A minister has denied that the government has delayed lifting the ban on convicted prisoners voting because of the general election.
Lord Bach, under-secretary of state at the ministry of justice, told the Lords yesterday that the delay in implementing a 2005 judgment of the European Court of Human Rights on the issue was because "the government take their obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights seriously".
Lord Ramsbotham (CB) asked whether the government intend "either to ignore or take action to prevent what the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe last week expressed as serious concern at the substantial delay in implementing the judgment".
He said there is "a significant risk that the next United Kingdom general election, which must take place by June 2010, will be performed in a way that fails to comply with the convention".
Lord Bach said the government recently completed a two-stage consultation.
"We are carefully analysing the response," he told peers.
"We take our obligations seriously, but we have to arrive at an approach which respects the judgment of the court and the political context and traditions of the United Kingdom.
Lord Bach said that if prisoners could not vote in the next election that would not call into question the legality of the elections themselves.
He added that there are a number of issues "that need to be thought through and decisions taken on what criteria should apply to make a fair decision on whether a prisoner should be able to vote".
Lord Corbett of Castle Vale (Lab) asked why it had taken four years already.
"The order of the court is quite clear," he said.
"Can my noble friend give me other instances of when this pick-and-mix approach to decisions of the court has been put into operation?"
Lord Bac said there is a "wide margin of appreciation for member states in issues such as this".
"We are coming to a view and want to ensure that it is right; then, of course, it will be for the British parliament to decide in the end what to do next."
Lord Lester of Herne Hill (Lib Dem) said unless the government legislate rapidly there will be "a continuing breach when the next election comes in respect of prisoners' rights and the judgment of the court".
Lord Bach replied that the government "will respond when we are ready to respond" but the matters are "complicated and complex".
Lord Pannick (CB) said the government "appear deliberately to be delaying this matter until after the next general election".
The minister assured him that is not the government's motivation.
