Introduce a nationwide knife amnesty
- 195 Signatures
After a tragic death on Irvine beach last summer there was another knife attack in the town. Luckily it was not fatal, however one stabbing is enough - how many more could there be! After one mass shooting in the UK, gun laws changed for the better. Knife crime needs to be taken just as seriously. Parents are afraid and youths are unsafe. I do not understand why in a country with high rates of violence, especially knife crime, it has been two decades since the last knife amnesty and why there are no safety deposit knife bins, as there are in London. Such a policy change might save the lives of some Children.
Open the Scottish Super Sponsor Scheme for Ukrainians to new applicants
- 129 Signatures
Scotland issued 32,601 visas under the Ukrainian Super Sponsor Scheme, claiming moral leadership. However, the "three-month pause" of July 2022 has lasted over four years. Sponsoring utilises fully devolved powers over housing, integration, and local funding; the UK merely provides the visa framework. Leaving the scheme paused while vulnerable individuals are forced to seek private hosts on unregulated social media platforms creates severe safeguarding risks. The Scottish Parliament must compel the Government to resume its institutional sponsorship role rather than using constitutional excuses.
The petition calls on the Scottish Government to:
1. Immediately open the Super Sponsor Scheme to new applicants under the existing Homes for Ukraine framework.
2. Allocate adequate devolved funding to sustain safe welcome accommodation and long-term housing integration.
3. Establish clear, permanent operational criteria for state-sponsored refugee resettlement.
We must secure the safety of displaced families and a future for their children.
Accelerate the implementation of bus franchising powers
- 11 Signatures
There is widespread consensus across the UK that the policy of bus deregulation (implemented in 1986) has failed to deliver the integrated and affordable public transport urgently required to meet climate targets and reduce inequalities.
The bus franchising powers in the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 were meant to enable transport authorities to bring local bus networks back under public control, so that they can be planned and coordinated in the public interest.
However, the Scottish Government has severely delayed the implementation of bus franchising - taking over 6 years to publish required statutory guidance. It has created the most complex and time-consuming legislation in the UK, with the additional requirement for franchising proposals to be approved by the Traffic Commissioner's panel, which will add a year to the process as well as the risk of rejection. This means it may be 2031 before bus franchising is implemented anywhere in Scotland.
Refund legal expenses for those acquitted of a crime
- 12 Signatures
Someone who has been acquitted in any criminal legal action should be put back in the same financial position as if they had never been arrested. This covers cases with and without legal aid.
Legal expenses should be reimbursed by the Scottish Government, who may wish to seek payments from third parties depending on the circumstances of the legal action.
Although someone may have lost earnings due to the legal process and experienced the distress of being wrongly accused of a crime, the reimbursement of legal fees would be a major factor allowing them to move forward.
The process of reimbursement would also act as a brake on further injustices happening to people who have had false accusations made against them.
My own scenario was that I was arrested in 2023. I was not entitled to any legal aid due to my employment and savings and was not permitted to represent myself. I was acquitted but there is no route for me to claim back my legal expenses of over £8,000.
Economic abuse can continue after separation when one party controls money, assets, disclosure, housing, or legal funding. In family proceedings, this can prevent the other party from getting advice, challenging non-disclosure, seeking protection, or negotiating a fair settlement.
UK evidence shows 1 in 7 women has experienced economic abuse from a current or former partner, and specialist evidence reports economic abuse in around 95% of domestic abuse survivor cases. Laws alone are not enough if financial control prevents survivors from accessing justice.
Legal aid may not provide a practical route to representation, and public funds should not be the default where family resources exist but are controlled by one party. A Legal Services Payment Order, as is used in England and Wales, would give courts a discretionary, evidence-based and proportionate tool to prevent financial control from blocking justice, while protecting children, families, courts and publicly funded legal support.
Stop prison overcrowding by changing how prisoners are released or sentenced
- 9 Signatures
Long-term prisoners make up roughly 66% of Scotland's overall prison population, which is why previous emergency measures targeting only short-term inmates failed to resolve the overcrowding crisis.
To address this gap, the Scottish Government has launched an open consultation to legally change the rules for long-term prisoners. Under the current system, long-term prisoners are typically held until six months before the end of their sentence.
The new Scottish Government proposal would change this so that long-term prisoners serving more than five years would be automatically released after serving two-thirds of their sentence, serving the remaining third under strict community supervision and license conditions.
The petition is intended to support and encourage the same direction of reform proposed in the Scottish Government consultation, particularly the proposal that long-term prisoners serving more than five years should be automatically released after serving two-thirds of their sentence under strict licence conditions and community supervision.
Create Stronger and More Consistent Dog Control Measures in Scotland
- 502 Signatures
I call on the Scottish Government to modernise the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010 to improve public safety, animal welfare and responsible dog ownership.
The petition seeks:
1. A full review of the Act.
2. Immediate detention of dogs involved in serious attacks or dog fatalities.
3. Accountability for irresponsible owners following serious dog-on-dog attacks.
4. A national expert panel to assess fatal dog-on-dog attacks and recommend appropriate action against both the dog and owner where necessary, ensuring fair, evidence-based, and consistent outcomes across Scotland.
5. Licensing for owners of large or powerful dogs.
6. Licensing, training and insurance requirements for professional dog walkers.
7. The introduction of limits on the number, combined weight, or overall strength of dogs that any individual may walk at one time, alongside a legal requirement that all dogs remain under safe and effective control.
8. Mandatory third-party liability insurance for all dog owners.
I believe that the UK Government systematically denies Scotland’s democratic mandates. To break this deadlock and ensure day-one security, the Scottish Parliament must use its committee powers to examine a strategy of "pre-building the state" to maximize public and international confidence. We urge the Parliament to convene an independent inquiry to assess how Scotland can bypass political self-interest and establish a codified, unalterable Written Constitution. This inquiry should evaluate the framework for embedding three vital pillars:
• Shadow Infrastructure: Pre-establishing a Scottish Treasury, a Central Bank, and a full revenue agency to manage all national taxation before transition;
• Electoral Reforms: Embedding compulsory voting and introducing strict term limits on regional List MSPs to ensure direct accountability; and
• Resource Protection: Legally mandating a Norway-style Sovereign Wealth Fund to permanently ring-fence our renewable energy and oil revenues.
The current system places the administration of mandatory charitable rates relief with local authority non-domestic rates departments operating in a revenue and enforcement culture. This leads to lengthy processes and enforcement action against volunteer-led charities qualifying for 80% mandatory relief under the Local Government (Financial Provisions etc.) (Scotland) Act 1962.
Moving to an independent, third sector-led process would allow assessments to be carried out with a better understanding of how voluntary organisations operate, reducing the burden on volunteering communities.
Volunteer Scotland’s April 2025 report shows formal volunteering in Scotland is in crisis. Administrative demands disproportionately burden volunteers who contribute during evenings and weekends, while local authorities use multiple paid officers. This creates unnecessary barriers for small volunteer-led charities.
CAMHS Staff Need Resources, Children Need Assessments
- 5,124 Signatures
A family member was referred to CAMHS Midlothian for an ADHD assessment on 22 March 2022 and triaged on 7 June 2022. More than four years later, he is still waiting for an assessment, with very limited communication from the service.
Following a complaint in 2025, I was informed by a senior CAMHS clinician that increasing demand, staffing shortages and insufficient resources were contributing to long waits for neurodevelopmental assessments. Despite being told the wait would likely be measured in weeks rather than months, he remains on the waiting list over a year later.
This is not solely about my family member. Their experience demonstrates a wider national problem affecting thousands of Scottish children and families. Long waits delay access to support and leave families without answers. Increased investment in CAMHS neurodevelopmental services is needed to reduce waiting times and improve access to assessments across Scotland.