It is also inherent to our legal system. People who do bad things still have rights in common law to due process and right of appeal. I worry that too many voters think 'law and order' just means 'punish the bad guys'.
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And there is nothing in the ECHR I don’t think that prevents people who have done bad things from being punished except being tortured and executed.
aug 31, 2025, 11:36 pm • 1 0 • view
Generally, yes. When there has been controversy, it has been around how broadly art 6 is applied. For example the Home Secretary used to decide when prisoners on mandatory life sentences could be released, but that was found to be incompatible with art 6.
sep 1, 2025, 12:47 am • 0 0 • view
IIRC that was because the Home Secretary was not impartial given his unpopular those prisoners understandably were. Interestingly the Court has dismissed challenges to whole life sentences which shows that very severe punishments are not prevented by the ECHR
sep 1, 2025, 12:51 am • 0 0 • view