By IANS,
London : Prisoners deemed “potentially dangerous” and who had been jailed indefinitely in Britain could now be set free after the European Court of Human Rights said it was a breach of their human rights.
The European court ruled that jailing dangerous prisoners indefinitely on the grounds of risk, without giving them access to rehabilitation courses was a breach of human rights, the Daily Express reported.
More than 6,500 offenders are currently in British jails without any fixed date for their release due to protection of public safety.
The case came to the attention of the court after three Britons — Brett James, Nicholas Wells and Jeffrey Lee — were sentenced in 2005.
The report said a failure to ensure the prisoners had access to courses in prison harmed their ability to show they were rehabilitated and able to be released.
The judges said it was clear that “the delays were the result of a lack of resources”.
The British government was ordered by the court to pay 14,000 pounds in damages and almost 30,000 pounds in costs and expenses to the three inmates.
James was jailed for two years for unlawful wounding with intent. Wells and Lee were jailed for serious violent offences.