Joint Committee on Prisoner Voting Bill to take evidence from Robert Walter MP
The Parliamentary Joint Committee on the draft Voting Eligibility (Prisoners) Bill will this week take evidence from Robert Walter MP, leader of the UK delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
The Committee will question Mr Walter on what he thinks might be the response of the Council of Europe if Parliament were, contrary to the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in the Hirst case, to reassert the UK position of banning all prisoners from voting.
He will also be asked about the process for appointing judges to the Court, what impact a UK refusal to implement the Hirst judgment might have on the Council of Europe, and about the impact of decisions of the Court upon national sovereignty.
The evidence session will be held at 9.30 am on Wednesday 23 October in Committee Room 6 of the House of Commons.
The session will be webcast at www.parliamentlive.tv and is also open to the public. Journalists wishing to attend should go to Parliament's Cromwell Green Entrance and should allow time for security screening.