Teenage boy wins legal battle over solitary confinement of '23-and-a-half hours a day'

A 16-year-old boy has won a ruling that his human rights were breached after his "prolonged solitary confinement" at a young offenders institution.

The QC for the teenager said that for "much of the time" he was locked alone in cells for 23-and-a-half hours a day at Feltham Young Offender Institution in west London after being detained in December last year.

The boy was granted a declaration by a judge at the High Court that his Article 8 rights - the right to private and family life - were breached.

Mr Justice Ouseley said young offender institution rules relating to being kept in a cell, not mixing with others and education had not been followed.

But the judge rejected a claim the treatment amounted to a breach of human rights laws which prohibit torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

The judge was told by counsel for the Justice Secretary that although it was accepted there had been "procedural errors" in the boy's case, which were regretted, those errors "should not be conflated with a finding that the substantive regime to which the claimant has been subjected was unlawful".

The challenge was brought on behalf of the boy, who is described as having "significant" mental health problems and cannot be named for legal reasons, by the Howard League for Penal Reform.

The Howard League said after the ruling that the teenager was "isolated in his cell for months on end", and provided with "only very limited access to education".

A Ministry of Justice spokeswoman said: "The safety and welfare of young people held in custody is our highest priority. We are grateful for the judge's findings and will consider these carefully.

"We are pleased that the judgment found there has, at all times, been a considered and proper justification for segregation in this case.