campaigns affecting policy development Flashcards
NEWSPAPERS - SARAH’S LAW
child sex offender disclosure scheme
- allows parents, caters, or guardians to formally ask the police if a convicted sex offender has contact with their child
NEWSPAPERS - SARAH’S LAW
campaign followed…
- the abduction and murder in July 2000 of 8-year-old Sarah Payne by Roy Whiting
NEWSPAPERS - SARAH’S LAW
Whiting had…
been convicted in 1995 of abducting and indecently assaulting another 8yo girl
NEWSPAPERS - SARAH’S LAW
what did the News of The World publish?
- name and shame articles which named sex offenders and where they lived
NEWSPAPERS - SARAH’S LAW
news of the world backed…
- by Sarah’s parents who had been convinced from the start that a sex offender murdered their daughter
NEWSPAPERS - SARAH’S LAW
NOTW - this was …
- confirmed when Whiting was convicted of the crime in 2001 and it was revealed that he has a previous conviction of a sexual offence against a child
NEWSPAPERS - SARAH’S LAW
NOTW promised
- to continue until it revealed the identity of every paedophile in Britain
NEWSPAPERS - SARAH’S LAW
government…
- introduced the Child Sex Offender Disclosure Scheme throughout England and Wales in 2011
NEWSPAPERS - SARAH’S LAW
Home Office Ministers…
- said it was successful as 60 children had been protected
NEWSPAPERS - SARAH’S LAW
however…
- anyone can ask the police if someone in contact with their child has a record of child sexual offences
- police aren’t obliged to disclose this and will only do so if they judge that the child is at risk of harm
NEWSPAPERS - YEAR AND A DAY RULE
the year and a day rule is…
- an ancient rule that states if an assault lived fo 366 days or more, their attacker would not be charged with anything more than GBH
NEWSPAPERS - YEAR AND A DAY RULE
Michael Gibson
- was assaulted by David Clark in 1992
- he died after being in a coma for 22 months
NEWSPAPERS - YEAR AND A DAY RULE
Clark
- would only be charged with GBH
- jailed for 2 years; he was free before Michael died
NEWSPAPERS - YEAR AND A DAY RULE
Michael’s mother
- Pat Gibson sought to change the law that dated back to 1278
NEWSPAPERS - YEAR AND A DAY RULE
The Northern Echo
- launched the Justice for Michael campaign urging its readers to sign a petition demanding that the rule be repealed
NEWSPAPERS - YEAR AND A DAY RULE
1994
- local MP Alan Milburn introduced a bill into the HoC to scrap the rule
- it was narrowly defeated
NEWSPAPERS - YEAR AND A DAY RULE
following the…
- delivery of N.E petition to the Law Commission, a bill was passed by Parliament to become the 1996 Law Reform (year and a day rule) Act
NEWSPAPERS - YEAR AND A DAY RULE
the newspapers…
- role was vital in achieving success by mobilising public support
NEWSPAPERS - YEAR AND A DAY RULE
its editor said…
‘people were getting away with murder because the law was an ass. Newspapers have to do what they can to bring the law up to date’
INDIVIDUAL - JULIE
double jeopardy law is
- english common law
- a person cannot be tried for the same crime twice