Abstract:The case ofRv.Board of Visitors of the Maze Prison, ex parte Hone and McCartanraised an important issue for prisoners and their advisers. This was whether prisoners accused of committing criminal offences while inside prison are entitled to be legally represented at the hearing of their case before a Board of Visistors. The House of Lords held that prisoners have no right to legal representation at such hearings and blurred the issue by confusing ‘criminal’ and ‘disciplinary’ cases. Their decision appears to put the Common Law into conflict with the European Convention on Human Rights and certainly raises issues which will require clarification by the European Court of Human