Petition · Ministry of Justice

End concurrent sentencing for multiple serious offences

Open for signatures 101 signatures

What the petition asks

Courts often use concurrent sentencing, meaning offenders serve multiple prison terms at once. If convicted of three crimes, they may only serve the longest sentence. We believe this ignores the gravity of separate offences and consecutive sentencing must be the standard for full justice.
We want the Government to legislate for a mandatory 'Consecutive Sentencing' framework for serious violent and sexual offences involving multiple charges. We think the current reliance on concurrent sentencing often results in offenders serving insufficient extra time for additional crimes. We feel this fails to provide justice, as subsequent offences are not effectively punished. Requiring sentences to be served one after the other ensures every crime has a distinct consequence and acts as a robust deterrent.

Timeline

17 Apr 2026 Petition opened for signatures

Key facts

Signatures 101
Status Open for signatures
Department Ministry of Justice
Opened 17 Apr 2026

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