Open petition: End concurrent sentencing for multiple serious offences

Created by Jason Ghartey
Closes on 17 October 2026

Courts often use concurrent sentencing, meaning offenders serve multiple prison terms at once. If convicted of three crimes, they may only serve the longest sentence. We believe this ignores the gravity of separate offences and consecutive sentencing must be the standard for full justice.

We want the Government to legislate for a mandatory 'Consecutive Sentencing' framework for serious violent and sexual offences involving multiple charges. We think the current reliance on concurrent sentencing often results in offenders serving insufficient extra time for additional crimes. We feel this fails to provide justice, as subsequent offences are not effectively punished. Requiring sentences to be served one after the other ensures every crime has a distinct consequence and acts as a robust deterrent.

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