Parliament Workbench

Petition · PE01565 · Session 4

Whole of life sentences for violent re-offenders

Closed Submitted 19 Mar 2015 Justice
Signatures
0
998 online signatures with a country
Comments
49
Considered
3 meetings
in the Official Report

What it asks

Calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to increase the maximum possible sentence for violent re-offenders who commit murder to be a whole of life custodial sentence.

What the petitioner did first

Previously contacted the office of James Dornan, MSP for Glasgow, Cathcart to discuss the idea of increasing sentence terms who advised that raising a petition was the best course of action

Where it was considered

Official Report
  1. 9 Jun 2015
    Public Petitions Committee
    New Petition
    1 mention
  2. 6 Oct 2015
    Public Petitions Committee
    Continued Petitions
    1 mention
  3. 8 Dec 2015
    Public Petitions Committee
    Continued Petitions
    1 mention

Signatures by country

998 online signatures
  1. Scotland821 82.3%
  2. United Kingdom93 9.3%
  3. Australia35 3.5%
  4. England30 3%
  5. United States5 0.5%
  6. Northern Ireland3 0.3%
  7. United Arab Emirates3 0.3%
  8. Ireland3 0.3%
  9. South Africa1 0.1%
  10. Luxembourg1 0.1%
  11. 3 other countries3 0.3%

Comments

49 comments, oldest first
  1. Marion begg 20 Mar 2015
    We need to be more assertive with the locking up of these and other offences. Give them longer sentences and less human rights in jail
  2. Thomas Hopkins 20 Mar 2015
    No long Sentence for this kind of Horrific Cold Blooded Murder, It's got to be the Death Penalty.
  3. mika dugan 20 Mar 2015
    In my thoughts, love Mika xx
  4. S Paterson 20 Mar 2015
    life should mean life
  5. Caroline Duffy 20 Mar 2015
    LIFE SHOULD MEAN LIFE.
  6. David Marshall 20 Mar 2015
    there is too much emphasis on the welfare of convicted criminals with little thought for victims and their relatives. Early release for criminals should not be automatic
    - our soft touch justice system in Scotland needs an urgent rethink
    - now.
  7. Amanda cooper 20 Mar 2015
    Life should mean life.
  8. Helen Laycock 20 Mar 2015
    Please sign
  9. Fiona Fraser 20 Mar 2015
    Life should be the whole life sentence, murder has taken a while life not to mention the ongoing trauma and heartbreak for the family!
  10. scott dugan 20 Mar 2015
    Anybody who takes a life deserves to be taken off the streets for life. Re-ofenders should be given the
    lethal injection, be done with them...
    Waste of space, time and taxpayers money.
  11. Caroline Paterson 20 Mar 2015
    Life must mean life far too much knife crime too many innocent lives lost We all must make a stancd NOW
  12. Sheila Campbell 20 Mar 2015
    it's about time there was a major overhaul of the Justice System. It's a joke.
  13. gavin duffy 21 Mar 2015
    Life sentence should meen life
  14. Elizabeth lochrie 21 Mar 2015
    I agree to that.
  15. John McGowan 21 Mar 2015
    Signed,God Bless.x
  16. William Hampson. 21 Mar 2015
    There should be no early release, period. Serve a full sentence and behave get out, misbehave and get time added on. The incentive to behave is not getting time added.
    .
  17. Elaine Easton 21 Mar 2015
    For the families of the innocent victims x
  18. Isobel Scott 23 Mar 2015
    A tribute to a lovely private humble lady who lived for her family and the church and who was a great friend to all who knew her
    - xx
  19. gavin duffy 29 Mar 2015
    Offenders like this should never be released from prison
  20. Les O'Brien 31 Mar 2015
    We need this entered into the statute books to send a clear message to persistently violent criminals and to give the victims families a sense of justice.
  21. Helen Gardiner 31 Mar 2015
    Life should mean life. Until you die. That's what they deserve if they take an innocent life
  22. William Spalding 31 Mar 2015
    Clearly, there are dangerous individuals who can slip through the net of the Parole Board. In cases where violence is involved, the punishment element of sentencing must reflect the crime and be seen as a deterrent. Being released after previous multiple violent offences shows it is failing to deter further offending and tougher measures are needed to protect society. The rights of the many must outweigh the right of an individual.
  23. Jan Ellis 1 Apr 2015
    Whole life sentence with hard labour for violent offenders, even thats not suitable for these sort of low life.
  24. Stewart Gordon 1 Apr 2015
    LIFE SHOULD MEAN LIFE!!
  25. Matthew Yuill 1 Apr 2015
    A LIFE SENTENCE SHOULD ME JUST THAT A FULL LIFETIME
  26. zed yaglo 1 Apr 2015
    put yourself in the position of the offended and not the offender and tell anyone its not the correct decision...no room for liberalism when lives are being ruined by judges...do the crime do the time all of it....
  27. John Crossan 2 Apr 2015
    Prisoners should serve their full sentence at all times. Time should be added for bad behaviour not discount for would be "good behaviour".
  28. brian mayle 3 Apr 2015
    Life should mean just that life with on parole.
  29. Alex Winton 4 Apr 2015
    We need politicians with the courage to bring about a change that already exists in every other European Member State, and is enforced. Put the safety of the law abiding citizens before that of murderers, rapists and paedophiles, released back into society after committing crimes of a monstrous nature.

    Politicians from every party should be forced to listen. We have had enough of these inflicting death and terror (at tax payers expense) as a result of unjustifiable lenient sentences. To all politicians, the message is simple, have the courage to protect the people you were elected to serve.
  30. Carrie Anne Rice 4 Apr 2015
    God Bless u..u always had a wonderful smile n always said hello and chatted away at work in international..... X x
  31. David Bryce 6 Apr 2015
    It would be a positive step forward
  32. Alexander Burnett 7 Apr 2015
    Police centralised, courts closed, fines uncollected and offenders either not jailed or released early
    - do the SNP have any plans to side with those who are law-abiding???
  33. Evelyn Irvine 7 Apr 2015
    If you take a life you Lose the right to your freedom
    - for life
  34. Louise fee 8 Apr 2015
    God bless all the familyxxx
  35. Peter Brown 10 Apr 2015
    My son was stabbed 17 times and died on a rainy street all alone, Bring back the death penalty
  36. brenda johnston 10 Apr 2015
    Life should mean life.
  37. Amanda kelly 10 Apr 2015
    Lifetime for a life. Don't deserve to ever be released.
  38. Kelly Jackson 11 Apr 2015
    God bless. ...
  39. andrew taylor 11 Apr 2015
    Thoughts are with you
  40. Jacqueline Martin 21 Apr 2015
    It is about time that the punishment fits the crime and people need to know it is not ok to go about stabbing innocent people and expect to get away with it
  41. Fiona Lessels 21 Apr 2015
    so many life take by people who reoffend it's a joke
  42. Alan McDermott 30 Apr 2015
    Life should mean life.
  43. Claire Cochrane 30 Apr 2015
    Life should mean life
  44. Kenneth Murray 30 Apr 2015
    Agree wholeheartedly.
  45. Anthony kilanowski 30 Apr 2015
    Life means life
  46. gary hare 30 Apr 2015
    Thoughts and prayers with the family
  47. David Ronald 30 Apr 2015
    Thoughts are with you
  48. Debbie dargie 30 Apr 2015
    If you breach someone's human rights, you should have all of your human rights removed! I don't understand why there is a petition for this, surely this should be common sense? Hopefully this will make the people in charge sit up and try and change things.
  49. Mary Ferguson 30 Apr 2015
    life for a life.