The Government is being urged to put voting rights for prisoners back on the agenda, but the Government has indicated it will not change its mind on a broad-sweeping ban on prisoners' voting despite a High Court ruling it was an unjustified limitation on the right to vote.

The High Court has ruled the blanket ban introduced in 2010 breaches the Bill of Rights.

Before the law was changed in 2010, only prisoners who had been sentenced to preventative detention or imprisoned for three years of more were disqualified.

The case was taken by prisoner and serial litigant Arthur Taylor, along with four other prisoners.

Julia Whaipooti from youth-led justice group JustSpeak believes change needs to happen, and is urging the Government to now reconsider the law.

"Prisoners are part of our democracy - are citizens of our country and its a sad thing that its come down to a prisoner having to have the (Case) for that but also in the end, getting this result is quite positive."

She believes now is a good time to reconsider the law for this.

"Its a really good time to reconsider it, and hopefully change the law around it and enable prisoners to vote. The right to vote really underpins a democratic country."

A spokesperson for Justice Minister Amy Adams said the government was still considering the judgment the court made, but said Parliament had considered the Bill of Rights implications when it passed the law in 2010.

At that point, the Attorney-General had given an opinion that it appeared to breach the Bill of Rights Act, which Parliament was aware of when it passed the legislation.

"At this stage we're still considering the judgment but it's worth noting that, as the judge has stated, the finding that a piece of legislation breached the Bill of Rights Act does not invalidate the legislation."

Labour's justice spokeswoman Jacinda Ardern said the Government should repeal the ban. The ruling was unprecedented and a "wake-up call" for the government.

"This was an arbitrary law and one that is full of contradictions and inconsistencies."

She said the Government had ignored advice from the Attorney-General and rulings by the UN and European Human Rights Committees in voting for the bill.

"Parliament has a responsibility to respect fundamental rights for all. The Government now has a responsibility to assure all New Zealanders it understands that."