Of course in the UK we no longer have the distinction between a misdemeanour and a felony, not do we have the status of outlawry.

Nonetheless I see the intrusion of the ECHR on our society's voting rules as intrusive, and it seems to me that there is considerable force in arguing that a society is entitled to add disenfranchisement to the penalties of conviction - or imprisonment, since the two are different.

The concept seems to me to be that those imprisoned are found to have decided seriously to flout the rules of the society in which they are present, and may be held to have disentitled themselves to its benefits.

The formality of the situation could be decided by an amendment to the Human Rights Act. Some time ago the UK did not accept direct application to the ECHR, and that, with a qualification, could be restored.