Parliament Workbench

Petition · PE01501 · Session 4

Public inquiries into self-inflicted and accidental deaths following suspicious death investigations

Closed Submitted 13 Sep 2013 Justice
Signatures
0
1,113 online signatures with a country
Comments
61
Considered
15 meetings
in the Official Report

What it asks

Calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to introduce the right to a mandatory public inquiry with full evidence release in deaths determined to be self-inflicted or accidental, following suspicious death investigations.

What the petitioner did first

Actions taken include communication with Ministers, politicians, police forces, other authorities and the media. Any inroads that have been made through disclosure, through the time delays involved, have resulted in significant barriers to a full comprehension of the events investigated.
Through insight gained from our personal cases we requested to speak to The Justice Minister about the Justice system, not our specific case, but he he refused to speak to us.
We worked with Willie Rennie and then MSP John Park to try and get access to The Justice Minister. Despite letters being written he has refused to speak to us.

Where it was considered

Official Report
  1. 14 Jan 2014
    Public Petitions Committee
    New Petitions
    1 mention
  2. 18 Mar 2014
    Public Petitions Committee
    Current Petitions
    1 mention
  3. 3 Jun 2014
    Public Petitions Committee
    Current Petition
    1 mention
  4. 30 Sep 2014
    Public Petitions Committee
    Current Petitions
    1 mention
  5. 4 Nov 2014
    Justice Committee
    Petitions
    2 mentions
  6. 3 Feb 2015
    Justice Committee
    Petitions
    1 mention
  7. 21 Apr 2015
    Justice Committee
    Petitions
    1 mention
  8. 22 Sep 2015
    Justice Committee
    Petitions
    1 mention
  9. 29 Sep 2015
    Justice Committee
    Petitions
    2 mentions
  10. 5 Jan 2016
    Justice Committee
    Petitions
    1 mention
  11. 23 Feb 2016
    Justice Committee
    Petitions
    2 mentions
  12. 27 Sep 2016
    Justice Committee
    Petitions
    1 mention
  13. 24 Jan 2017
    Justice Committee
    Petitions
    1 mention
  14. 2 May 2017
    Justice Committee
    Petitions
    2 mentions
  15. 5 Sep 2017
    Justice Committee
    Petitions
    1 mention

Signatures by country

1,113 online signatures
  1. Scotland635 57.1%
  2. United Kingdom138 12.4%
  3. England119 10.7%
  4. Sweden91 8.2%
  5. United States44 4%
  6. Australia14 1.3%
  7. Northern Ireland11 1%
  8. Canada8 0.7%
  9. Ireland7 0.6%
  10. France6 0.5%
  11. 28 other countries40 3.6%

Comments

61 comments, oldest first
61 comments · showing 1–50
  1. Margaret Graham 17 Nov 2013
    We are still uncovering new information from the authorities about what happened on the night my son died
    - the current system encourages corruption .
  2. Tom Minogue 18 Nov 2013
    Too many cases of deaths in suspicious circumstances are simply attributed to suicide with no evidence to support this theory. The authorities don't like unsolved and thereby costly cases on their record and this is the driving force for the easy option: C.O.D. Suicide.
  3. Dan Schobelock 18 Nov 2013
    Done, hope it helps!
  4. sonia allan 19 Nov 2013
    Hope this helps,and i will be sharing xx
  5. Tony Whittle 19 Nov 2013
    The involvement of an Independent Coroner, as applies in all cases of 'Sudden Death' in England and Wales ensures the interests of the bereaved family and the public are served, rather than those of the State.
  6. ian hay 19 Nov 2013
    hope this helps !!
  7. Ann Stanley 19 Nov 2013
    Hope this helps
  8. Emma Eriksson 20 Nov 2013
    My boyfriend died in a fire, the police know it's not an accident but they can't find proof against those who set the apartment on fire....
    It hurts even more to not know, why is the question that keeps coming to me and i belive is the same for you! I hope my name gave you some kind of help!
  9. Michelle Minell 20 Nov 2013
    I do what ever to help
  10. Marcello Mega 20 Nov 2013
    I've been a journalist for almost 25 years and have some knowledge of how investigations into deaths are conducted. I know that in many cases where a grieving family suspects foul play, the evidence doesn't support it. In both these cases, there is considerable evidence to support foul play and even more evidence to support ineptitude by investigators, and much of what has followed, by way of action by officials, has been about covering up the investigative failures rather than seeking justice for Annie, Colin and those who love them.
  11. Jennifer Blair 20 Nov 2013
    Hope my support is of some help Stuart & Margaret.
  12. Stuart Macfarlane 20 Nov 2013
    Best of luck with the petition, hope it makes a difference.
  13. Gary Rippin 20 Nov 2013
    Total transparency with all available information,shared between all the relevant parties and complete disclosure should be the only course adopted by the authorities.
    If there is nothing to hide then why not share the information.
    It is too easy to hide behind data protection and not in the public interest !!!!
  14. Eva Ortoft 21 Nov 2013
    Hope this helps, and I will be sharing with my friends about this as long as I can!
  15. Anne Gilmore 23 Nov 2013
    Annie deserved better from Scotland, I am ashamed that no more was done to find her killer. It's never too late for justice!
  16. Alyson Honeyman 23 Nov 2013
    Hope this petition is a success and the law is changed. current system obviously doesn't work. Stay strong.
  17. Steve Palmer 23 Nov 2013
    I agree with Gary Rippin below. Total transparency needs to be achieved in this and any similar matters. Carol and i hope all the heartache and work you have gone through can remedy a seemingly obvious injustice.
  18. Struan Badbury 23 Nov 2013
    I fully support this petition.
  19. Ross Hughes 24 Nov 2013
    Hope it makes a difference
  20. Lesley Silver 24 Nov 2013
    I am astonished that this petition is necessary. I wish it success.
  21. leighann mcgartland 24 Nov 2013
    Think this would put families minds to rest
  22. Cate Lincoln 25 Nov 2013
    we need to fight for justice and never give up.
  23. Victoria MacDougall 26 Nov 2013
    Wishing you all the best in getting this through
  24. Sue Dowell 27 Nov 2013
    People deserve the right to know the truth and if circumstances are suspicious irrespective of whether or not the police or law authority can solve same. In this situation so many loose ends and not enough clarity and indeed discrepancies surround all. Please honour the parent and understand their needs as in human needs and not those on the paper front.
  25. Caroline Gray 28 Nov 2013
    Justice for Colin!!! Good luck I hope it goes thru x
  26. susan 29 Nov 2013
    Good Luck xx
  27. nicola 29 Nov 2013
    all the best
  28. susan 29 Nov 2013
    hope you get more votes x
  29. nicol 29 Nov 2013
    good luck
  30. Joyce Mackenzie 1 Dec 2013
    More clarity please ! I may live in Belgium at the moment, but I am Scottish ! And what happens in Scotland is very important to me !
  31. elizabeth harland-hazebroek 2 Dec 2013
    May justice been done. R.I.P.
  32. Kate Buchanan 2 Dec 2013
    Thinking of David O'Halloran and all others like him, with respect and love for their families
  33. Kate Buchanan 2 Dec 2013
    Thinking of David O'Halloran and all others like him, with respect and love for their families
  34. Gemma Coyle 2 Dec 2013
    The truth must come out. If I was in this situation I would be exactly the same.
  35. Michael Nicolle 3 Dec 2013
    Good luck God bless
  36. Johan Larsson 3 Dec 2013
    Its so unreal. We studiy In the same school. She was a talent person and very very kind!
  37. J. N. Lehmann 3 Dec 2013
    Now, please do your job!
  38. Patrick Mc Grory 4 Dec 2013
    Justice for all.good luck and god bless
  39. John Johnston 4 Dec 2013
    As a parent I can only imagine their torment.
  40. Patrick Haney 4 Dec 2013
    Every family deserves to know WHY!
    Just do your jobs and give these victims justice.
  41. william wood 4 Dec 2013
    parliament needs to pay attention to good governance-spend less time making out expense claims and do the job they are elected to do.
  42. fraser green 4 Dec 2013
    I lived in Prestwick at the time and remember this
    strange case well. I hope the family find closure and peace.
  43. sylvie calvet 4 Dec 2013
    Everyone's unnatural death must be explained !
  44. James McQuade 4 Dec 2013
    justice for all
  45. John Connelly 4 Dec 2013
    Let's do things properly....families have the right to expect an investigation and objective assessment of the cicumstances.
  46. Rebecca Brown 4 Dec 2013
    I hope something good can come from all the pain you've had to go through.
  47. Steven McCracken 4 Dec 2013
    This has been a tough long fight for the family and instead of getting the truth they have found just what a web of lies are woven in trying to prevent them getting the truth. This petition is fighting for the basic right to just have the truth.
  48. Alastair Ross 5 Dec 2013
    Annie Borjesson's case worries me. I hope this petition will stir the authorities into further action to bring a resolution and some peace to her family.
  49. James Moore 5 Dec 2013
    Time for the authorities to re-investigate to conclusion to enable these poor people to have closure.
  50. Arthur Mc Farlane 6 Dec 2013
    This country owes it to the family of anyone from another country who dies here to establish as far as humanly possible the cause of that person's death. This should be understood by our authorities without the need for public petitions.