4.3 Flashcards
Discuss how newspaper campaigns have affected policy making.
Sarah’s Law (News of the World)
- Prompted by the murder of 8-year-old Sarah Payne in 2000 by Roy Whiting
- Whiting had previous convictions for child sex offences
- Campaign supported by Sarah’s parents and News of the World newspaper
- Aimed to introduce a law giving the public the right to know if someone is a convicted sex offender
- Petition received 700,000 signatures
- Raised public awareness of campaign’s aims and objectives
- Trial scheme addressed concern that offenders might go into hiding — this did not happen
- Resulted in national rollout of the Child Sex Offender Disclosure Scheme in England and Wales (2011)
- Parents/carers can now ask police if someone in contact with a child has a child sex offence record
Road Safety Campaign (Telegraph and Argus)
- Launched in 2016 by local Bradford newspaper
- Addressed concerns about dangerous driving in the community - Published emotional headlines like “When Will This Madness End?”
- Invited readers to submit dash-cam footage of dangerous driving
- Prompted the launch of ‘Operation Steerside’ by police in 2016
- Multi-agency approach using four pillars: Pursue, Prevent, Protect, Prepare
- Became embedded in West Yorkshire police culture
- 107 arrests made due to dangerous driving in 2020 alone
- Bradford MPs raised concerns in a national consultation
- Influenced the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill 2021
- The Bill proposed a life sentence for causing death by dangerous driving (up from 14 years)
Discuss how individual campaigns have affected policy making.
Clare’s Law (Michael Brown)
- George Appleton, who had a history of sexual assault convictions, murdered his ex-girlfriend Clare
- Clare had made several complaints to police: harassment, threats to kill her, attempted rape
- Police took no action despite the warnings
- Clare’s father, Michael Brown, led a campaign for disclosure of partner’s violent past
- Supported by Manchester’s Radio Key 103, charities, and politicians
- Resulted in Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme in England and Wales (2014)
- Individuals can ask police about their partner’s or someone else’s partner’s violent past
- Police can also disclose information proactively if necessary to protect a potential victim
The Double Jeopardy Law (Ann Ming)
- Ann Ming’s daughter Julie Hogg (age 22) was murdered
- Billy Dunlop was acquitted of her murder but later confessed in 1998 while in prison for a different violent offence
- Double Jeopardy law at the time prevented him from being retried
- Ann Ming launched a campaign to change the law
- Supported by local newspapers, TV, radio, and politicians
- Resulted in Criminal Justice Act 2003
- Allows retrials for serious crimes (murder, rape, manslaughter) if new and compelling evidence emerges
- Director of Public Prosecutions must agree to retrial
- Billy Dunlop was eventually convicted of Julie’s murder under the new law
iscuss how pressure group campaigns have affected policy making.
The Snowdrop Campaign
- Formed after 1996 Dunblane massacre by victims’ families
- Thomas Hamilton used a legally held handgun to kill 16 young pupils and a teacher
- Campaign sought a ban on private ownership and use of handguns
- Gained 750,000 signatures within 6 weeks
- Widely supported by the public and media
- The Cullen Report from a public inquiry recommended tighter gun control
- Government faced pressure with a general election weeks away
- Resulted in Firearms (Amendment) (No.2) Act 1997
- Banned private ownership of all cartridge ammunition handguns
British Lung Foundation
- Aims to prevent lung disease by promoting better lung health
- 2011 campaign focused on banning smoking in cars with children present
- Gained 50,000 petition signatures
- Research showed over 430,000 children are exposed to secondhand smoke weekly
- Released ‘10 Myths about Smoking in Cars with Children’
- Published research and myth-busting info on their website
- Used social media to spread campaign — 25,000 followers including MPs like Sadiq Khan and Jeremy Corbyn
- Resulted in a ban on smoking in cars with children under the Children and Families Act 2014 (England and Wales)
