Prisoner Voting Ban Upheld By European Court

A ban on prisoners voting or standing for election is legal under EU law, the European Court of Justice ruled Tuesday.



The Luxembourg-based court said member states could maintain an indefinite ban in a case brought by French convict Thierry Delvigne, jailed for murder in 1988.



"The ban to which Mr. Delvigne is subject is proportionate in so far as it takes into account the nature and gravity of the criminal offence committed and the duration of the penalty," the court said.



Delvigne claimed France's pre-1994 ban on prisoner voting violated the rights of EU citizens to take part in European elections. France ended the automatic loss of the vote for prisoners in 1994 but that did not alter Delvigne's ban retrospectively.



The ruling has Europe-wide implications. In Britain, politicians have argued the ruling could challenge the country's blanket ban on prisoners' voting rights.



Prime Minister David Cameron, who previously said the idea of prisoners voting made him feel "physically ill", said Tuesday he had no intention of relaxing the ban. - Ile-de-France