A court has ruled that a prisoner's human rights were not violated when he was kept in his cell all day during the coronavirus pandemic.
In his lawsuit against the Department of Home Affairs (DHA), Wayne Mellor claimed that beginning in April 2020, he would endure cruel or inhumane treatment at the Isle of Man Prison.
The claim, however, was rejected because it contended that he was detained in unhygienic conditions and denied access to adequate medical care and food.
The isolation wing's conditions were described as an "exceptional measure for exceptional times" by Deemster Christopher Cope in the ruling.
Mr. Mellor was detained for 28 days after being charged with violating the island's Covid lockdown regulations on April 18, 2020.
He claimed that the conditions, in which prisoners could not leave their cells and where food and medication were delivered once daily, violated the European Convention on Human Rights.
Mr. Mellor also expressed concerns about the fact that he was only permitted to take a shower on day 8. However, the DHA responded that because of a severe staffing shortage, it would have been impossible to manage the necessary facility disinfection after each use.
He also claimed that he experienced withdrawal symptoms as a result of delays in the delivery of his medication and the substitution of methadone for buprenorphine.
Additionally, he claimed that the DHA had failed to uphold its obligation to protect inmates' welfare.
The extreme measures were put in place to protect staff and inmates from the virus, upholding the DHA's duty of care, even though Deemster Cope found that access to medical care and treatment was "more than adequate.".
The department reached an out-of-court settlement with four other prisoners who were being held at the same time.
The DHA issued a statement following the publication of the ruling in which it acknowledged that the measures were "particularly difficult" for the staff and inmates but added that "robust measures" were required to ensure its continued safe and secure operation as the island's only prison.
