Closed petition PETITION TO INTRODUCE A CASTLE DOCTRINE LAW IN THE UNITED KINGDOM.

Closed on 9 August 2012

We, the undersigned, petition the UK government to introduce this law to give homeowners clear rights that guarantee they will not be prosecuted or subject to civil action for protecting themselves, their loved ones or their property from burglars. A Castle Doctrine law designates a person's place of residence as a place in which he or she enjoys protection from illegal trespassing and violent attack. It then goes on to give that person the legal right to use deadly force to defend that place and any other innocent persons legally inside it, from violent attack or an intrusion which may lead to violent attack. In a legal context, use of deadly force which actually results in the death of an intruder is nearly always classed as self defence under the Castle Doctrine. The Castle Doctrine would give homeowners a clear legal definition of what is acceptable, and would swing the legal balance to favour the homeowner rather than the criminal.