In the 2025 Scottish Government's Right to Decide document, First Minister John Swinney wrote: "I urge everyone, whatever their views on our ultimate destiny as a nation, to ensure that the people of Scotland's right to decide is respected, not just in words but in actions."
Accordingly, Respect Scottish Sovereignty petitions the Parliament to conduct a Peoples' Assembly on the democratic right of the sovereign people of Scotland to determine their own future, fulfilling Article 1 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights: "All peoples have the right of self-determination. By virtue of that right they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development".
The Scottish Government has convened two Citizens’ Assemblies previously. The Scottish Parliament elections on 7 May 2026 election produced the largest ever majority of independence supporting parties. It is time for Scottish citizens to drive the constitutional conversation via a People's Assembly.
Introduce a self-application process for Non-Harassment Orders
- 274 Signatures
People experiencing harassment in Scotland have no accessible route to obtain a Non-Harassment Order (NHO) unless they can afford a solicitor or qualify for legal aid. With no statutory timescales, the current process is lengthy and expensive, leaving individuals vulnerable at times of escalating risk.
Many people experience persistent unwanted and intimidating contact that is harmful and causes significant distress. During early reporting, Police Scotland may record incidents and issue warnings, however, this can leave individuals feeling more vulnerable as these actions do not create legally enforceable boundaries. NHO’s can provide civil protection at an early stage to prevent escalation.
England and Wales offer a free and timely self-application route for Non-Molestation Orders but Scotland has no equivalent.
Introducing a free, self-application process would strengthen Scotland's response to violence against women and girls and support psychological wellbeing by giving victims clear legal boundaries and a reliable route to safety.
Strengthen safety protections for residents near pest bird shooting
- 69 Signatures
Residents of Baberton Mains, Edinburgh, have experienced repeated pest bird shooting close to residential properties every summer for several years. The shooting is extremely loud and can begin early in the morning and continue into evening, seriously disturbing residents and affecting their ability to peacefully enjoy their homes and gardens.
The area is an established residential community, separated from farmland by the A720 bypass. Residents have found pellets in their gardens and dead birds close to homes. Children and animals are frightened by the sudden gunshots.
Residents have contacted Police Scotland, the council and NatureScot repeatedly. NatureScot confirmed that the General License for Birds (GL02) may permit pest bird shooting during daylight hours, but there is no statutory minimum distance from residential properties. It referred to British Association for Shooting and Conservation guidance recommending a safety zone of up to 275 metres in the direction of fire.
We believe stronger, clearer protections are needed for communities living close to pest bird shooting.
Include perimenopause and menopause education in Scotland’s school curriculum
- 318 Signatures
Perimenopause and menopause are major stages of women’s health, yet many people reach adulthood with little or no understanding of what they are, when they can begin, or the wide range of physical and emotional symptoms they can cause. This lack of education can leave women frightened, confused and unprepared, and may contribute to symptoms being misunderstood or dismissed when women seek help. Introducing age-appropriate education in schools would help normalise conversations around menopause, reduce stigma, improve awareness and give young people knowledge they can carry throughout life. It would help future generations recognise symptoms earlier, understand when to seek support and feel more confident explaining what they are experiencing. It would also help partners, families and wider society better understand and support women. Education should come before women reach this stage of life, not only once they are already struggling.
Full review of the mental health system to include both Adult and Child services
- 349 Signatures
My partner Luke Henderson died by suicide in December 2017 after asking for help up to eight times in the week before his death. I feel mental health services and the risk assessment failed Luke in his hour of need.
Luke’s situation is not unique and so many people feel let down and failed by the current mental health services. With every loss to suicide there is a family trying to pick up the pieces and understand that loss. There are families whose loved ones have tried to access mental health services prior to their deaths and were turned away with no help, resulting in them taking their own life.
With so many people slipping through the crack, we want a fit for purpose mental health service to ensure no other families feel this pain.
The review should also look at the process for people who died by suicide and had been in contact with mental health service within seven days prior to their death, and support services for families who lost a loved one to suicide.
This petition arises from my experience following the death of my gran, whom I believe was failed during her hospital care. I pursued my concerns through the NHS complaints process and the SPSO but was left without the clear acknowledgment I had hoped for. I was not seeking compensation or punishment. I wanted someone to say, “We got it wrong, and this is what we have changed as a result.”
My experience has raised wider concerns about whether NHS complaints provide families with meaningful accountability when care falls below expected standards. I am particularly concerned about the independence of investigations, whether families receive clear findings, how learning is demonstrated, and whether there is sufficient independent oversight of the Duty of Candour.
My gran meant the world to me. I cannot change what happened to her, but I hope her experience can help improve the system for other families.
The judgment was delivered by the highest court in the UK and concerns the fundamental right to a fair trial. The then Lord Advocate confirmed that its implications extend to cases dating back to 2013, and the SCCRC established a dedicated review process. Through two national surveys involving almost 200 families, and engagement with criminal defence solicitors, King's Counsel and academics, JIMS has found that uncertainty regarding the implications of the judgment is not limited to affected families, making it difficult for many to obtain clear and consistent advice on whether the judgment affects their case, how the SCCRC review process operates and any steps that they should take. In our view, a judgment of the UK’s highest court concerning the fundamental right to a fair trial should be accompanied by sufficient clarity to enable affected individuals and those advising them to understand its implications and the available review process.
There are over 600,000 people with dementia in the UK who receive care at home. According to ONS data this equates to over 48,000 people in Scotland living at home with dementia.
People with dementia are only disregarded (not counted) for council tax if they have a medical certificate and are in receipt of certain benefits. This means that many people with dementia have to wait months or years to qualify for council tax discounts after they have been diagnosed.
If council tax discounts were backdated to the date a person was certified as being severely mentally impaired, people with dementia could potentially save thousands of pounds.
In written evidence in 2025, in response to petition PE1976 on this issue, the then Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government indicated that the Scottish Government was “actively exploring legislative options”, but none appear to have come forward.
Ban Police Scotland Stop and Search and warrantless collection of personal data!
- 3 Signatures
Current legislation has turned Police Scotland into an instrument of legalized surveillance. The powers to collect data under the threat of arrest and conduct street searches rely on subjective "reasonable grounds," which in practice serve as a cover for discrimination and police abuse.
I have personally faced the humiliating Stop and Search procedure solely because of the black colour of my clothing. I was searched without any real reason right on the street, being treated like a criminal. This is an absolute disgrace!
In 2025/26, 74.4% of searches yielded nothing, yet people's personal data settles in databases, forming an architecture of total control. We demand radical change: any street search or demand for identification must be conducted exclusively with a judicial warrant for a specific individual. Without a warrant, the police have no right to demand data. If this practice continues, Scotland is heading directly towards a North Korean regime.
Under current Scots law, victims of targeted online character assassination face a severe statutory gap. Law enforcement routinely deems provisions like Section 38 of the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010 (the offence of threatening or abusive behaviour) inapplicable unless explicit physical threats or legal names are used.
Perpetrators exploit this threshold by using subtext, proxy references, and contextual hints. In close-knit Scottish communities, these "unnamed" campaigns spread rapidly. While police may take no action due to the lack of a named victim, local residents often instantly identify the target. This may result in social ostracization, job loss, business collapse, and mental trauma—yet perpetrators operate with impunity. Classifying digital smear campaigns as "civil matters" creates an unequal system of justice, as civil court litigation is unviable for ordinary citizens and legal aid is unavailable. Scots law must criminalise targeted digital abuse based on intent and severe real-world harm.