R (Chester) v Secretary of State for Justice

Subject Matter

EUROPEAN UNION — Elections — Right to vote in European Union and municipal elections — Statutory blanket ban on convicted prisoners voting — Prisoner serving life sentence for murder applying for his name to be included on electoral register for European Union and municipal elections — Application refused — Whether compatible with petitioner’s Treaty rights — Whether Treaties giving European Union citizens individual right to vote — Whether right having to comply with principles of European Court of Human Rights jurisprudence — Whether right limited to citizens resident in state other than that of their nationality — Representation of the People Act 1983, s 3(1) (as amended by Representation of the People Act 1985, s 24, Sch 4, para 1) — European Parliamentary Elections Act 2002, s 8 — FEU Treaty, art 20(2)(b)FEU — Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, art 40

[2013] UKSC 63; [2014] AC 271; [2013] 3 WLR 1076; [2014] 1 All ER 683; [2013] WLR (D) 392; Case details; 2014 SC (UKSC) 25, SC

HUMAN RIGHTS — Free elections — Interference with — Statutory blanket ban on convicted prisoners voting — Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment for murder challenging ban — Court’s duty to “take into account” judgments and decisions of European Court of Human Rights — Decisions of European Court of Human Rights holding statutory blanket ban on convicted prisoners voting incompatible with Convention right to free expression of opinion in choice of legislature — Government challenging correctness of decisions in domestic proceedings — Whether decisions to be applied — Whether statute to be read as conferring on judiciary function of deciding whether any given prisoner to be disfranchised — Whether ban contravening Convention right to free expression of opinion in choice of legislature — Whether declaration of incompatibility to be granted — Representation of the People Act 1983, s 3(1) (as amended by Representation of the People Act 1985, s 24, Sch 4, para 1) — Human Rights Act 1998, Sch 1, Pt II, art 3 — European Parliamentary Elections Act 2002, s 8

[2010] EWCA Civ 1439; [2011] 1 WLR 1436; [2010] WLR (D) 337, CA

[2013] UKSC 63; [2014] AC 271; [2013] 3 WLR 1076; [2014] 1 All ER 683; [2013] WLR (D) 392; Case details; 2014 SC (UKSC) 25, SC

ELECTION LAW — Right to vote — Prisoner disenfranchisement — Petitioner a prisoner seeking to vote in local municipal, Scottish parliamentary and European parliamentary elections

[2013] UKSC 63; [2014] AC 271; [2013] 3 WLR 1076; [2014] 1 All ER 683; [2013] WLR (D) 392; Case details; 2014 SC (UKSC) 25, SC

ELECTION LAW — Right to vote — Prisoner disenfranchisement — Petitioner a prisoner seeking to vote in United Kingdom and European parliamentary elections

[2013] UKSC 63; [2014] AC 271; [2013] 3 WLR 1076; [2014] 1 All ER 683; [2013] WLR (D) 392; Case details; 2014 SC (UKSC) 25, SC

Appellate History

Commentary

UK Supreme Court Blog
Case Comment: Chester v Secretary of State for Justice; McGeoch v The Lord President of the Council & Another [2013] UKSC 63 [2013] Cas Com 17

Blackstones Civil Practice 2023
Main Provisions of the Human Rights Act 1998 - Sources of European human rights law 91.2