AC 4.3 Discuss how campaigns affect policy making Flashcards
How have newspapers been used to affect policy making
newspapers can help to shape the law by mobilising public opinion so that the government takes action.
Newspaper campaigns to affect policy making
Sarah’s law
1. What does the law allow for
2. why did the campaign come about
- to ask the police if a convicted sex offender has contact with a specific child
- 8 year old Sarah was abducted and murdered by Roy Whiting, 5 years previously he had abducted another 8 year old girl
Newspaper campaigns to affect policy making
Sarah’s law
Describe the role of ‘The news of the world’
and its success
The newspaper’s support was central to the campaign’s success. In 2000, it named and shamed 50 people it claimed were paedophiles. The paper promised to continue until it had revealed the identity of every paedophile in britain
Success - The campaign eventually succeeded in persuading the government to introduce the CHILD SEX OFFENDER DISCLOSURE SCHEME
Though police have a choice to refused and information given out if they judge that the child isnt at risk or harm.
Newspaper campaigns to affect policy making
The year and a day rule - describe it then describe Michaels case
Michaels Gibson was assaulted by David Clark in 1992. Michael died after being in a coma for 22 months. Clark could only be charged with GBH and was hailed for two years and was freed before Michael died.
At the time, the ‘year and a day’ rule existed, a law dating back to 1278 - if victims of an assault lived for a year and a day their attackers could not be tried for manslaughter or murder.
Newspaper campaigns to affect policy making
Describe ‘the northern echo’s’ role/technique and its success
The Northern echo launched a campaign named ‘Justice for michael’ and urged readers to sign a petition to abolish the law using a photo of Michael in his coma to gain sympathy
Success - Following the delivery of the Northern Echos petition to the Law Commission, a bill was passed by Parliament to become the 1996 Law Reform Act
Newspaper vital in mobilising public support, used methods of a petition and media (photo) to do so
examples of individual campaigns affecting policy making
-Michael Brown’s campaign for Clare’s law
-Ann Mings campaign to change the double jeopardy rule
Individual campaigns affecting policy making
Clare’s law describe the story
2009 - Clare wood beaten raped and killed by George Appleton (ex partner)
Unknown to Clare, Appleton had a history of convictions relating to violence against women
Individual campaigns affecting policy making
Clares law
How did the case unfold + descirbe Clares fathers role
Discorvered after Clares death, revealed Clare had reported George to the police multiple times but the police had taken no action
Coroner wrote to Home Office asking why Clare had not been informed of Appleton’s past
Angry at these failing Michael launched a campaign to change the law to enable women to know about their partners violent past.
He worked for four years, gathering evidence, organising petitions and winning support from charities, politicians and the media for a change in the law.
Individual campaigns affecting policy making
Clares law
Describe the domestic violence and disclosure scheme
right to ask + right to know
Michael’s campaigning finally had success in 2014 the Domestic violence and disclosure scheme (DVDS) was rolled out all across England and Wales
The DVDS sets out two procedures the police can use in disclosing information about an individual’s previous violent and abusive offending to their partner:
THE RIGHT TO ASK - allows public to ask about their partner or the partner of someone they know
THE RIGHT TO KNOW - police inform potential victim (whether they request or not)
POLICE ARE NOT REQUIRED TO DO SO
They also decide who should receive the information, they’ll set up a safety plan for the potential victim.
Individual campaigns affecting policy making
Clares law
Describe the domestic violence and disclosure scheme
Describe the Operation of the scheme
describe what justice geography is
Since the scheme began, there have been many disclosures.
However there are big differences between police forces
Cumbria Police disclosed information in 96% cases, while Bedfordshire Police did so in only 7%. Critics say that this is ‘justice geography’.
Reason for justice geography is different levels of training
Individual campaigns affecting policy making
Changing the double jeopardy law
Describe double jeopardy law
Descirbe the case of Billy Dunlop
1986 Julie murdered by Billy dunlop
2 jurys could not come to an agreement so Dunlop was aquitted
1998 Dunlop imprisoned for violence against lover - admitted to prison guard he killed Julie
Dunlop sentenced to 6 years for purgery at trial however could not be charged in relation to the murder because of the double jeopardy rule which states that the same person cannot be trialed again for the same crime if they are acquitted
Individual campaigns affecting policy making
Changing the double jeopardy law
Describe Ann Mings camapign
Ann Ming (Julie Hoggs mother) used the press, TV and radio to publicise the case.
The 2003 criminal Justice Act was the result of Ann Mings successful campaign
It permitted certain serious crimes to be retried,
This includes, manslaughter, rape, kidnapping, major drug offences and armed robbery. However, the retrial can only take place if ‘new and compelling evidence’ emerges and only one re trial is permitted
eIndividual campaigns affecting policy making
Changing the double jeopardy law
Describe The stephen lawrence case
Calls for a change in the rule were also supported by Sir William Macpherson in his report on the 1993 murder of Stephen Lawrence
Police mishandling of the investigation = only 2 charged with murder (2/5)
Subsequently, new DNA evidence emerged to link one of the three, Gary Dobson to the killing.
Dobson was re tried and convicted of the murder along with another suspect David Norries who had not been tried in 1996
Pressure group campaigns to affect policy making
how do they affect policy making
Pressure groups are organisations that aim to influece policies to help a particular case, they do this through gaining public support and also persuading politicians, who create the laws, that change is needed
Pressure group campaigns to affect policy making
Protection against stalking
reasoning + what can stalking lead to (give example)
In 2011 Protection Against stalking launched a campaign to introduce a new law making stalking a specific offence.
At that point, the existing 1997 anti harassment law did not refer specifically to stalking. One estimate puts the number of victims at 120,000 a year.
Stalking can lead to violence - Claire Bernal was shot dead by her stalker 2005, the next week he was due in court for harassing her
