7.  The first applicant, Mr Greens, was serving a determinate sentence of imprisonment at HM Prison Peterhead at the time his application was lodged with the Court. He was eligible for release on parole from 29 May 2010. It is not known whether he has been released on parole. The second applicant, M.T., is currently serving a determinate sentence of imprisonment at HM Prison Peterhead. According to information provided by the Government, he is scheduled to be released in November 2010. 8.  On 23 June 2008 the applicants posted voter registration forms to the Electoral Registration Officer (“ERO”) for Grampian. They sought registration on the electoral register at their address in HM Prison Peterhead. 9.  On 3 July 2008, the ERO replied referring to previous applications for registration which were refused in 2007 under sections 3 and 4 of the Representation of the People Act 1983, as amended, (see paragraph 19 and 21 below) on the basis of the applicants' status as convicted persons currently detained. The ERO requested clarification of whether there had been a change in circumstances in the applicants' cases. 10.  On 5 August 2008 the applicants wrote to the ERO arguing that following the Court's decision in Hirst v. the United Kingdom (no. 2) [GC], no. 74025/01, ECHR 2005‑IX, and the declaration of incompatibility made by the Registration Appeal Court in the case of Smith v. Scott (see paragraphs 27-30 below), the ERO was obliged to add their names to the electoral register. 11.  On 12 August 2008, the ERO refused the applicants' registration applications on the basis of their status as convicted persons detained in a penal institution. 12.  By letter of 14 August 2008 the applicants informed the ERO of their wish to appeal to the Sheriff Court against the refusal. 13.  On 12 September 2008 the Sheriff considered the applicants' appeals together with appeals in a number of other similar cases and ordered written representations to be lodged. 14.  On 25 September 2008 the applicants wrote to the court summarising their position. They provided further submissions on 1 October 2008. The applicants alleged that legal aid was not available for the proceedings and they therefore represented themselves. 15.  On 10 November 2008 the applicants' appeals were refused. 16.  On 20 November 2008 another serving prisoner whose appeal was also refused on 10 November 2008, Mr Beggs, applied to Aberdeen Sheriff Court to request that it state a case for the opinion of the Registration Appeal Court (see paragraph 22 below). On 30 December 2008, the Sheriff refused to state a case. Mr Beggs subsequently applied to the Court of Session for an order requiring the Sheriff to state a case, on the ground that the Sheriff had erred in law in refusing to do so. The most recent information available to the Court was that those proceedings were pending. It is not clear whether that remains the case. 17.  On 4 June 2009, elections to the European Parliament took place. The applicants were ineligible to vote. 18.  On 6 May 2010 a general election took place in the United Kingdom. The applicants were ineligible to vote.