Decriminalise not having a TV license

Rejected 10 signatures

What the petition asks

Thousands of poor people are being imprisoned or given criminal records every year for a minor debt to the BBC.

Usually, cases of a debt are dealt with by a civil action which is more proportionate.

The BBC employs tactics to frighten people who do not have a TV into buying a license.

"In England and Wales there are 180,000 prosecutions a year for failing to pay the licence fee, and dozens of people are jailed each year."
See:
http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/599049/TV-Licence-jailed-England-BBC-fee-Scotland-fines

I do not own a TV and yet I receive regular upsetting letters - about once every 2 months. They say things like ' What to expect in court'. Clearly designed to cause distress.

Decriminalising will reduce the distress caused to millions.

Why it was rejected

There was already a petition about this issue. Duplicates are rejected so signatures collect in one place.

Decriminalise None Payment Of The BBC's Television Licence (TV Licence)

Timeline

8 Aug 2016	Petition opened for signatures
17 Aug 2016	Rejected by the Petitions Committee

Key facts

Signatures 10

Status Rejected

Rejected 17 Aug 2016

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