ABSTRACT

A reasonably straightforward essay question. It is necessary to identify the areas in which improvement has occurred and to consider how far the Convention has influenced those areas. It is also necessary to ask whether in certain instances the domestic courts have gone further in protecting prisoners’ rights than the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). It should be asked in relation to the fundamental right to freedom from inhuman and degrading treatment whether reliance on the ECHR is the best method of improving basic living standards in UK prisons. The extent to which, in the various areas, improvement is still needed should be considered.