Submitted by Abigail Butler on Thursday 14th December 2023
Published on Wednesday 27th December 2023
Current status: Open
Open until: Thursday 27th June 2024
Current Signatures: 27
(count is updated approximately hourly)
Relevant Departments
Review the role of juries in sexual offence trials
A review could include evaluating whether only certain jurors should serve on these cases, based on their knowledge and any biases, and whether they should have to undergo training before a trial.
Sexual offence cases are complex when it comes to the law, stereotypes, biases and taboos. We believe Jurors are not always equipped.
The rape conviction rate in the UK is extremely low, reported last year to be just 1%, and we believe the current system does not work.
Many victims of sexual offences do not come forward due to the fact that there is rarely a conviction and they are concerned about how they will be treated by the justice system.
Juries may not be able to comprehend the complexity of these cases without training. There are also taboos associated with some sexual offences cases, and we believe the justice system works in the suspect's favour. This can mean that people who might have been guilty of an offence are acquitted due to a jury’s misunderstanding or bias.
If you want to sign this petition (as opposed to merely discuss it), you need to do that on the government's e-Petitions website.
3.145.77.114 Fri, 03 May 2024 02:37:46 +0100
