Rejected petition Ban use of filibustering against Private Members' Bills relating to Human Rights
Government need to evolve parliamentary procedure to stop filibustering tactics to block compassionate legislation.
• Human rights bills—such as dignity in dying—face failure.
A freedom of belief shouldn't be used as a tool to block the choices & rights of others or stall official proceedings.
More details
• Existing Rules allow for "filibustering"—where MPs talk for extended periods to prevent a vote. While the Speaker can stop it (Standing Order 42), this is rarely used.
• Previous Efforts: A 2019 petition to "Stop Filibustering in Parliament" noted that bills regarding sexual harassment (upskirting) were delayed by these tactics.
• The UK government has stated that while religious freedom is fundamental, it does not override the state’s obligation to protect the rights and freedoms of others.
This petition was rejected
Why was this petition rejected?
It’s not clear what the petition is asking the UK Government or Parliament to do.
Petitions need to call on the Government or the House of Commons to take a specific action.
The House of Commons and House of Lords have their own separate rules of procedure. We can only accept petitions relating to issues that the Government or House of Commons are responsible for. We, therefore, cannot accept petitions relating to procedure in the House of Lords.
There are existing procedures in the Commons that can prevent “filibustering”. These include SO No. 42, but also, for example, the ability to bring a debate to an end via a closure motion, the ability of the Speaker to select which amendments are debated and voted on, the ability of the Chair to impose a time limit on speeches, and the ability of the House to agree a programme or allocation of time order to apply to a Bill which can limit the time that can be spent debating a Bill before any decisions are made. We are not clear how you would like these rules to be amended or supplemented.
You could start a new petition explaining clearly what you would like the Government or Parliament to do.
We only reject petitions that don’t meet the petition standards.