Tommy Robinson loses bid to challenge prison segregation in High Court

From Sky News

Not the decision we hoped for. But sadly these days the judiciary are selected for their “group think” not their integrity and honour. They can still claim independence, however selection is based on conformity of thought, diversity of sexual taste, creed and colour. 

Tommy Robinson has lost a bid to bring a High Court challenge over his segregation in prison.

Mr Justice Chamberlain has refused permission for the far-right activist’s application for a judicial review after he brought legal proceedings against Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood.

The High Court was told Robinson, 42, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was moved to a “closed” unit at Woodhill prison in Milton Keynes after intelligence suggested he “would be killed by a lifer if located on a wing”.

Robinson’s lawyers argued his segregation was a breach of his rights under the European Convention on Human Rights and has caused an “evident decline in his mental health”.

His barrister Alisdair Williamson KC said the “significant Muslim population” in Woodhill appears to be “causing a difficulty” and argued he should be moved to another jail, where he could associate with other prisoners ahead of his release on 26 July.

But Tom Cross, representing the government, said it was “not an arguable claim” and revealed details of the privileges enjoyed by Robinson, who is a Category C civil prisoner, behind bars. . . Robinson attends a weekly bible session and has daily visits from a member of the chaplaincy team and daily visits from an NHS doctor or nurse.

In a ruling, stating Robinson’s case was “not arguable”, the judge said: “It is not accurate to refer to Mr Yaxley-Lennon’s regime as ‘solitary confinement’ at all.”

He accepted the “absence of association with other prisoners has an effect on his mental health” but said it was “not arguable that the regime as a whole gives rise to a breach” of his human rights.

Nobody in authority seems bothered that violent prisoners are not strictly controlled to the inconvenience of non violent ones. 

Link to the judgment here