have provided a great righting of a bitter and petty wrong.
To deny prisoners the right to vote is a blight on universal suffrage and a means of amputating the civic conscience from a citizen, truly making them a prisoner from political society.
Congratulations Comrade.
Yep, denying prisoners the right to vote was a monstrous move by the National Govt. More so when it placed prisoners further outside of the society into which prison, theoretically, should be helping them to re-integrate.
Note that the women justices upheld the right to vote, and the men dissented. Well done wise women.
Congratulations Arthur: and Hinemanu, Sandra, Kirsty and Claire. It was a long time coming but you got there in the end. Your friend Kerryn.
I trust the establishment, even under this government, will now offer Arthur Taylor the KNIGHTHOOD, right?! If not, I wonder why?
There are plenty of people who have them that deserve to lose them. Maybe we can take one of them and give it to Arthur for services to the prisoners of NZ.
Keep dreaming
Give this man a knighthood!
Don’t get happy too quickly. The NZ Supreme Court does not have power to strike down legislation like the US Supreme Court. The judgment itself and s4 of the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act make that clear. Regardless of the declaration, the law must be enforced unless parliament changes it. We leave law making to elected people.
Impressed with Arthur & the women’s achievment – well done. I miss the relevance of Matthew’s comment, and suggest to Stephen he’s wrong about the mainstream – I think most NZers do care about giving people a fair go
well done Arthur!–again…and your fellow women applicants also, for taking the case for prisoners right to vote through the system
it can’t be easy taking complex cases from your situation, lets hope other activists can put sufficient pressure on the Govt. to now change the law
Just a pity Taylor did not put some effort into helping the victims of crime.
Wonderful outcome that points to the need for a proper entrenched constitution to curtail the worst excesses of governments in NZ.