Remove sentence reductions for guilty pleas in controlling and coercive cases
I want the Government to introduce legislation so that defendants charged with controlling or coercive behaviour cannot receive a sentencing reduction for a guilty plea entered after initially pleading not guilty. This should be known as Paris’s Law.
Signatures
101,326
signatures
Government response threshold (10,000) · 10,000/10,000 · reached
Debate threshold (100,000) · 100,000/100,000
- 27 APR 202610,000 signatures reachedEligible for a government response
- 21 APR 2026Petition opened for signaturesCreated by Paris Shears
Background
Victims of coercive control often wait months or years for trial, reliving trauma while preparing evidence. Defendants may plead not guilty, then change to guilty at the last moment and still receive a reduced sentence. This can feel like continued abuse, prolonging distress and undermining justice. I believe late guilty pleas in these cases should not receive sentence reductions, as it prolongs suffering, including the suffering I have personally experienced