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Remove or extend the 6 month time limit on prosecution for summary offences

Submitted by Emily luccarini on Wednesday 17th September 2025

Published on Monday 20th October 2025

Current status: Closed

Closed: Monday 20th April 2026

Signatures: 602

Relevant Departments

Tagged with

Courts ~ deeply ~ Extend ~ Families ~ Justices ~ Law ~ Legal action ~ Message ~ Messages ~ month ~ Remove ~ Reviewed ~ Rule ~ SIX MONTHS ~ The Law ~ The Offence ~ time limit ~ time limits ~ Victim

Petition Action

Remove or extend the 6 month time limit on prosecution for summary offences

Petition Details

Currently, summary offences must be laid before a court within six months of the offence. Once that time passes, no matter the evidence or the harm, justice is simply gone, and legal action cannot be taken. A review of this rule is urgently needed.

Additional Information

We think the law surrounding summary offences lacks clarity, and the six month statutory time limit is deeply unjust. Victims and families deserve justice, regardless of how long it takes for evidence or offenders to come to light. This cut off silences victims and protects offenders. It sends the wrong message, a frightening one, that if offenders evade detection for long enough, they can walk away free. Victims deserve better. Families deserve better. Justice shouldn't expire.


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216.73.217.17 Wed, 24 Jun 2026 07:04:13 +0100