Petition · Ministry of Justice

Introduce Legislation to make Verbal Abuse toward Police Officers an offence

Open for signatures 1,995 signatures

What the petition asks

We believe that to some it's become acceptable that police officers get verbally abused and are considered too hardened to experience Harassment, Alarm of Distress for Public Order Act offences. They are public servants worthy of protection from abuse. Make it an offence to verbally abuse officers.
Respect for authority is a central aspect of a functional society, in schools, in courts, in hospitals, and on the streets. We believe this is not a freedom of speech matter, and others in society are protected from abuse. We think well designed legislation can protect police officers, without limiting accountability. In our view, society gets the police service it deserves, and if we want officers who will protect us, we have a duty to protect them.

Timeline

16 Apr 2026 Petition opened for signatures

Key facts

Signatures 1,995
Status Open for signatures
Department Ministry of Justice
Opened 16 Apr 2026

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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 26 Jul 2026.