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Greens co-leader Metiria Turei says she would like to see voting rights restored to prisoners.
Self-styled prison lawyer Arthur Taylor is mounting a case in the High Court that a recent law change denying prisoners the right to vote breaches the Human Rights Act.
He also says that given that more than half the prison muster is Maori, the law is also counter to article 3 of the Treaty of Waitangi guaranteeing Maori the rights of British subjects.
Ms Turei says the Greens weren’t happy when the law was changed.
"The punishment that society has agreed in some form or another to mete out for crimes is to no longer have your freedom of movement, not to lose our rights as a citizen. They are still citizens of this country. They are still entitled to have a democratic voice and in fact because of their position they are a voice you never hear in politics or in society so it is even more important their rights as citizens and their rights to have a democratic say is kept," she says.
FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH METIRIA TUREI CLICK ON THE LINK
https://secure.zeald.com/uma/play_podcast?podlink=MTkyMzc=
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