PETITIONRejectedPetition · petition.parliament.uk
Abolish the Vagrancy Act of 1824
Abolish the punishment protocol for homeless people who are forced to sleep on the streets and consider a new support system that doesn't punish with unreasonable fines and criminal offences.
Last fetched 03 May 2026 · petition.parliament.uk
Signatures
6
signatures
Government response threshold (10,000) · 6/10,000
Debate threshold (100,000) · 6/100,000
Background
The Vagrancy Act was passed over 200 years ago. It is an archaic law that is unfit for its purpose. Punishing people simply for not having a home has no place in 21st-century Britain. Criminalisation does nothing to resolve the root causes of homelessness. In fact, it's more likely to push someone further away from the vital services that help them to move away from the streets.