Should UK be Forced to let Prisoners Vote? [25th Oct 2012]
David Cameron has been warned that if he defies a European court order on the right to vote for prisoners he could be leaving the UK open to a poor record on Human Rights and compensation claims from prisoners. The attorney general Dominic Grieve has said that the UK currently has diplomatic power and leads the way when it comes to human rights and this could be lost if it defies the EU courts. Cameron has said that UK prisoners will never be given the vote despite an EU ruling which states it is against the human rights of prisoners not to have that right. It is thought that small changes could be made to current UK legislation which will allow a compromise which could include some prisoners being allowed to vote and others being denied the right due to the severity of their crime. This may allow the UK to save face and prevent compensation issues arising from a blanket ban. Related Stories: Cameron threat to defy European court on prisoner votes risk UK's standing - www.guardian.co.uk Britain must defy Europe over votes for prisoners - www.dailymail.co.uk Those residents who are affected by the new HS2 high speed rail link which is due to start operating in 2026 are to receive a comprehensive package of compensation according to the government. The Department of Transport has stated that the compensation offers will be far more than what is required under law and the government is hopeful that the right balance will be struck between communities and the taxpayer. The Rail Minister Simon Burns has said that the government will buy any home which is in the "safeguarded" area which is within 60 metres of the route of the rail line and will include 338 home in the first phase. The compensation will be the value for the home (prior to the rail announcement) and an additional 10% up to £47,000. Other compensation will include the option for those outside of the safeguarded zone to sell their homes to the scheme and extra funds to cover the cost of moving for those who are unable to sell. Those in social housing will also be looked after as the government will work with local councils to ensure that a strategy is in place. Protest groups have expressed their dismay at the package and suggest that it will increase the cost of the project. They are surprised at the size of the safeguarded area and believe that it could lead to 15 years of uncertainty for those residents. Related Stories: Compensation to be comprehensive - www.bbc.co.uk Government promises a top up for HS2 compensation payouts - www.independent.co.uk London gets poorer deal for HS2 compensation than countryside - www.standard.co.uk A European court has upheld a decision to ensure that airline passengers with flights delayed or cancelled will receive compensation of up to £488. The compensation will apply to any passenger on a flight which is more than three hours late unless the delay is outside of the control of the airline - such as poor weather or strikes. The EU ruling stated that those passengers who have delayed flights have a similar inconvenience to those who have cancelled flights therefore they deserve the same compensation. The Civil Aviation Authority has long said that this issue needed to be clarified and they will ensure that their members abide by the new rules. The CAA can help passengers bring complaints against airlines if they have no luck in getting the compensation directly. Meanwhile EasyJet have said that they are disappointed by the ruling, but were happy that the issue was clarified. Related Stories: Passengers on delayed flights should get compensation EU court confirms - www.guardian.co.uk Air passengers to get compensation if delayed EU court rules - www.telegraph.co.uk More than 170 women who worked for Birmingham City Council have won a landmark ruling on equal pay this week and are expected to receive compensation as a result. The women said that they were paid less than their male co-workers and did not receive the bonuses awarded to the men. They now have the right to take the case for discrimination to the civil court system rather than through the tribunal system. This means that cases older than six months can be heard. This could have huge consequences for similar cases where women claim discrimination in jobs they left more than six months ago. The lawyers for Birmingham City Council have argued that the civil court was not the right place for the case, something which the Supreme court did not accept. The lawyers for the women have said that the ruling effectively extends the time limit on these cases and is the biggest change to Equal Pay legislation since the 1970's. Related Stories: Scores of women win equal pay compensation fight against Birmingham council - www.independent.co.uk Equal pay compensation claim rights granted by court in landmark ruling as city council appeal rejected - www.scotsman.com  |
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