Submitted by Dr Kari Vyas on Tuesday 19th March 2024
Published on Friday 5th April 2024
Current status: Open
Open until: Saturday 5th October 2024
Current Signatures: 816
(count is updated approximately hourly)
Relevant Departments
Do Not Push Forward with New Offences relating to Begging and Rough Sleeping
We want sections of the proposed Criminal Justice Bill that relate to "nuisance" begging and "nuisance" rough sleeping removed. We believe the proposed legislation is overly punitive and impractical, and risks further marginalising an incredibly vulnerable group of people.
We think the bill ignores the causes of homelessness, which can include: trauma, complex mental/physical health needs, limited housing stock and cuts to public services. Instead, rough sleepers could face being repeatedly moved along, or even prison and/or a £2.5K fine. We believe this is impractical and inhumane.
Many antisocial behaviours are already illegal and have nothing to do with homelessness.
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.
13.58.247.31 Thu, 02 May 2024 17:56:39 +0100