This petition was submitted during the 2015–2017 Conservative government
Petition Death caused by racing should bring charge of manslaughter not dangerous driving
Our son James was killed in a hit & run while on a pelican crossing. The driver who killed James was racing at over 90mph in a 40mph zone. The impact was such that James landed 70m down the road and killed instantly from multiple injuries. Leaving James he disposed of the car and burnt his clothes.
More details
Majid Malik is a serial offender with 39 previous offences. Had appropriate sentences been applied to the likes of Malik our son and others would be alive today. Malik chose to drive at 90mph, to race, to leave James dead in the road. Such choices made by those who are willing to kill by racing are calculated acts that must bring charges of manslaughter and not be downgraded to dangerous driving. A car hitting a pedestrian at 90mph is more certain to kill than the use of a gun or knife.
This petition is closed This petition ran for 6 months
Government responded
This response was given on 31 January 2017
In December the government issued a consultation on driving offences and penalties relating to causing death and serious injury.
Read the response in full
It proposes that the maximum penalty for the most serious offences should be life imprisonment.
Driving offences can have devastating consequences for victims and their loved ones. Sentencing in individual cases is always a matter for the courts, which are independent from government.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) can and will charge a person with murder or manslaughter where the evidence supports that charge, where it is in the public interest to do so and there is a reasonable prospect of a conviction.
The consultation proposes that those most serious driving offences of causing death by dangerous driving and causing death by careless driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs should have a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, the same maximum penalty open to the courts as manslaughter. The consultation closes on 1 February and the government will consider the responses received and publish their response within 3 months.
Ministry of Justice
Related activity
MPs debate penalties for dangerous driving
On 13 September, MPs debated penalties for dangerous driving.
You can read the debate here:
https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2016-09-13/debates/16091316000001/DangerousDrivingPenalties?utm_source=petition164488&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Debate
You can watch the debate here: http://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/586d047b-6744-45dd-8065-62d6f2d5fc50?in=11:00:53
Claire Perry MP successfully entered a ballot system for this debate. This is one way backbench MPs can get debates in Parliament. You can find out more about Westminster Hall debates on the Parliament website: http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/business/westminster-hall-debates/
MPs want to hear your views on road safety
On Tuesday 6 December at 4.30pm, MPs will debate road safety and traffic accident prevention. The debate will be led by Barry Sheerman MP.
You can watch the debate live on Parliament TV: http://parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/80f037b5-36db-49aa-9634-971a1fd031b7?utm_source=petition&utm_medium=164488&utm_content=Parliament%20TV
Get involved:
Share your thoughts, experiences and questions that you would like to be asked in the debate with Barry Sheerman MP on Twitter using the hashtag #RoadSafetyDebate on Monday 5 December from 3-4pm.
This online discussion is organised by the UK Parliament Digital Outreach Team which works to involve the public in the work of the Parliament.
You can find out more information on the UK Parliament website:
http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/business/westminster-hall-debates?utm_source=petition&utm_medium=164488&utm_content=AboutDD
Find out more about how you can get involved with the UK Parliament: http://www.parliament.uk/get-involved/?utm_source=petition&utm_medium=164488&utm_content=GetInvolved
More about the Parliamentary debate:
Barry Sheerman MP successfully entered a ballot for this debate. This is one way backbench MPs can get debates in Parliament.
The debate will take place in Westminster Hall. You can find out more about Westminster Hall debates on the UK Parliament website: http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/business/westminster-hall-debates?utm_source=petition&utm_medium=164488&utm_content=AboutWHDebates
Share your views on dangerous driving offences with the Government
We still haven’t received a response from the Government to this petition. This is now very late and Helen Jones, the Chair of the Petitions Committee (the group of MPs who oversee the petitions system), has written to the Government to urge them to respond to the petition.
In the meantime, we’ve found out that the Government is asking people to send in their views on driving offences relating to causing death and serious injury and the maximum penalties for those offences.
The consultation closes on 1 February 2017, so we wanted to let you know about it as soon as possible, even though the Government hasn’t responded to the petition yet.
You can find the consultation and submit your views at: https://consult.justice.gov.uk/digital-communications/driving-offences-causing-death-or-serious-injury/?utm_source=petition&utm_campaign=164488&utm_medium=email&utm_content=govconsultation
Who are we?
We are a group of cross-party MPs called the Petitions Committee. We are independent from Government. You can find out more about us on our website: http://www.parliament.uk/petitions-committee/role
You can follow us on Twitter: @HoCpetitions
Another chance to share your views on dangerous driving offences with the Government
You might remember that the Government's response to this petition was very late. It arrived too late to give you a chance to take part in the Government's consultation on driving offences relating to causing death and serious injury and the maximum penalties for those offences. The consultation closed on 1 February.
The MPs on the Petitions Committee didn't think that this was acceptable. They wrote to the Minister responsible, Sam Gyimah MP, to ask him to extend the consultation to give you the chance to respond. The Minister has now written back, saying that he won't extend the consultation period.
The Committee has therefore decided to give you a chance to share your views. If you didn't get a chance to respond to the consultation, you can send us your response and we'll pass it on to the Government if we receive it before 5pm on Friday 10 March.
The consultation papers are online here:
You can send your response to us by email at petitionscommittee@parliament.uk. Please put "Driving offences consultation" in the subject line.
Information provided in response to this consultation, including personal information, may be published or disclosed in accordance with the access to information regimes (these are primarily the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA), the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA) and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004). There is more information in the consultation document about how your information may be used. Please read this carefully, especially if you are sharing sensitive personal information.
What is the House of Commons Petitions Committee?
The Petitions Committee is set up by the House of Commons. It is made up of 11 backbench Members of Parliament from Government and Opposition parties. The number of committee members from each political party is representative of the membership of the House of Commons as a whole. Find out more here:
http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/petitions-committee/role/
Find out more about how you can get involved with your UK Parliament:
Follow us on Twitter @HoCpetitions