Submitted by Dean Brunton on Monday 16th February 2026
Published on Wednesday 25th March 2026
Current status: Open
Open until: Friday 25th September 2026
Current Signatures: 332
(count is updated approximately hourly)
Make "One-Punch" Killings Carry Harsher Sentences
We are calling on the government to introduce specific legislation that ensures stronger and more consistent sentencing when a death results from an extreme act of violence like a single punch. Similar laws are already in place in Australia called the Coward Punch Laws.
We want the government to act because a single punch can and does end lives. What may be seen as a brief or impulsive act of violence can result in permanent loss, devastating families and communities.
Under current laws these are treated as manslaughter and can lead to inconsistent sentencing.
Clearer stronger sentencing would reinforce accountability, reflecting the seriousness of the outcome and send a strong message that even one impulsive act can have irreversible consequences.
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.
216.73.217.179 Tue, 23 Jun 2026 03:01:03 +0100