29/01/2013

ECHR Rule Government To Pay Damages To Rapist

A convicted rapist has won damages in a case brought against the government over delays to a review on whether he should be released.

Samuel Betteridge, jailed in 2005 for raping a 14-year-old girl, won a ruling at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) that found he should be compensated for waiting 13 months for a Parole Board hearing.

The court found that his right to have "lawfulness of detention decided speedily by a court" had been breached and awarded him 750 euros, plus 2,000 euros in costs.

In its ruling, the ECHR said: "The delay in reviewing Mr Betteridge's case was the direct result of the failure of the authorities to anticipate the demand which would be placed on the prison system following the introduction of IPP [imprisonment for public protection] sentencing and that it was for the state to organise its judicial system in such a way as to enable its courts to comply with the requirement under the convention of a speedy hearing to review the lawfulness of detention."

(H)


Related UK National News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

12 August 2014
ECHR Rule For Prisoner Right To Vote
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ruled that while the UK government has breached prisoners right by continuing to not allow them the vote, a claim for compensation has been denied. The court found that the government has violated "Article 3 of Protocol No.
04 December 2012
MPs Defeat Human Rights Act Repeal Bid
A bid by a Tory MP to scrap the Human Rights Act has been defeated by MPs. Richard Bacon said the European Court of Human Rights had used the act to influence British law, which was "fundamentally undemocratic".
02 March 2007
Union anger at health sector pay rises
Unions have reacted angrily to the government's announcement that pay for nurses and other healthcare professions has been pegged below inflation. Nurses and other health care professionals will get 2.5%, 1.5% in April and 1% in November. General dental practitioners will get 2% but there is nothing on offer for general medical practitioners.
23 October 2009
Crackdown On Fine Dodgers
Six hundred of the Scotland's 'worst fine dodgers' are being targeted in a crackdown by the Scottish Court Service on those who attempt to 'avoid the ends of justice'.
02 March 2005
MPs recommend changes for child access system
A report by the Constitutional Affairs Select Committee has called for more child access cases to be dealt with through mediation, not through the court system.