Authorities will not appeal constitutional court ruling that found human rights breach of transgender prison inmates

A policy regulating how transgender people should be treated in prison was introduced in August 2016, the government say

A court ruled that seven transgender inmates had their human rights breached after suffering inhuman and degrading treatment in prison
A court ruled that seven transgender inmates had their human rights breached after suffering inhuman and degrading treatment in prison

The government will not appeal a decision by the constitutional court that found in favour of seven transgender inmates, who claimed inhuman and degrading treatment in prison.

In a strongly-worded ruling, Judge Silvio Meli awarded the inmates €5,000 each in damages after they were placed in the male section of prison and were subjected to inhuman treatment.

In a statement, the government said it will not appeal the decision, adding that it had already implemented measures to change pre-existing systems that fostered injustices of the sort.

Government said the Corradino Correctional Facility has adopted a policy on procedures to be followed when trans, gender variant, or intersex inmates are admitted to the facility. The policy enables all inmates to be treated fairly and without discrimination, the government added.

It also noted that gender diversity training for prison warders was also undertaken.

“The government has also introduced a specific legal provision to ensure that inmates who are unable to change their legal documents in their home country are still able to be accommodated in prison according to their lived gender,” the statement said.

The government pledged to dedicate additional efforts and resources to ensure that the “human rights of all inmates are protected and laws are upheld with respect to dignity, equity, and social justice”.