6 December 2010

FOURTH SECTION
Application no. 9909/10
by Shaun STOKOE
against the United Kingdom
lodged on 16 February 2010
STATEMENT OF FACTS
THE FACTS
The applicant, Mr Shaun Stokoe, is a British national who was born in 1981 and lives in Derby. He is represented before the Court by Mr B. Woods of Chivers Solicitors, a lawyer practising in Bingley.
A.  The circumstances of the case
The facts of the case, as submitted by the applicant, may be summarised as follows.
The applicant pleaded guilty to committing a sexual offence against a minor and on 12 May 2008 he was sentenced to three and a half years’ imprisonment. In addition, a Sex Offender Prevention Order (“SOPO”) was made against the applicant. The SOPO, which was to last for five years beginning on 12 May 2008, prohibited him from having contact with female minors under the age of 16.
The applicant and his partner have a son, D, who was born on 12 February 2006. In or around October 2008 the prison service informed the applicant that he could have no contact whatsoever with his son while he was in prison. The applicant appealed against this decision and on 8 November 2008 he was advised that the decision had been taken in the mistaken belief that the SOPO prohibited contact with both male and female minors. The matter was therefore referred to the Safeguarding Children Panel for review.
On 9 January 2009 the Panel informed the applicant that he had been placed on level 3 of the contact arrangements, which meant that he was only permitted contact with his son via written correspondence and telephone calls, both of which were to be monitored subject to a risk assessment being carried out and regularly reviewed. The applicant requested full reasons for this decision and on 3 February 2009 he was advised that the decision was made in consultation with his probation officer and Children’s Services. A further letter received by the applicant’s solicitor in January 2009 indicated that “visiting a prison environment would not be in the child’s best interests or have any positive impact on the child at this time”. The letter also indicated that the applicant’s partner shared this view. However, the applicant’s partner later denied that this was the case and on 11 February 2009 she gave a statement in support of the applicant’s application for his son to visit him in prison. In that statement she indicated that she was only concerned that the contact would be irregular and cause her son further disappointment.
The applicant renewed his application on 9 June 2009, but the Panel again concluded that “visiting the prison environment would not be in the child’s best interests at this time”.
The applicant issued judicial review proceedings on 24 August 2009 to challenge this decision on the grounds, inter alia, that it violated his rights under Article 8 of the Convention as it was disproportionate and/or had been made in compliance with an unpublished blanket policy that any person convicted of a sexual offence against minors would not be allowed to receive visits from any minors. On 7 October 2009 the applicant was refused permission to apply for judicial review on the grounds that the decision was not irrational in light of the authorities’ unanimous assessments and the child’s best interests had to take priority over the applicant’s right to respect for his family life.
The applicant renewed his application for permission but the application was refused on 11 November 2009.
The applicant submits that on the advice of his counsel he did not seek leave to appeal to the Court of Appeal because he was due to be automatically released on 12 February 2010, at the halfway point of his sentence, and the domestic courts would not entertain an academic application unless there was a strong public interest element.
B.  Relevant domestic law and practice
The Prison Rules 1999, which were made by the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to section 47(1) of the Prison Act 1952, provide that:
“Outside contacts
4.  -  (1) Special attention shall be paid to the maintenance of such relationships between a prisoner and his family as are desirable in the best interests of both.
(2)  A prisoner shall be encouraged and assisted to establish and maintain such relations with persons and agencies outside prison as may, in the opinion of the governor, best promote the interests of his family and his own social rehabilitation.
...
Communications generally
34.  -  (1) Without prejudice to sections 6 and 19 of the Prison Act 1952 and except as provided by these Rules, a prisoner shall not be permitted to communicate with any person outside the prison, or such person with him, except with the leave of the Secretary of State or as a privilege under rule 8.
(2)  Notwithstanding paragraph (1) above, and except as otherwise provided in these Rules, the Secretary of State may impose any restriction or condition, either generally or in a particular case, upon the communications to be permitted between a prisoner and other persons if he considers that the restriction or condition to be imposed -
(a)	does not interfere with the convention rights of any person; or
(b)	(i)  is necessary on grounds specified in paragraph (3) below;
(ii)  reliance on the grounds is compatible with the convention right to be interfered with; and
(iii)  the restriction or condition is proportionate to what is sought to be achieved.
(3)   The grounds referred to in paragraph (2) above are –
(a)  the interests of national security;
(b)  the prevention, detection, investigation or prosecution of crime;
(c)  the interests of public safety;
(d)  securing or maintaining prison security or good order and discipline in prison;
(e)  the protection of health or morals;
(f)  the protection of the reputation of others;
(g)  maintaining the authority and impartiality of the judiciary; or
(h)  the protection of the rights and freedoms of any person.
(4)  Subject to paragraph (2) above, the Secretary of State may require that any visit, or class of visits, shall be held in facilities which include special features restricting or preventing physical contact between a prisoner and a visitor.
(5)  Every visit to a prisoner shall take place within the sight of an officer or employee of the prison authorised for the purposes of this rule by the governor (in this rule referred to as an "authorised employee"), unless the Secretary of State otherwise directs, and for the purposes of this paragraph a visit to a prisoner shall be taken to take place within the sight of an officer or authorised employee if it can be seen by an officer or authorised employee by means of an overt closed circuit television system.
(6)  Subject to rule 38, every visit to a prisoner shall take place within the hearing of an officer or authorised employee, unless the Secretary of State otherwise directs.
(7)  The Secretary of State may give directions, either generally or in relation to any visit or class of visits, concerning the day and times when prisoners may be visited.
(8) In this rule –
(a)  references to communications include references to communications during visits;
(b)  references to restrictions and conditions upon communications include references to restrictions and conditions in relation to the length, duration and frequency of communications; and
(c)  references to convention rights are to the convention rights within the meaning of the Human Rights Act 1998.".
Personal letters and visits
35.  (2) Subject to paragraphs (2A) and (8), a convicted prisoner shall be entitled -
(a)  to send and to receive a letter on his reception into a prison and thereafter once a week; and
(b)  to receive a visit twice in every period of four weeks, but only once in every such period if the Secretary of State so directs.
(2A)  A prisoner serving a sentence of imprisonment to which an intermittent custody order relates shall be entitled to receive a visit only where the governor considers that desirable having regard to the extent to which he has been unable to meet with his friends and family in the periods during which he has been temporarily released on licence.
(3)  The governor may allow a prisoner an additional letter or visit as a privilege under rule 8 or where necessary for his welfare or that of his family.
(4)  The governor may allow a prisoner entitled to a visit to send and to receive a letter instead.
(5)  The governor may defer the right of a prisoner to a visit until the expiration of any period of cellular confinement.
(6)  The board of visitors may allow a prisoner an additional letter or visit in special circumstances, and may direct that a visit may extend beyond the normal duration.
(7) The Secretary of State may allow additional letters and visits in relation to any prisoner or class of prisoners.
(8)  A prisoner shall not be entitled under this rule to receive a visit from:
(a)  any person, whether or not a relative or friend, during any period of time that person is the subject of a prohibition imposed under rule 73; or
(b)  any other person, other than a relative or friend, except with the leave of the Secretary of State.
(9)  Any letter or visit under the succeeding provisions of these Rules shall not be counted as a letter or visit for the purposes of this rule.”
COMPLAINT
The applicant complains under Article 8 of the Convention that the refusal to permit his son to visit him in prison disproportionately interfered with his right to respect for his family life.
QUESTIONS TO THE PARTIES
1.  Was there any policy in place which prohibited minors from visiting sex offenders’ in prison?

2.  In all the circumstances of this case, did the decision not to permit the applicant’s son to visit him in prison violate his rights under Article 8 of the Convention.