Arthur Taylor and six other inmates claim they were unlawfully barred from voting in the 2014 general election. In 2010 Parliament passed a law preventing all sentenced prisoners from voting, regardless of the length of their sentence. However earlier electoral legislation allowed prisoners serving a jail term of less than three years to vote. At the time the legislation was being considered, the Attorney-General warned Parliament that a blanket ban contravened the Bill of Rights, but the law was passed anyway.
Under New Zealand law, Parliament can pass legislation that is inconsistent with the Bill of Rights if there are justifiable grounds for doing so.
At an earlier hearing, the High Court ruled against Taylor, saying while the ban was inconsistent with the Bill of Rights, it could not overturn the legislation because Parliament had passed it lawfully.
Full Article: Push for prisoners’ voting rights continues | Radio New Zealand News.