Accelerate the implementation of bus franchising powers
- 1,172 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
- 18 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
- 18 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.
End petition closures without independent scrutiny and create a route to legislation
- 55 Signatures
The Public Petitions Committee can close any petition, regardless of signatures, without external review. This risks proposals being dismissed administratively rather than on merit, undermining public trust.
Scotland faces major challenges in health, climate and economy where citizen ideas could help. We propose a more robust process:
1. Before closure, publish assessments from three independent experts (legal, policy, deliverability) stating why action is outside devolved powers or unworkable.
2. Give petitioners 28 days to respond in writing.
3. Refer petitions with 1,000+ verified signatures, if within competence, to the relevant committee with a recommendation to develop as a Member’s Bill.
This ensures evidence-based decisions, ends arbitrary dismissal, and provides a clear route for supported ideas to reach debate, while preserving Parliament’s final authority.
Guarantee NHS Shared-Care Pathway for Accredited Private ADHD Diagnoses in Scotland
- 380 Signatures
People waiting years for NHS ADHD assessments are often forced to seek private diagnosis, but many struggle to return to NHS care due to inconsistent GP and health board policies.
ADHD assessment and treatment waiting times across Scotland have increased significantly, with some patients waiting years for diagnosis through NHS services. During this time, many experience worsening mental health, difficulties in education or employment, financial hardship, and reduced quality of life.
Because of these delays, many patients seek private ADHD assessments from qualified specialists. However, after diagnosis, many face difficulties accessing ongoing NHS care, including GP prescribing and shared-care arrangements. Policies vary between GP practices and NHS boards, creating inconsistency across Scotland.
We want a national ADHD shared-care pathway and clear guidance for NHS Scotland and GP practices allowing accredited private ADHD diagnoses to transfer safely into NHS treatment and prescribing across Scotland.
A national approach could reduce pressure on NHS waiting lists and improve continuity of care.
Scotland’s current domestic abuse law protects people harmed by partners or ex-partners, but it does not cover adults who experience coercive control from non-partners such as carers, family members, guardians, or attorneys acting under Power of Attorney. Many adults rely on others for daily care, decision-making, or access to support, creating relationships of dependency where psychological harm, isolation, and financial control can occur. When concerns arise, they are often treated as private disputes or civil matters. In some cases, police cannot investigate the matter as domestic abuse solely because the perpetrator is not a partner or ex-partner, even where the same pattern of coercive control exists. Oversight is fragmented across multiple bodies, meaning no single agency assesses the full pattern of coercive control and harm. As a result, similar patterns of harm are treated differently depending solely on who the perpetrator is.
Create Stronger and More Consistent Dog Control Measures in Scotland
- 1,437 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.
Regulate the role of Curator Ad Litem for adults in Scotland
- 3 Signatures
Regulation is needed because there is currently no dedicated body responsible for overseeing the adult curator ad litem role.
The Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS) can appoint a curator ad litem in cases involving adults where there are concerns about legal capacity.
The appointment of a curator ad litem should not become a route to substitute decision-making without proper safeguards. There are clearly curators ad litem in Scotland who act properly and with care, however, serious concerns have been raised that some curators ad litem do not.
The Scottish Legal Complaints Commission, Law Society of Scotland, Scottish Social Services Council, Mental Welfare Commission, SCTS, Lord Advocate and Police Scotland have all stated they have no authority or responsibility to regulate, or investigate complaints about a curator ad litem in adult cases.
The role should not be left to practitioners to self-regulate. If regulation is required for curators ad litem in children’s cases, then regulation is also required for curators ad litem appointed for adults.
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.