{"links":{"self":"https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/781547.json"},"data":{"type":"petition","id":781547,"attributes":{"action":"Allow courts to waive victim surcharges where no identifiable victim exists","background":"Make victim surcharges discretionary when an offence causes no direct loss, injury or trauma to an identifiable victim. Victim services need proper funding, but automatically charging people in victimless cases is misleading and unfair. Courts should decide when the surcharge is justified.","additional_details":"The surcharge is calculated from the sentence imposed, not from harm caused to an identifiable victim. This means people can be ordered to pay a “victim surcharge” when nobody suffered direct loss, injury or trauma. Victim services are important, but they should receive secure and transparent public funding. Giving courts discretion to waive or reduce the charge in genuinely victimless cases would make sentencing fairer without withdrawing support from real victims.","committee_note":"","state":"open","signature_count":11,"closing_date":"2027-04-06","created_at":"2026-09-10T14:33:38.938Z","updated_at":"2026-10-07T11:55:30.000Z","rejected_at":null,"opened_at":"2026-10-06T08:51:32.463Z","closed_at":null,"moderation_threshold_reached_at":"2026-09-11T07:43:00.000Z","response_threshold_reached_at":null,"government_response_at":null,"debate_threshold_reached_at":null,"debate_scheduled_on":null,"scheduled_debate_date":null,"debate_outcome_at":null,"creator_name":"Christopher Alexander Whiting","rejection":null,"government_response":null,"debate":null,"departments":[{"acronym":"MoJ","name":"Ministry of Justice","url":"https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice"}],"topics":[],"signatures_by_country":[{"name":"United Kingdom","code":"GB","signature_count":11}],"signatures_by_constituency":[{"name":"Blaydon and Consett","ons_code":"E14001106","mp":"Liz Twist MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Clacton","ons_code":"E14001174","mp":"Nigel Farage MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"East Wiltshire","ons_code":"E14001217","mp":"Danny Kruger MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Ellesmere Port and Bromborough","ons_code":"E14001222","mp":"Justin Madders MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Gedling","ons_code":"E14001245","mp":"Michael Payne MP","signature_count":2},{"name":"Newark","ons_code":"E14001375","mp":"Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP","signature_count":4},{"name":"Tynemouth","ons_code":"E14001557","mp":"Rt Hon Sir Alan Campbell MP","signature_count":1}],"signatures_by_region":[{"name":"North East","ons_code":"A","signature_count":2},{"name":"North West","ons_code":"B","signature_count":1},{"name":"East Midlands","ons_code":"E","signature_count":6},{"name":"East of England","ons_code":"G","signature_count":1},{"name":"South West","ons_code":"K","signature_count":1}],"other_parliamentary_business":[]}}}