| Government's response to court's judgment on prisoners' voting rights |
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In response to media enquiries on the High Court's judgment today (December 8) regarding several judicial review cases on the right of prisoners to vote, a spokesman for the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau said the following: "The Legislative Council (LegCo) elections have all along been conducted in accordance with the electoral legislation enacted by the LegCo. "The legislative provisions relating to the disqualification of persons sentenced to imprisonment/serving a sentence of imprisonment from registering as electors and from voting have been in place for years. "The Court today has handed down the judgment on the relevant applications for judicial review. We are carefully studying the judgment and will consider the way forward, including whether we shall lodge an appeal. "If we follow the Court's judgment, we shall consult the public on prisoners' voting arrangements and amend the relevant electoral legislation accordingly. "The Court will also hear the submissions made by the parties on the appropriate relief to be granted. "We must stress that the results of the 2008 LegCo election are unaffected as the election was organised in accordance with the prevalent electoral legislation." Ends/Monday, December 8, 2008 |