This petition was submitted during the 2019-2024 parliament
Rejected petition Stop making victims of crime wait for justice.
. Change the law and guidance that allows extremely clinically vulnerable people to avoid facing Justice, under shielding advice.
. Make it mandatory that they attend court.
. If trials have to be delayed due to illness then they are rescheduled in the following month for sexual and violent crime
More details
Currently the advice to defendants in the shielding category is that they can contact the court and ask for trials to be adjourned.
Their health concern of Catching Covid is put above the health and well-being of the victim.
There are currently over 50000 cases waiting in crown courts to be heard.
Victims of sexual offences and violent crimes are being made to wait years already for Justice pre pandemic, and repeated delays is traumatic to victims, leaving it likely that many cases drop.
This petition was rejected
Why was this petition rejected?
It’s about something that the UK Government or Parliament is not directly responsible for.
The guidance published by HM Courts & Tribunals Service is that you should not come to a court or tribunal hearing if your doctor has told you that you need to shield as you are clinically extremely vulnerable to coronavirus: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/what-to-expect-coming-to-a-court-or-tribunal#if-you-are-unwell-or-self-isolating
However, deciding what alternative arrangements to make, including whether to hold a remote hearing or postpone proceedings, is a matter for the courts, not the Government or House of Commons.
The law allows people to attend legal obligations even if they are self-isolating or shielding.
We only reject petitions that don’t meet the petition standards.