Petition Introduce a Duty to Rescue Law in England and Wales

There is currently no statutory duty to rescue someone in need. Someone could openly watch an individual drown or be in serious peril, such as suffering an overdose or heart attack, and do nothing.

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In other countries, such as France and Spain there is a duty to rescue others. In France, under Article 223-6, those who fail to assist a person in danger is liable within the criminal courts and can be held accountable. In Spain, under Article 195, it is a criminal offence for a citizen to fail to provide or seek help to anyone in need so long as it does not endanger them. We think a duty to rescue should be enacted into the English and Welsh legal system.

This petition closed early because of a General Election Find out more on the Petitions Committee website

487 signatures

Progress of the petition towards its next target: 487 of 10,000 signatures required to get a government response

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10,000 signatures required to get a government response

Date closed 30 May 2024
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