Post by Kiwi Frontline on Feb 27, 2020 3:56:33 GMT 12
REMEDY TO BAN ON PRISONER VOTING STILL BREACHES HUMAN RIGHTS, JUSTICE MINISTRY SAYS
The Government rejected Justice Ministry advice to allow all prisoners to vote, even though it would best uphold human rights and fulfill Treaty of Waitangi obligations.
Instead Justice Minister Andrew Little opted to withhold voting rights from prisoners sentenced to at least three years in prison, which was the law before a 2010 change that applied a blanket voting ban to all prisoners.
The Ministry of Justice said that Little's option would be better than the status quo, but would still be inconsistent with the Bill of Rights Act (BORA) and international human rights treaties that New Zealand has signed.
It would also still lead to a disproportionate affect on Māori, and therefore breach Treaty of Waitangi obligations.......
www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12311792
The Government rejected Justice Ministry advice to allow all prisoners to vote, even though it would best uphold human rights and fulfill Treaty of Waitangi obligations.
Instead Justice Minister Andrew Little opted to withhold voting rights from prisoners sentenced to at least three years in prison, which was the law before a 2010 change that applied a blanket voting ban to all prisoners.
The Ministry of Justice said that Little's option would be better than the status quo, but would still be inconsistent with the Bill of Rights Act (BORA) and international human rights treaties that New Zealand has signed.
It would also still lead to a disproportionate affect on Māori, and therefore breach Treaty of Waitangi obligations.......
www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12311792