Ministry of ie bon deek Seen a g Secretary of State for Justice JUSTICE Df separa " London WH 9AJ Wj 12 DEC 2008 T 020 3334 3720 ow F 020 3334 2669 E genoral.queries@justice gsi gov.uk veww justice. gov.uk woewan ease santana: Julie Wright Deputy Chief Executive UNLOCK 35a High Street Snodland Kent ME6 5AG hry Slo ted Devg zs THE UK GOVERNMENT'S RESPONSE TO THE ECtHR GRAND CHAMBER JUDGMENT IN THE CASE OF HIRST V UK 0 December 2008 Thank you for your letter dated November 8 in which you have expressed concerns about the UK Government's delayed response to the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights’ (ECtHR) judgment in the case of Hirst v UK (No 2) in October 2005. ‘As you will no doubt be aware, the first stage of the Government's two-part consultation exercise on extending voting rights to convicted prisoners concluded in March 2007. There has been a delay to the timetable originally envisaged for the conduct of that consultation. The Government takes its duties concerning judgments of the ECtHR seriously. It has an excellent record in this regard. But, as the Court itself acknowledged, there is “a wide margin of appreciation” for states in how to approach this issue. We have to take account of the wide spectrum of opinion within the UK, together with the considerable practical implications for the courts, prison authorities and the conduct of elections. We must arrive at a solution that respects the judgment of the Court while fitting appropriately within the traditions of the UK. The Government intends to publish the results of the first stage of the consultation on prisoners’ voting rights in tandem with the launching of the second stage consultation paper. The Government's position remains clear; it is committed to carrying out this second, more detailed public consultation, to which people holding all shades of opinion, including those who work with offenders on a professional basis, are invited to respond. Following the closure of this stage, the Government will make its final recommendations to Parliament. | hope that you find this reply helpful. lhe JACK STRAW