The Island's MP Andrew Turner has described as 'absolute madness' the idea that a prisoner should be awarded legal aid to pursue a compensation claim because he had to 'slop out' following a breakdown of the night sanitation system in Albany prison.

Mr Turner spoke out following reports that Graham Hall, a 28 year old convicted murderer who sexually assaulted his dying victim claims his human rights were breached and his personality disorder affected because he had to empty his own toilet.

Last year Mr Turner raised questions with the Home Office after he discovered that another Albany inmate, Roger Gleaves, had launched a similar legal challenge. Gleaves, a dangerous paedophile had previously been declared a 'vexatious litigant' and should not have been allowed to bring his case to court without the express permission of a high court judge.

Mr Turner said
'This is an absolutely scandalous waste of public money. If these violent criminals had given a moment's thought to the human rights of their victims then perhaps they wouldn't be in prison today, however once they are in prison they seem remarkably keen on their own human rights. This is a prime example of how the Human Rights Act is abused and twisted in ways that no sensible person could support, and it needs to be repealed.

Mr Turner went on to say:
It seems that Gleaves's case was blocked following the questions I raised with Ministers but now another one has come along to replace it. I understand that this is being treated as a test case with more than 40 other claims awaiting the outcome of this one. I shall be asking questions again of the Ministry of Justice about this apparent abuse of public money'.



END