Naked Rambler

On 14 August 2015 Stephen Gough was released from Winchester prison. At around 6:30am he got into a car inside the prison grounds and was transported from Winchester to Sussex. There were reports that he was seen wearing a blue track suit as he left prison.

 

The Naked Rambler, Stephen Gough, has lost his case at the European Court of Human Rights where he claimed he had a right to be naked in public. He had argued that his repeated arrest, prosecution, conviction and imprisonment for being naked in public and his treatment in detention violated his rights.

The court unanimously found there had been no violation of Articles 8 and 10 of the Convention. Naked Rambler Stephen Gough has lost his challenge in the European Court of Human Rights of the sentence was one year, nine months and 18 days. The ECHR ruled:

The applicant's imprisonment is the consequence of his repeated violation of the criminal law in full knowledge of the consequences, through conduct which he knew full well not only goes against the standards of accepted public behaviour in any modern democratic society but also is liable to be alarming and morally and otherwise offensive to other, unwarned members of the public going about their ordinary business.

The court described Gough's case as troubling but ruled that relevant and sufficient measures had been taken against him by the police and legal authorities which saw him arrested in 2011. They were meeting a pressing social need in response to repeated anti-social conduct by Gough. The ECHR stated:

Even though, cumulatively, the penalties imposed on the applicant undoubtedly did entail serious consequences for him, the court cannot find in the circumstances of his case, having regard in particular to his own responsibility for his plight, that the public authorities in Scotland unjustifiably interfered with his exercise of freedom of expression. Accordingly, no violation of Article 10 of the Convention has been established.

Offsite Comment: Stephen Gough and the European Court

30th October 2014. From  bn.org.uk

British Naturism very much welcomes the ruling by the European Court of Human Rights that nudity is a means of expression and that Article 10 of the European Convention of Human rights applies to nudity. This is a preliminary analysis of the court's ruling regarding Stephen Gough. The judgement only considers some aspects of the case, and there are no surprises, but it does establish some points of law that are important for Naturism and the fight against prudery and body-shame.

The naked rambler has been jailed for another two-and-a-half years just for walking out of prison wearing only his boots and socks.

Stephen Gough was found guilty by a jury at Winchester Crown Court of breaching an anti-social behaviour order (Asbo). The order bans him from taking off his clothes in public.

Judge Jane Miller suggested moves should be made to find Gough a closed nudist community to live in to prevent the cycle of imprisonment which has seen him jailed for much of the past eight years.

The Naked Rambler has been jailed for 16 months for public nudity after a trial in which he was denied access. The Jury took two minutes to find Stephen Gough guilty of breaching order designed to prevent him appearing nude in public

Stephen Gough was not allowed into court to address the jury because he refused to put on any clothes. Recorder John Williams told Gough:

I'm afraid there is going to be a revolving door in and out of prison, because you are intent on flouting these orders and there is absolutely no way you are going to comply with them.

Your refusal is that you genuinely feel that it is some way in breach of your rights, but unfortunately the courts are of the view that they are not. I would like to hope that when you leave prison you will not leave in the state that you are today, but I know that is a vain hope.

The judge had earlier told the jury:

He would like to address you as naked as the day he was born, but I will not let him do that.

Comment: Good on the Naked Rambler, more public nudity would be a good thing

10th January 2013.  See  article from  theguardian.com

We're continually being exposed to sexualised nudity, but it's rare to see a middle-aged man naked in public. During the day, before the watershed, we see hundreds of advertisements for gorgeous, semi-nude women moaning in ecstasy because they are enjoying their yoghurt or shampoo. Go and stand in any gym, cafe or shop with a TV on, and count the seconds until you see cleavage. For more than 40 years, the Sun newspaper has been publishing pictures of nipples that readers can gaze at over breakfast. Why is it OK to hint at highly sexualised nudity all day long and then persecute a normal man for getting naked as he goes about his business?

...Read the full article