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Lammy Signs Off £7,500 Payout and £234,000 Costs After Court Rules Prison Breached Killer’s Rights

The disclosure drew sharp criticism from Robert Jenrick as ministers consider changes to separation policy and how the ECHR is applied in prisons.

Overview

  • Deputy prime minister and justice secretary David Lammy confirmed the payments in a 29 December letter following a High Court finding that prison decisions unlawfully interfered with Fuad Awale’s Article 8 rights.
  • Mrs Justice Ellenbogen ruled in September 2024 that prolonged denial of association in a close supervision setting breached Awale’s right to private life under the ECHR.
  • Lammy said the department contested the case in line with policy for terrorist-linked prisoners and called the £7,500 compensation a modest part of the settlement, with £234,000 in legal costs also payable.
  • Awale is serving life for the 2011 execution‑style murders of two teenagers and received an additional sentence after taking a prison officer hostage in 2013, leading to his placement in separation.
  • Officials say they are reviewing Jonathan Hall KC’s independent recommendations, with reported proposals including an appeal of the ruling and potential legal and operational reforms to strengthen segregation decisions.