[Livia]

Originally Posted by Shasown

Perhaps the greatest irony about prisoners voting rights is currently there is a case from Austria having just gone through Europe called the Frodl case.

This actually allows a voting ban to be placed on those guilty of electoral fraud or abuse of public position, so any MP who gets sentenced to prison for lets say false expenses could automatically lose their rights to vote while convicted rapists and murderers are allowed to vote.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukne...an-ruling.html

Haha... now THAT is interesting and strangely amusing.

This isn't relevant to the main thread but to that story... Fiddling election expenses would result in a case of electoral fraud. Obviously the recent cases of MPs overclaiming and falsely claiming does not constitute "electoral" fraud. Electoral fraud would result in the MP and their agent being jailed because it's the agent who returns details of expenses to the Electoral Commission and signs their name to them. And that's me. And that's why my MPs expenses are always right! As a side note, and speaking personally, I think that MPs of all parties should be regularly placed in the pillories on College Green and pelted with rotten fruit by the elecorate... help them remember that they are public servants. But I didn't say that, obviously.

[Shasown]

Originally Posted by Livia

Haha... now THAT is interesting and strangely amusing.

This isn't relevant to the main thread but to that story... Fiddling election expenses would result in a case of electoral fraud. Obviously the recent cases of MPs overclaiming and falsely claiming does not constitute "electoral" fraud. Electoral fraud would result in the MP and their agent being jailed because it's the agent who returns details of expenses to the Electoral Commission and signs their name to them. And that's me. And that's why my MPs expenses are always right! As a side note, and speaking personally, I think that MPs of all parties should be regularly placed in the pillories on College Green and pelted with rotten fruit by the elecorate... help them remember that they are public servants. But I didn't say that, obviously.

Very true but MP's fiddling expenses from the Commons would be considered to have been guilty of an abuse of a public position.

Love the idea of the pillories, should bring back some other punishments from days gone by too.

[Livia]

Originally Posted by Shasown

Very true but MP's fiddling expenses from the Commons would be considered to have been guilty of an abuse of a public position.

Love the idea of the pillories, should bring back some other punishments from days gone by too.

I think the most annoying thing about the expenses scandal was that they weren't actually breaking the law. The system allowed them to abuse it. Of course this begs the question, should someone be in public office if they don't understand the difference between their legal right and their moral responsibility?

I'd vote for horse-whipping and the birch. But it's Friday... I might feel a little less aggressive come Monday.

[Pyramid*]

Should prisoners be allowed to vote. Hell NO.

Neither should they have the cushy lifestyle that modern day British prisons afford them either.

and please, don't bleat about 'Human Rights'. Most prisoners are in jail for not giving a **** about other peoples' Human Rights.

The Arabs have 'partly' the right idea when it comes to dealing with crime - so harsh prison life is, most people don't want to end up there. yes I know there is the argument for them being too harsh - but overall, prison and the thought of being punished and going to prison, should be a deterrent. It's not, not in our laid back Prisoners have rights, society.

Pisses me off no end. Jail should be a hardship - not a pampered 'choice o menu' 3 meals a day, no subsidised shopping, no games, no tv's, playstations, in room tvs. Lock them up and provide no stimulation. The had their chance to learn on the outside, why the hell should my taxes be used to afford them free further education that others on the outside have to bloody pay for.