CAMPAIGNS Flashcards
What is an individual campaign
Campaigns that are started up by a singular person who feels strongly enough about a particular policy to take action themselves. These are generally taken up by newspapers, politicians and pressure groups later on.
What is a pressure group campaign
Organisations that try to influence government policies in the interests of a particular cause. They play an important role in policy making through gaining public support and by persuading politicians, that make laws, that change is needed.
How did newspapers affect policy making in the campaign for Sarah’s law (INDIVIDUAL)
Sarah Payne’s parents collaborated with The News of the World and this newspaper was central to the campaign’s success. More than 700,000 people signed the petition to support the campaign which got the attention of politicians.
Why was the campaign for Sarah’s law controversial
In July 2000, it ‘named and shamed’ fifty people that it claimed were pedophiles and it promised to continue to ID pedophiles in Britain. This could have caused a moral panic which would drive the public to campaign for change in the law.
The newspaper printed pictures of 100 offenders. Their plan to identify a further 110,000 was dropped after innocent people were attacked and the police claimed the paper’s campaign was wrecking investigations and in turn possibly putting children at risk.
What happened to Sarah Payne
8-year-old Sarah Payne was abducted and murdered by Roy Whiting. Her body was found several miles away in a field.
What legislation was introduced as a result of the campaign for Sarah’s law
The campaign eventually succeeded in persuading the government to introduce the Child Sex Offender Disclosure Scheme throughout England and Wales in 2011.
This allowed anyone to ask the police if someone in contact with a child has a record of sexual offences. However, the police aren’t obliged to disclose the information and will only do so if the child is at risk of harm and disclosure is necessary to safeguard the child.
How did Ann Ming’s campaign affect policy making (INDIVIDUAL)
Ann Ming used the local newspaper called The Northern Echo which advertised a petition which was signed by hundreds of Northern Echo readers.
She had reached out and involved her local MP Frank Cook who went ahead and lobbied the home secretary to support the change while Ann Ming herself liaised with other parents who had experience similar injustice such as the case of Stephen Lawrence. Sir William Macpherson reported on this as it led to the failed prosecution of the 5 original suspects.
Furthermore, Ann Ming participated in television interviews and had her daughter, Julie Hogg’s, son with her which would have raised public opinion greatly to reform the law.
What happened to Julie Hogg
Julie Hogg was murdered by Billy Dunlop who had hidden Julie’s body behind a bath panel to decompose. Her body was found by her mother, Ann Ming, 80 days later after she was first treated as a missing person. Dunlop was acquitted and he then went and boasted about what he did to Julie but due to the double jeopardy law, he could not face a retrial.
What legislation was introduced as a result off Ann Ming’s campaign
The 2003 Criminal Justice Act changed the double jeopardy law and allow certain crimes (e.g. murder, manslaughter, rape, kidnapping, major drug offences and armed robbery) to be re-tried as long as ‘new and compelling’ evidence emerges and the director of public prosecutions gives the go ahead.
How did the British Lung Foundation affect policy making
The BLF aims to prevent lung disease and raise awareness of its dangers and educate people on how to take care of their lungs. In 2011, they also petitioned to change the law for smoking in cars with children and this gathered 50,000 signatures which were presented at 10 Downing street. The BLF also carried out research into the dangers of second-hand smoking and its lasting damage and this showed that 430,000 children were being exposed to second-hand smoke in family cars each week.
Following the BLF, what legislation was introduced as a result of the Action on Smoking and Health campaign
ASH campaigned to change the law on smoking in vehicles with anyone under 18 and this law was introduced in October 2015 which made this action illegal.
What was the Protection Against Stalking campaign for
PAS started in 2011 and during this time, existing harassment laws didn’t specifically refer to stalking and one estimate was made that put the number of victims of stalking at 120,000.
In 2005, Claire Bernal was shot dead by her stalker when she was at work in a London department store. The police lacked a clear and consistent framework for investigating stalking and investigations were often left to the officer’s discretion.
PSA campaigned for harassment laws to be reformed.
How was the independent parliamentary inquiry into stalking successful
The inquiry lasted several months and heard evidence from victims, relatives, academic experts, lawyers, police and probation officers. It heard about the intimidation, fear and psychological and physical harm that stalkers inflict on their victims and about the inadequate response from the authorities.
The report from this inquiry was published in February 2012 with the support of 60 MPs, the police federation and the magistrate association.
What legislation was introduced as a result of the PAS campaign
The Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 made stalking a criminal offence and offenders can face up to 6 months imprisonment or a fine.
