Petition · Ministry of Justice
Remove the 28 day time limit from the unduly lenient sentence scheme for murder
Closed
1,632 signatures
What the petition asks
There is no time limit on grief, families of murder victims should be allowed to apply outside of the 28 day time limit to appeal a murderers sentence given the trauma they have endured during the murder investigation and subsequent trial.
My sister was 16 when she was murdered. We believe her murder met the criteria a whole life order but didn’t receive one. Our family were not in a fit state to challenge this within 28 days of the sentencing so now it’s too late, however the murderer has infinite time to appeal.
You get 28 days to return an item to the shop if you change your mind, why is it the same time period to appeal a murder sentence?
This needs to change murderers should not have more rights than their victims.
You get 28 days to return an item to the shop if you change your mind, why is it the same time period to appeal a murder sentence?
This needs to change murderers should not have more rights than their victims.
Timeline
| 12 Aug 2025 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 12 Feb 2026 | Closed to new signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
1,632
Status
Closed
Department
Ministry of Justice
Opened
12 Aug 2025
Closed
12 Feb 2026
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 31 Jul 2026.